We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Warren David. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Warren below.
Hi Warren, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I’ve been working in music full-time since 2009. Upon moving to Nashville in January of 2011, I interned at Recording Studio. Being the first one to the studio, the last to leave, and saying “yes, I can help with that” were the key elements that snowballed into more work. My availability at the studio exposed me to more opportunities while my attitude and. character kept me at the top of peoples’ minds. Building rapport with several professionals led to smaller jobs, and one stuck. I started assisting a mix engineer. What began with simple tasks blossomed into a full-time apprenticeship where I made myself indispensable, developing and evolving the whole operation, even taking on other assistants. The key to a good assistant is making the boss’ life easier. I did that while also creating new opportunities for my skills within the operation. These were the years where service, excellence, innovation, and resilience guided my steps. The slow burn was ignited.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a Mixer, Engineer, Producer, and Musician based in Nashville, TN. My passion is for connecting with music makers to create music that moves us. I care more about relationships and the impact of music than I do hunting for the “perfect sound” or collecting the most drool-worthy gear. I enjoy life with my family, building in my workshop, grilling, and going on adventures. Other love languages include Coffee (Stay Golden), Tex-Mex (Chuys), and Hot Chicken (Hattie-B’s).
My expertise is in mixing and engineering, but I also produce and edit music at The Arena Studio. I offer consultations for mixing, studio design, system integration, and troubleshooting. Assessing and solving problems is the regular rhythm of my life as an engineer. My role is to bridge the gap between vision and reality; to bring out the best in music, the people making it, and the people listening to it. My aim is to serve the project and the clients; to remain transparent and let the music be the star.
I grew up in Texas and was active in various arts, but struck a chord with music production. I’ve been working in Nashville since 2011 where I started as an intern at Dark Horse Recording and The Smokestack. For quite a tenure, I assisted, apprenticed under, and worked alongside Sean Moffitt. After a few years, I steadily transitioned from assisting to mixing full-time. I’m grateful to have served many producers and engineers on thousands of projects, including multiple Grammy & Dove Award-Winning projects. When anyone asks me how to succeed in music, I start with these words of wisdom: 1) Build your personal character with excellence, integrity, humility, and resiliency. Become indispensable. 2) Develop your skills and be around and available so that when the right opportunity presents itself, you are prepared to meet it.
I’m proud of the projects and professionals I’ve been able to work on/with. You can find a larger list on my website, but to name a few: Josh Groban, Chris Tomlin, Lauren Daigle, NeedToBreathe, Lady A, and We The Kingdom.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Developing friendships/relationships is always my top priority. And the most rewarding thing is when we can enjoy our time together creating music that realizes the vision of the artist. Songs that move us are always a joy in my business.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I love this question because so many freelancers feel the need to hit certain milestones or walk a certain defined path. Being flexible and having enough resourcefulness to pivot is crucial to navigating a career. If someone is adamant about the path they must take, or the milestones they must hit, or the titles and roles they must play, they will miss out on amazing discoveries and opportunities. Nearly no one ends up where they started. My willingness to adapt to the change in opportunities, shifting business practices, and service needs of others has opened (and kept open) so many doors. I’m more versitile, wise, equipped, experienced, resilient, and confident because of the pivots in my career.
As for a time when my career pivoted: I ventured into Dolby Atmos mixing as an additional service to my operation in 2021. This is a major investment in gear ranging from $20,000 – $100,000, depending on how you go about it. It’s also quite a learning curve, which would take a while to train and tweak in my workflow for months to come. BUT, there was a vacuum of need in my circles of work. I knew I was capable of venturing into this new area of expertise and service. It turned out to be one of the most financial lucrative decisions I’ve made, as the work I’ve gotten from this change has already paid off the investment and provided income. Beyond that, I was one of the earlier adopters of this new frontier, so I’ve been able to serve lots of high profile clients. I’ve cut my teeth on a new skill while the format is young and there was fewer competition, which was a gamble. But now I have established a reputation as “the guy” for Atmos mixing in my circles, I have a leg up on the competition due to my experience and credit list, and I’m also equipped with the expertise to help others.
Contact Info:
- Website: warrendavidmusic.com
- Instagram: @thewarrendavid
- Other: linktr.ee/warrendavidmusic
Image Credits
Ben Rector, Charles Kelley, Josh Groban, Lady A, NeedToBreathe, Russell Dickerson, Bethel, Chris Tomlin, Crowder, For King and Country, Hillsong, Lauren Daigle, Passion, Phil Wickham, Anne Wilson, Blessing Offer, Cain, Chris Renzema, Katy Nichole, Maverick City, We The Kingdom, Zach Williams, Third Day, Citizens, Colony House, Dave Barnes, Elias Dummer, Keith & Kristyn Getty, Nathan Thomas, Rend Collective, Matt Maher, Matt Redman, Matthew West, MercyMe, Nathalie Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Danny Gokey, Jordan Feliz, Mosaic MSC, Sean Curran, We Are Messengers, Evan Craft, Patrick Mayberry, CASTING CROWNS, Jason Gray, Newsboys, David Leonard, Leeland, Life Church, Miel San Marcos, Northview Worship, Pat Barrett, The Afters, Unspoken