We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zac Hall a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Zac, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with 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?
Earning a full time living as a Audio Engineer can be extremely challenging, especially in the beginning of your career. There is often a lack of stable income, regular hours, and consistent work.
I often describe it to professionals in other industries as the farthest thing you can think from a “9-5” job.
A great majority of audio engineers are freelance professionals. So yes, they technically get hired by people who need their services, but in theory, you work for yourself. That means if you want to find success, and stability it takes a great deal of drive, determination, and consistency. There’s no boss hovering over your shoulder, asking when that project is going to be finished, or reprimanding you for showing up late. It’s all on you. the accountability, and responsibilities fall entirely on you. Your failures, and your successes. So in some ways, it’s very liberating to approach a career like that, but in many other ways it presents a lot of unique challenges that you have to learn to navigate through time and experiences.
That being said, one always has to be thinking of creative ways to find new opportunities and continue growing their skill set. You can’t sit at home expecting people to discover your talents and then reach out to you for work. While there are some who have found success in online platforms like Fiver, I’ve personally found much more success by building personal relationships with my clients, that often turn into lifelong friendships.
In order for me to make a full time living from this type of work, I quickly realized that I needed to be good at a number of different skill sets. Both technically & creatively speaking. While it is important to be diverse in your skill set, also understand what your absolute strengths (selling points) are, and what your weaknesses are as well. For example, while i posses a number of video editing and production skills, I don’t market myself as a videographer. I can do much of that type of work, but my first and foremost role is as an audio engineer. It’s important when working with a potential new client, that you learn and truly understand what their needs and wants are, and how your strengths can best serve them.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I always had a innate love for music since as far back as I can remember. My parents raised my siblings and I on a wide variety of music growing up, and there was no shortage of heavy rock guitar riffs being blasted on any given weekend while my dad was barbecuing outside.
When I was 13 years old I became enthralled with wanting to learn and play the guitar. So I asked my mom if she would buy me one. Her response was, “I’m so happy you want to learn how to play an instrument, that’s great! Go get a job.”
Of course 13 year old me trying to process this response ending with me being upset and frustrated because I wanted instant satisfaction. I didn’t understand the vital lesson that my mother was trying to instill in me. However, heeding her words, I went out and got a job. I don’t think I was even old enough to legally work at the time, but that didn’t stop me. I got a job at a McDonald’s in my hometown. It was the first job I ever had. I hated it. I used to skate to work everyday after school. Later that year my mom got me an acoustic guitar for my birthday as a surprise. It wasn’t anything super fancy, but it served its purpose of teaching me the fundamentals. I was incredibly grateful and I spent a great deal of my time after school playing away on that guitar and teaching myself as many songs as my hands were capable of learning at the time. There was an indescribable feeling I experienced the first time I ever picked that guitar up, and strummed the first chords I learned. It was a feeling of raw emotion, of pure uplifting elation. Much like the feeling one gets when they hear that part of one of their favorite songs that sends chills down their spine and arms. It was that kind of feeling. So that’s how I got the bug, and it never really left after that.
Fast forwarding through high school, I played in a variety of different rock and garage bands with friends, and continued to experiment and refine my skills as a musician. During that time I was being exposed more and more to the production side of making music. We started making recordings in my moms basement. Looking back, they sounded terrible. We didn’t really know what we were doing on a professional level. But those moments were the building blocks of inspiration that would help me make bigger decisions later in life. It was an incredible time because there was no pressure of making things sound a certain way. We weren’t worried about getting streams, or how many people hit the like button. It was all focused around just making creative art and using the gift of music to express ourselves, and better understand ourselves.
The first college I ever attended was a University in Colorado where I was studying music performance with a focus on guitar. I thought it was going to be great, and parts of it was. However, the classical route wasn’t for me. I ended up leaving after my first year and doing some extensive traveling and working seasonal jobs throughout the U.S. as a professional cook, which later evolved into a thorough career as a Chef. Now how does all that correlate to music production and having a career as an audio engineer?
Well throughout my years of cooking and traveling, I continued to play music, write songs, and work on semi-professional recordings when I had free time. My work experiences took me to a variety of places, with a lot of them being based in different national parks in the United States. I was blessed with getting to see some of the most beautiful places this country has to offer, while also making a decent living. But there was some part of my creative soul, that yearned for more.
I’ve always been one to take risks, embrace spontaneous change, and put myself in completely unfamiliar territory in the pursuit of growth and pushing myself to new heights.
So I decided to go back to school some years later to finish my degree. I was 26 years old at the time. I didn’t want to go back through the traditional route of a University. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to create music, not just my own music, but with other artists and for other artists. I wanted to work intricately as an Engineer and Producer on many different projects. I wanted to be entrenched in the creative process of turning pure inspiration, or an idea, into a piece of art that can be shared with anyone. There’s something truly magical about that to me. And although I had the musical background, I knew there was a lot of technical knowledge I was missing to be able to do this at a professional level, and even have the slightest chance of being successful enough to not end up on the streets, or have to resort back to cooking for a living. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that either, I just know for me, there was a void in my creative spirit that if not nurtured, would leave me feeling empty and directionless.
As you can imagine, leaving a stable and familiar career to go back to school, and then transitioning into an entirely new industry which is highly competitive at that, is no easy task. I knew that going into it all. I attended the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences in Phoenix, AZ where I obtained my trade degree in the Master Recording II program. Through an extreme amount of hard work and determination, I graduated top of my class with a 4.0 GPA. But as with many other trades, a piece of paper showing your skill set doesn’t usually mean much. People want to see, (and hear), what you can actually do. That’s what’s going to translate into opportunities, and potential job placements to start building a legitimate career.
After I graduated, I packed my bags and drove my beat up Toyota Camry to Nashville, TN. “Music City” as it’s called. I had never been there before and I knew absolutely no one who lived there. I had no connections. Fortunately, the school helped me find an internship placement with a great recording studio, where I was given the chance to prove myself, and what I could do, while continuing to learn and grow as an Engineer, and later as a real Producer.
When I say working in the music industry, or the culinary world for that matter, is a labor of love, it truly is. If this is what you truly want, in whatever capacity that it looks like for you, you have to be willing to give every ounce of your being to the craft. Because it’s going to take all of that and more to have a chance of succeeding. If you don’t absolutely love doing it, day in and day out, then do it as a hobby, not a profession. There is a significant difference between those two things, It’s going to require the absolute best from you, and every ounce of it you have. Otherwise, to be frank, you won’t last.
I’ve been blessed to get to work with some incredible artists and musicians that work here in Nashville, and abroad. The intimate moments that I’ve shared with those people, have left a true imprint on my soul, and in my mind. Through those moments I was able to paint a more tangible picture of what gave me that fulfillment I was yearning for more of. Art is an expression of the human soul. It comes in a plethora of mediums as we all know. The magical thing about the medium of music is that aside from producing sounds through a physical instrument, it’s completely intangible. You can’t touch or see it at all. And yet it’s those intangible sounds that can evoke the most profound physical and mental emotions we are able to feel as humans. There is something incredibly deep about that experience. Those are the exact feelings I want to capture over and over again however I can. And doing that through the art and craft of engineering & recording is an amazing way to be part of the process.
So now that we’ve covered the philosophical side of what I do and love, I’ll briefly explain more of the hands on side of things. I work a variety of roles depending on the gig or session I get hired for, but I primarily work as a recording and mixing engineer, both in the studio, and for live events.
I provide full multi-media production services for my clients, and the artists I work with. I do multi-track analog & digital recording, mixing & mastering of records, and I also have an array of skill sets I’ve developed pertaining to video production, social media management, and artist development. All these skills correlate to one another, and are intertwined to purposely to give me a well rounded tool belt that can be of value in many different types of scenarios.
The problems I love helping clients solve all depend on where they’re at in their respective careers. An established artist of 15 years isn’t going to have the same challenges as an upcoming emerging artist with less experience. I pride myself on developing very personal relationships with every artist or client I work with.
The music industry is often shrouded in misconceptions about how different parts of it work. And while there is a vast array of quality information available online today, not all of it should be taken at face value. I pride myself on being extremely transparent in every part of my work, and clearing up those misconceptions wherever I can. From upfront conversations about pre-production and costs, to the intricate details of a vocal recording, or mixing a record for commercial release.
What I believe sets me apart from others in this field is my purpose, and intention behind what I get up and do everyday. I didn’t get into making music to get rich, or have fame and notoriety, or any of that. I could honestly care less about all of that. I fell in love with it because of that exact feeling I described earlier when I strummed my first guitar. The feeling of your spirit being alive, and able to express oneself in such a beautiful way. The feeling that most artists and musicians want to feel as much as possible. That’s why I do what I do. And that’s the exact feeling of boldness that I dig deep into others to bring out the best way I can.
There’s a lot of folks who are so focused on making money and as much of it as they can, that they simply overlook the more important details of the very nature of what we’re doing. Especially when it comes to making art. I don’t believe any true great artist throughout history ever made their artwork with that intention. They made it because they had a burning desire in them that they had to create. And without the possibility of creation, they would wither away. It was a necessity. They had to get out that which was in their head, into the physical world. That was it. It wasn’t about selling themselves or their identity to social media platforms for acceptance. Or paying for as many commercials for you to “like” my song as possible. No, it was done simply for the very act of satiating their creative desires, which in turn, brings fulfillment on a much more profound and everlasting level. This is the very philosophy I have when I work on production projects and I think it’s a big part of the reason that others enjoy working with me.
I don’t base my actions around transactional values of, “If you give me this, then I can do that.” Instead I think more like this, “What can I do with my current skill set, to help this individual get to where they want to be?” And if you consistently and genuinely ask those types of questions, then you will start finding yourself surrounded by the types of creative people you want to work with for the long haul, and people that respect that type of approach rather than the former.
The big takeaway that I want to leave readers with is this,
If you feel yourself stuck in a rut, like you’re living the same existence day after day, facing the same problems and not truly progressing into your full potential, it’s time for a change. Change is the absolute best thing for humans. Yes it can be scary, and frightening, and hard. But those are the exact types of fears we need to embrace head on, with confidence and belief in ourselves to persevere. It is in the moments of pure uncertainty and unfamiliarity, that if we continue to take another step, and another step, we continue to build the perseverance we need to achieve greatness.
Greatness comes in many, many different forms. None of which, however, will ever be given to you by a social media algorithm. Ever. Greatness is created in the empty palms of a determined spirit. One who trust in themselves, and believes in the value of the work they do. No matter the scale. There is no linear path to our lives. We all have visions of where we see ourselves in the future, but how we get there is often a mystery. It’s never a straight line, we cannot let the fear of failure hold us back from taking those steps into the unknown. The trajectory of our lives is full of twists and turns, lefts & rights, and hell, sometimes you have to take a step backwards to go forward. That’s okay. Be honest with yourself, and with those around you. If you have this yearning for something more, like you haven’t fully tapped in to that which is calling you, it’s because you haven’t. And the status quo isn’t working. Change comes from within, and it is from within, that greatness is made. Now use your greatness to inspire and motivate all those around you. That’s what you’ll be remembered for.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative for me is seeing and hearing the raw idea withing a human’s mind, the utter thought and vision, get turned into art in this physical world. When an experience, or emotion is captured in such a way, that can be translated and shared with others, is truly magical. That in itself is a gift.
That gift can move, inspire, and empower people all around the world for years to come. Long after those who created it are gone. There is something very special about that to me, and I think it is to be revered.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Absolutely! I think reading is a very important skill set that needs to be nurtured more.
The first book that I would like to share with readers is the book “For Everyone” by Jason Reynolds.
It’s a quick and easy read, written in a sort of prose, poetry style way, that will leave you feeling absolutely inspired and ready to take that next leap into the unknown.
The second book that helped me manage my time, and habits much better as a freelancer, and entrepreneur was the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. This one is a best seller, so you may have heard about it before. It’s packed full of tangible wisdom that will help you make small “atomic” changes in your life around your habitual routine that can lead to big, profound results.
The last book I’d like to reference is called “One Hundred Years Of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez. This is a fictional book written in 1967 and is not only an exceptionally well written book of literature, the imagery it paints around the human mind and self isolation is extremely profound. Once I got a few chapters in, I couldn’t put the book down!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Zac_Hall__
- Other: Email: [email protected] (For those who may want to connect on a deeper level)