Ep.13 : The Path of a Prodigy w/Evan Joseph
In this episode of Beyond the Threshold, I am joined by music composer and sound designer, Evan Joseph. His work includes music for film, TV, dance and theater as well as post-production sound for film and TV.
He is also the musical director/composer-in-residence for MJM Dance, the co-director of the Quiet City Film Festival and is also a freelance sound engineer for WNET Thirteen.
In this episode we discuss.
- His initial interest in music, and evolution into audio editing and sound design.
- Technical aspects of his work and how he manages his time and projects.
- The business side of working in the audio industry and protecting yourself.
- The future of audio, including the impact of AI.
Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!
-
E.Joseph Final
[00:00:00] Evan: I, I used to go to all of the, the big Audi, like post-production audio houses and facilities and you know, I'd say, you know, do you guys ever work on like, is it possible to like use the facilities if I'm working on something and, you know, [00:00:15] use one of their rooms? And a lot of times they were open to those kinds of
[00:00:20] Sidney: Tune in.
[00:00:21] As we give flowers to black men and women making waves in the audio industry, I'm your host, Sidney Evans, and this is beyond the threshold.[00:00:30]
[00:00:43] All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to [00:00:45] Beyond the Threshold. I'm your host Sidney Evans, an award-winning audio editor and producer. For those of you who don't know on this show, I interview black men and women working in the audio industry, uh, highlighting the lessons and experience it takes to achieve success in the field.[00:01:00]
[00:01:00] And, um, in preparing for today's episode and, uh, having this guest on. In doing my research, a strong word came to mind. The word prodigy came to mind because it seems like you've been really locked in from a young age, and [00:01:15] so I appreciate you coming on and, uh, wanted to share that talent and, and not only having a talent, but pursuing it as a career.
[00:01:23] Um, to give a little bit of background on today's guest, he's a Brooklyn based, uh, music composer for film, [00:01:30] television, dance, and theater. Uh, he is worked on numerous award-winning projects and has collaborated, uh, with a number of talented filmmakers and storytellers in addition to, uh, his work in music.
[00:01:41] Uh, he's a post-production sound designer and producer, and [00:01:45] also works as a freelance sound engineer for WNET 13 PBS's Flagship Station and the most watched public TV channel in the nation. Uh, so without further ado, I'd like to, I'd like to introduce Evan Joseph, welcome to the show. [00:02:00] Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for having me.
[00:02:03] So, yeah, I, I just want to kind of really just jump straight into it and, and get your story, man. So can you share little, share a little bit about your background when you noticed you had a gift and when you decided you were just gonna, uh, pur [00:02:15] pursue it full throttle? Yeah. Thank
[00:02:17] Evan: you. Um, yeah, I don't really have a, um.
[00:02:22] A big moment where it kind of happened. It's just kind of like from a, from a really young age. Um, I was always interested in music. [00:02:30] You know, my parents played a lot of music in the house. We always had a little keyboard as long as I could remember, and I always used to mess around with it. And then, you know, as I got into.
[00:02:41] TV and movies and video games. You know, the [00:02:45] music was always something that I really paid attention to and really enjoyed. And I just kind of decided one day like, oh, I'm going to do music for that stuff. Which sounds crazy, but that's just kind of how it happened. And you know, as I was [00:03:00] growing up, I started playing instruments.
[00:03:01] I took, you know, piano lessons. I played clarinet and saxophone, and. You know, taught myself a little bit of guitar and drums and all these kinds of things. Uh, and then, you know, went to [00:03:15] college for music composition. And then from there I started getting into more audio kind of stuff and working in film, doing audio editing, sound design along with the, you know, music [00:03:30] composing and producing and all that kind of stuff.
[00:03:32] So, um, it's, it's kind of just been there the whole time. Um, and yeah, just been enjoying it.
[00:03:41] Sidney: That's cool. So I, I know you mentioned, uh, as a youth or a [00:03:45] kid, you play multiple in instruments and you're kind of, you know, when you go on, uh, like a quest for like discovery and you're just exploring, you kind of try all these different things.
[00:03:55] Like what was the next step as far as like, okay, I'm going to actually start doing this. Like, [00:04:00] outside of just playing instruments. Okay. What was your first, did you. I know the first computer you had, what was the first piece of equipment? What kind of was like the first thing where you like kind of just jumped into it and doing what you thought it would take to do it on like a higher level?
[00:04:14] [00:04:15] Got
[00:04:15] Evan: you. Somehow, I don't remember how, but you know, I, I, I did some kind of research. I don't know if it was like, you know, ask Js or, or on some kind of forum on some music group, but, you know, I was like, all right, I need to [00:04:30] start. Figuring out how to do this stuff with the computer, you know? So the first thing I got was a very basic like, uh, music notation software.
[00:04:40] And I remember, uh, I think I asked one of the music teachers at my middle school [00:04:45] because I think I saw he had made some sheet music. So I was like, how did you do that? You know, he told me about the software he had and like I gave him some money. And when he went, you know, to the store, he got it for me.
[00:04:58] Uh, so that was like [00:05:00] the first thing. And then the next step was, um, figuring out how to, uh, take that to a, the next level, which is more, you know, software that's able to have different instrument sounds and things like that. You know, [00:05:15] vsts if you know, um, that and, you know, sound fonts and these kinds of things that we had to deal with back in the day.
[00:05:22] So that was the next step. And I remember my mom took me to, um, like a music store to get like, um, like a, [00:05:30] a virtual instrument, you know, I think it was like Native Instruments Compact at the time. You know, now people are probably familiar with contact, um, which is like their big library of sounds and like Compact was like, um, a very [00:05:45] small version of that with just like a handful of instruments and things like that.
[00:05:49] So I started messing around with that. I had a friend at church that, um, that started rapping and I was talking to him and I was just like, oh, I could probably make [00:06:00] the beats for that. It was like, I could probably do that. And he was like, oh, okay. And so like I started making beats, uh, for him to rap too.
[00:06:08] And like for years he would just like. I, I would just make stuff and send it to him, and that was it. And then when I got to, uh, [00:06:15] when I got to high school, there was, um, on one, one of the, I don't remember how it came about, but, um, I think I was on like a music forum for like a, there was like a video game remix there, website where you could, people make [00:06:30] remixes to games and like you could listen to them.
[00:06:32] Uh, remixes to the music from games, I mean. Okay, gotcha. And, um, there was one guy who was looking for a composer for like, uh, he was making like a RPG video game, you know, using like a [00:06:45] computer program where you could make a video game and he was looking for a composer. So I reached out to him and I was like, I could probably do that.
[00:06:52] So then that was like the first little like independent video game thing I did. I made the music for that, which is still fun to [00:07:00] go back and listen to. Uh, sometimes, but yeah. And then I, then I was in college and then it was, um, you know, I studied, um, music composition. It was elect electronic and acoustic.
[00:07:11] So I'm writing for, um, instruments. I'm writing for [00:07:15] voice, and then I'm also writing, doing computer music, you know, learning how to use the computer to make different sounds using synthesizers and things like that. And then, so, you know, we have concerts every semester, so I'm writing pieces that are getting performed and getting [00:07:30] played.
[00:07:31] So, you know, that was cool. And then as soon as I got outta college, I got the, my first like, um, gig on a film. You know, there was a local film. I went to college in Tampa. There was a local, um, you know, [00:07:45] indie filmmaker who had a film and he was looking for somebody to do the music and the sound. So that's how I got into sound was because I wanted to do the music for this film.
[00:07:55] And he was like, well, we need somebody to also do the sound, um, editing [00:08:00] sound design. And I was like, yeah, I could do that. Because I had all the skills to do it. I was pretty confident I could figure it out. Mm-hmm. You know, so I kind of just lied and said, yeah, sure, that's no problem. And then I just figured it out,
[00:08:13] Sidney: you
[00:08:13] Evan: know.
[00:08:13] Sidney: Also, I want, I wanna [00:08:15] jump in real quick 'cause, um. And that was, I'm glad you, me, like, uh, shared the point where, uh, during the composition that the sound design kind of came together. 'cause that was one of the questions that I asked for you, that I had for you. Uh, but before getting into that, it seems like you kind of, you [00:08:30] had this very formal, kind of traditional, uh, aspect of, of, of you pursuing music.
[00:08:37] Pursuing music, and then you also combine it with like the, I guess the doing it in the di in this age, in this digital [00:08:45] age, and what type of. Programs of equipment that you could use to, um, which ultimately will help you once you actually start doing films and things like that because it can make what you're doing much more efficient and better without having to get so into the, into, uh.
[00:08:59] [00:09:00] The other aspect of it, which is the more traditional, but was there something that you were like, kind of consciously doing? It's like, I want to have this like real foundation and then just allow it to really take me to whatever interests me outside of just the basic knowledge [00:09:15] of it.
[00:09:16] Evan: It, it all kind of happened just kind of naturally.
[00:09:19] It's like, you know, if, if I'm like a middle school or high schooler. And, uh, even though I, um, I played in, in the band and played these instruments, I didn't really, [00:09:30] uh, I wasn't thinking about writing music for other people to, to play necessarily. So it was kind of like, well, how am I gonna get the music made?
[00:09:39] So then it's, well, it's like I, I need the computer software to do it. I need like these virtual instruments [00:09:45] to do it. And kind of the music I was envisioning in my head was, um. All kinds of different styles, but like, uh, not something I'd be able to pull a group of people together to play. You know, I didn't have any access to recording equipment, [00:10:00] you know, outside of like a single microphone or something.
[00:10:02] So then that's kind of how the computer aspect came about was it is just like that's what I needed to make the sounds and make the music, um, that I guess that I was interested in. And then from [00:10:15] there, when I got to to college, I continued with that. But then there's also now the aspect of like actually having live musicians being kind of available for you to, to play or to play your music rather.
[00:10:29] So then [00:10:30] that, you know, opens up a whole other realm because now you're hearing, um, real people playing, you know, the things. It's not a computer, you know, violin. You know, and those sounds of course have come a long way. And, and, and a lot of like [00:10:45] major films and productions use those virtual sounds, but it's just different when you have like a real live person playing it and you're in the room and, you know, it's a whole different vibe.
[00:10:55] So then that came about, um, and then now since [00:11:00] then, it's like a combination. Now, you know, sometimes I'm using live musicians, sometimes I'm using computers. Sometimes it's a hybrid, or most often it's a hybrid. Of, of both. So I, I feel like it, it was just like a really natural progression. It wasn't really a [00:11:15] conscious thing, um, but it, it just happened to work out.
[00:11:18] Sidney: Okay. Oh, cool. So, I guess now that you're outta college and you're, you're. You mentioned that you worked on, uh, the first project you had was on film and scoring, but then you're [00:11:30] also, I guess you're, you're, you're like out in the real world and you're practicing and there's, you know, money and, and terms and business and all this stuff that you gotta get figured out, uh, along with just, you know, the skill and the [00:11:45] creative.
[00:11:46] So I guess I kind of want, I kind of want to get it in both aspects. So working on those early productions, um, early school and early sound design, I guess, what was your process for, 'cause you're, I'm, I, I'm sure you have a tried and true [00:12:00] process in, in some, in some capacity, but you're going, doing music and sound design and that's a whole new, like you said, workflow and, and process.
[00:12:09] So are you really like honing in and refining. That. And then also, [00:12:15] um, what are you learning as far as the business aspect of, uh, yeah. Uh, of doing what you do?
[00:12:22] Evan: I mean, it's been a process of learning all of that stuff. You know, I've, um, you know, what year is it? It's like 20, 25. I've [00:12:30] been outta school for almost 15 years.
[00:12:34] Um, you know, and I've been working, yeah, so for the last 15 years it's been, um, I've been in the professional kind of realm and yeah, just, just, just the [00:12:45] process, learning those things, you know, whether it's, um, figuring out on my own. There was this thing where kind of like, I just did what made sense or like how I thought, you know, um, you know, for, for, for sound for [00:13:00] instance, you know, I'm like, all right, well first you gotta like lay down whatever the background sounds are and then you gotta like do this and that and edit this.
[00:13:07] And, and then I came to find out later that kind of the things I was doing just kind of intuitively ended up being what [00:13:15] the most common or proper workflow would be. You know, I met other people. In the industry, which, which was great. My, my brother does, um, production sound mixing, so he's like the sound guy on set, you know, on TV and film.[00:13:30]
[00:13:30] And, uh, him and I had a little company for a while and we had another, um, sound artist who had experience doing, um, post-production sound editing and things like that. So I was able to learn from him, which was helpful. And yeah, just kind of figuring [00:13:45] out as I go. And then the business aspect, it's like, it's you, you live and you learn, you know, first maybe you're not thinking about contracts and stuff until you run into the first person that doesn't pay or, uh, or is changing the deal on you.
[00:13:58] And then you're like, all right, well now I need to [00:14:00] protect myself. You know, well, what's the standard contract look like? And then, you know, you ask people, you Google it, you know, now you're protected that way. Now it's like you, you run into the problem where. You know, there's, there's endless rounds of, uh, changes and [00:14:15] notes, and you're like, all right, well, no, that's something that needs to be figured out ahead of time.
[00:14:19] Now, you know, if, if you're working on something that's a certain level of, you know, if you're getting a certain level of payment, I guess, out of it, uh, you can't afford to be working on this for [00:14:30] like three months, going back and forth with notes. You know, you gotta tell 'em like either. Either you're paying more or there's a limit to like how much we can do revisions and stuff.
[00:14:39] 'cause we gotta get on and get onto the next thing. So all the business stuff, just like a mix [00:14:45] of figuring that out the hard way. Um, and also getting tips from people who've been there and learning that way and doing, you know, how much research you can do on your own. So, yeah, the, the business [00:15:00] aspect, um, it's still, uh, can be a little tricky.
[00:15:04] You know, you, there's always this thing where they're like, what's your rate? And you're like, well, what's your budget? You know, no, too well, all too well, man, [00:15:15] you know, there, there's always that, you know, depending on what it is, you don't, you know, you don't wanna low ball yourself or you don't, you know, or you don't wanna miss out on the, on a really good collaboration because, um, they don't have the money to pay what they think they need to pay you and these [00:15:30] kinds of things.
[00:15:30] So it, it is always a little bit of a, of a dance in a way, but it definitely gets easier, uh, and, uh. Yeah. And I feel like a, a lot of times early on, maybe you feel, feel like you're missing out on everything. And maybe [00:15:45] as you get older, you, you think, you know, if, if I miss out on that job, you know, it's not the end of the world, something else is gonna come along.
[00:15:52] Um, so it gets easier in that way too.
[00:15:55] Sidney: Um, that's actually a perfect, perfect, uh, [00:16:00] transition because obviously like the terms of. The money, the financial aspect of it is one thing to consider, but I'm curious to know like. What other things do you consider that, uh, [00:16:15] determine whether you will take on or like decline and offer for a project?
[00:16:19] Um, 'cause it's not always, money is a very big thing, but it's not always about that, like you said, is, am I gonna have to shut, am I gonna have to be working on one project for three months to where I'm, you know, [00:16:30] missing out on other collaborations or projects there? You know, it could be their expectation as far as.
[00:16:36] Response time for emails and, and, you know, the logistics of, of, uh, working on a project. So what other things, other [00:16:45] things do you consider outside of just money?
[00:16:47] Evan: Yeah, it could be, um, who the, you know, who the person is, the creative or, or the team that you're working with. Um, you know, there's value in that.
[00:16:59] And if you [00:17:00] think it, it's a, it could be a really good experience, you know, or it could lead to more work kind of down the road. With some people who, who you really like, you know, the work that they do and things like that. So that's always a good reason to jump into something. It could be [00:17:15] just like the length of the project, you know, if it's a really quick thing, uh, sometimes it's good to just get another project, finish it up real quick, get paid and, and, and then move on to the next thing.
[00:17:27] You know there, there's value [00:17:30] in that, you know, so there might be a case where they don't have a lot of money, but it's like. It's get it, it, it's wrapping up quick, you know, and, you know, usually you think you, you would want to charge more for a rush job. But then, like I said, you know, sometimes it's good to just jump into something and like [00:17:45] focus real quick, get it done and then like move on to the next thing.
[00:17:48] So, yeah. And then, uh, and then just the, the, the work itself, the project, you know, aside from the people creating it, just like, um. The content, I guess you could say. [00:18:00] Like, what's the, what's this film about? What's the focus of it? Do I feel like, um, it's something I really wanna add, you know, my style or my voice to.
[00:18:11] So yeah, all of those kinds of things I think help when, um, [00:18:15] when selecting a project. Yeah. And then sometimes it's like, you know. Just to stay busy. Like if you got nothing else going on, it's not going to lock you down too much. Where if the next thing comes along, you're kind of stuck. Then it's like, all right, [00:18:30] t let's, let's do it.
[00:18:31] Let's, um, stay busy, you know, get the creative energy, kind of, you know, going still. Got you.
[00:18:39] Sidney: I guess there could be seasons like, okay, I'm working on one thing that may be, that may be a little bit longer, or [00:18:45] you might be working on multiple things at once or things back to back, and I know that can get. It can get hectic.
[00:18:50] You, you know, there's, you got gonna, you gotta stay organized. You gotta make sure you're, uh, like kind of sitting with what you're doing and not, and, and trying to feel your way [00:19:00] through. And instead of trying to just like, oh, I gotta get this done, so I'm just going to, I. Do something when it's like you didn't really give yourself the opportunity for it to kind of come naturally.
[00:19:10] Um, but then you also, you have to get everything done within a, a certain [00:19:15] timeframe. So like what, uh, do you have things built in to where you're able to like, okay, I'm hitting a block. I need to take a break. Is it just a feeling like I'll hit a block or is it like, okay, I know I need to rest my ears, I need to.
[00:19:28] Step away for a second. [00:19:30] Not only for to be fresh and, and constantly inspired when you're working, but also so you also experience life too. Like there's a whole other life outside of, you know, professionally you have, uh, obviously dating, relationships, family, [00:19:45] hobbies, you know, everything. I'm, I'm a against everybody wanting to monetize everything.
[00:19:49] And I was like, no, sometimes you just need to have hobbies and sometimes inspiration from the work comes when you're doing those other things. It's not when you're actually. Trying to figure it out, kind of putting that stress on yourself. So, [00:20:00] yeah, I guess how do you kind of just still live a, like a normal, grounded life and not get overwhelmed or burnt out on all that you have on your plate?
[00:20:09] Evan: Yeah, that, uh, yeah, that's a good question. Um, yeah, a lot of different ways really. You know, when I [00:20:15] was first starting for the first, like I would say almost like 10 years, you know, it's kind of like you want to take on every project you can, you want to, you know, do everything. And then, you know, when it's like that and when you, you have a lot of different [00:20:30] projects, you know, if you get stuck on something, then it's kind of like, all right, well either just take a break from everything for a little bit or, you know, you could just move on to the other thing I'm working on, you know, if this thing's, you know, got me stuck, all right, let me work on this other thing that I'm doing.[00:20:45]
[00:20:45] And you kind of go back and forth and then, you know, when you come back around to the other one, um, maybe you can get past like the, the wall or whatever. So that helped for a long time. And then now for the last, you know, I don't know, five [00:21:00] years or so. I kinda stopped, um, doing so much. I stopped, you know, um, spending a lot of time, I guess, like seeking out work because, um, I was in a fortunate place where a lot of the [00:21:15] work would just come, you know, I had built enough, um, relationships with people I worked on in enough projects that people would refer me or I'd have repeat sort of, um, collaborations and clients and things like that.
[00:21:28] So I. So I would just kind of [00:21:30] relax and I know like if I finish something, I don't have to go, um, start worrying too much about what the next thing is and looking for it. I can take that time to just relax and I know that the next thing's gonna come pretty soon. That's been a little [00:21:45] more difficult over the last year.
[00:21:46] You know, I, I think with the strikes and things like that, everything kind of slowed down. So last year was a little more slow than, than I'd want it to be. And also, um. I, I started focusing a little bit more on [00:22:00] music because, um, some of the sound, sound work can get really intensive and take up a lot of time.
[00:22:07] And then when I get like a, a music gig, it would, uh, it'd be hard to, to balance those two things and I'd be, you [00:22:15] know, spending all my time on, on other projects and I couldn't really put the time and energy into the music gig. So I started kind of doing less sound work, which helped. You know, so then I, then now I'm, um, now I'm turning down a lot of, [00:22:30] uh, uh, jobs that, you know, in the back of my mind I'm thinking maybe I should be taking, you know, financially, you know, you want to make sure that you're good.
[00:22:38] But then creatively I'm like, well, I want to be able to do my best work. I. Um, when I have a project and not be [00:22:45] spread too thin. So, yeah, so then just kind of trusting that, you know, something else is gonna come and then I can take those time, that time in between projects to relax and do something else, you know, play a little [00:23:00] bit of games or, um, you know, I do a lot creative writing kind of recently.
[00:23:05] You know, doing that or spending time with, you know, family, friends and all of that kind of stuff.
[00:23:11] Sidney: Got you. Yeah, I, that's, that's good to know. 'cause I, um, [00:23:15] my, my, my, uh, significant other, she's always on me about like, like I know you wanna, you know, I. Get the bag away, you know, all these terms that people use just like, basically, which is just different ways to say, I'm just working nonstop and I'm, and I'm not [00:23:30] sleeping properly.
[00:23:30] And, and 'cause when with a lot of those things, it's like, okay, yeah, maybe the creative work turns out good, but like you said, you're not sleeping properly. You're, uh. You're making bad food decisions because you're up at three o'clock in the morning [00:23:45] working and it can, a lot of it can affect a lot of other areas of your life outside of a lot of, I'm sure a lot of people can justify it and say, oh, well the work I'm doing is good.
[00:23:53] It is like, yeah, but what about the rest of your life? Um, and things that are important, especially as you get older, you wanna take care of your health. And I know [00:24:00] some people say, well, from the word balance, 'cause you have to be, you know, seems like you have to be obsessed at something to be. To be good at it.
[00:24:05] And I know there are seasons where you have to really lock in and, and do more work than others, but, um, at some point you are gonna have to have to have a good balance. So I [00:24:15] always make sure I, uh, touch on that. And as you, as far as you saying you were spread too thin, so when you're good at something, it's that you become known for the thing.
[00:24:25] You know, you're known for music, um, in whatever capacity you [00:24:30] want to specifically highlight. But then also, you know, I. You got people like reaching out for, to be on podcasts, people wanting you to do things that may not be necessarily related to the thing itself, but it's just in like an extension [00:24:45] of what you have done.
[00:24:45] So you're, you're speaking, you're heads and leaders of groups and organizations and, and things. So, um, and I know you, you ha are and have been involved in a lot of things. So I guess what is like, I [00:25:00] guess it kind of comes b more of a people thing than it does a creative thing when you're, when you kind of get into those realms.
[00:25:05] So, and as audio people, I think some of the, some of the time the reason why they take a liking to it outside of I. The, you know, creative and [00:25:15] technical stuff is that you're behind the scenes. You're not out in the open. You can kind of be appreciated and respected and make a living for yourself, but you don't have to be in in French, French Street necessarily.
[00:25:26] So when it is time and you do become [00:25:30] well known for what you do, and you have to do more of those people facing things, was that something that came like natural or was it an adjustment? I know. It's an, it is been an adjustment for me. When I got asked to, to speak at like a, a, a festival for the first time, like I was, I was petrified because [00:25:45] I just, I just, this, this is all I cared about before, just being in front of this computer and doing that.
[00:25:48] So, uh, was, was that like a, a, a learning moment for you?
[00:25:54] Evan: Yeah, for me it, it's like a mix. It's like the, uh, you know, I've presented at, um. [00:26:00] Seminars, or I've been on panels and things like that, and that kind of stuff is easy. Um, I don't have a problem speaking to people in public like that, but then if it's something like, you know, like you mentioned, like a lot of our work is behind the [00:26:15] scenes in a way.
[00:26:16] And um, and like I'm at, like if I'm working on a film, for instance, I'm like at the end of the process, you know, everybody did their job. I'm coming in at the very end, and then now it's like I get invited to a screening or like a rap [00:26:30] party. Or like, uh, or something like that. And now it's like the whole cast and crew is there and everybody knows each other and everybody's like, um, you know, remembering all the time they had on set.
[00:26:40] And I'm just like, oh, hey. Like I just worked on it after the fact. And
[00:26:44] those kinds of
[00:26:44] Evan: [00:26:45] situations are hard for me. I feel like it's hard for me to connect and insert myself into there and, and, uh, and network and make the connections when it's like that. So that's something that, that I, uh. Try to work on and that, you know, sometimes [00:27:00] I'm like, ah, man, I don't want to go go to that screening.
[00:27:02] I'm, you know, there first there's the aspect of, you know, sometimes you don't want to hear the thing you worked on because either you heard it too much already or, or you don't want to, you know, you're scared of the response maybe. And then there's the aspect of I'm [00:27:15] not gonna know anybody there. So sometimes you have to fight through.
[00:27:19] Those, uh, those feelings to kind of just get out there and, and try to network. So yeah, it's, it's a mix. You know, if it, if it's in front of a big group or I'm on stage or something, it, it's kind of [00:27:30] just like performing in a way, which I'm used to. Um, but if it's like more, you know, intimate, kind of like close circles, networking, then sometimes it, it's hard.
[00:27:40] And, uh, I gotta push myself to, to do that kind of stuff.
[00:27:44] Sidney: Yeah, [00:27:45] that, that, that makes sense. The, the, the being disconnected from a park, like you said, they have all these, you know, they basically family for however long the production was or whatever. And a lot of people get really close, you know, friends and stuff like that.
[00:27:58] And like you said, you're come in, you're kind of [00:28:00] detached. That reminds me 'cause I was working with this, uh, production company. It's kind of like my first real. I would just say like big boy job as far as like doing dialogue editing and stuff like that in, in, in the podcast space. But we, we would have like these [00:28:15] productions and it would be, um.
[00:28:17] Like, we did a show with Uha Silverstone, who, you know, I remember from, she was in Clueless and Batman and Robin, which I don't think did that great, but as a kid you think it's a, you think it's a good [00:28:30] movie. So I'm like, oh, this is cool. And then I realized like, man, I'm like, I'm not gonna be in on any of these recordings.
[00:28:36] I don't, you know, have, there's no interaction. It's just once it's done, okay, you cut it like this and then you move on. And I'm like, man, this is. Like, this is some cool stuff and [00:28:45] I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm missing a lot. I feel like I was missing a lot, so I can definitely, obviously this what you had to deal what's on a different level, but I guess it, it, it kind of comes from the same place, so that's cool.
[00:28:56] So I guess, you know, I always want to, and I [00:29:00] always, it's sometimes I, and I'm kind of mad at myself because some episodes I just get into the episode and I kind of. You plan to go one place and you end up somewhere else. And that's not to say it's not good, but you just, you know, certain things that you wanted to highlight that you, uh, [00:29:15] didn't necessarily get a chance to.
[00:29:17] But I guess for people like wanting to do this, who like, who are newly inspired, I don't know, maybe they know they wanna do something around audio or sound and it, they kind of don't know which direction to [00:29:30] go, but they obviously have an interest in it. And that's one of the reasons why I created the show is to.
[00:29:35] Kind of helped spark some of that because as I went on this path, I didn't, as far as black people, I didn't see as many, not to say they're not there, but kind of [00:29:45] branding themselves and, and, and, and making a name themselves, like online and, and, and in a professional way as outside of just doing the work.
[00:29:53] I wish there were more podcasts. I wish there were more things like that, that I could have listened to just kind of just avoid some of the mistakes I made and, [00:30:00] and things that I didn't know at any particular time. Like, but what, I guess, what advice would you give as far as just, you know, wanting to pursue audio or sound in some type of way, and then, um, [00:30:15] having a healthy level of trying different things and then seeing where your interests take you and figuring out what you're good at.
[00:30:21] Like how do, how do you get a start, uh, so to speak would be the question
[00:30:26] Evan: first. I would like just get familiar with. The software and [00:30:30] things like that and the, and the editing, you know, process and, and stuff. You know, you could get something free, like, uh, you know, what is it, audacity, uh, I'm trying to think of like a free software, you know, you could do something like that.
[00:30:44] Or like the free [00:30:45] version of Pro Tools to, and you know, and just start messing with, with sounds and learning how it works and cutting and, you know. Editing, you know, mixing. And then from there, um, you know, maybe get linked up if [00:31:00] you're interested in film or, or tv. You know, maybe get linked up with, uh, some, something local, like a school, you know, universities, you know, students that are making films.
[00:31:12] Try to see if you could work on that kind of stuff. [00:31:15] With podcasts. Um, I don't even remember how I got into, um, podcast editing. Uh, yeah, I mean, somebody I probably knew from, um, from the film, you know, sphere probably just like hit me up to do it or something. [00:31:30] But, um, I. Yeah, I don't know. Just, I, I would say watch, you know, videos, talk to, try to talk to people, you know, even if you gotta write a cold email or something to try to get in touch with somebody who's doing it, just reach out.
[00:31:43] I feel like mo more [00:31:45] times than not people are, are very helpful, especially in the audio realm. You know, when I was in, um, when I was in New York, I, I recently moved to Florida, but, um, I, I used to go to all of the. [00:32:00] The big like post-production audio, um, houses and facilities and you know, I would just go and, uh, you know, shoot 'em an email and say, Hey, can I check out, you know, the space meet, you know, meet you guys?
[00:32:12] They'd always say, yeah, come on. You know, they'd give [00:32:15] you a tour. I'd say, you know, do you guys ever work on like, um. You know, smaller projects where you need like, people to, to do stuff or like, do you, is it possible to like, you know, use the facilities if I'm working on something and, you know, for some of [00:32:30] the, some of the smaller ones, you know, you, you can't afford to go to a big mixing stage or something, you could go use one of their rooms and a lot of times they were open to those kinds of arrangements.
[00:32:39] So yeah, I think just talk to people just like, even if you gotta go outta your way a little bit to kind of [00:32:45] meet people in the industry, I feel like. A lot of people are very, uh, open and willing to kind of like, help you out. You know? It, it's, it's, it doesn't feel like, um, like they're worried about you coming and taking their spot or something.
[00:32:59] It's like, right, [00:33:00] right. The more, the more that they help, it's like everybody else is going to just get better.
[00:33:05] Sidney: That's a good point. And I don't know, it's something about the audio industry. I, I think we're, I think it's kind of a, I think it's kind of a, a relief is [00:33:15] like. Obviously video is like the, the, the sexy medium.
[00:33:18] Obviously you have the video and the audio component, but I feel like sometimes as audio people. The value in, in what we do is sometimes overlooked, not appreciated. So when we find other [00:33:30] people who love audio just as much, I think it's just the relief is like, okay, somebody loves it just as much as I do.
[00:33:35] Somebody appreciates it. 'cause a lot of the times, especially like, I don't know, there are, I know there's a new generation of people who got introduced to audio through podcasting and, and [00:33:45] whether they decide to stay there or. Venture out into the other realms within audio. It's like you spend a lot of time trying to convince people that it's just even worth it.
[00:33:55] Like that is that they should, they should spend money on it. They should invest in it. So, so for somebody [00:34:00] to, obviously to become a pro at it, you have to put in time that it's like, okay, I, there's no immediate return, there's no guarantee. I just love it. So this is what I do. So I think for me, sometimes it's a relief to, to.
[00:34:14] Meet other [00:34:15] audio, audio people as well. And in terms of like the future of audio, like I know the, the AI thing in, in, in all industries is like, it seems like every day there's just something new. Um, and it's kind of hard to keep up with and it's kind of hard to decipher, like, [00:34:30] okay, what's gonna stick and what's not, what's not just, you know, some pop, some people trying to jump, trying to jump on the bandwagon and what's.
[00:34:37] It actually going to be beneficial and help like, streamline the process of some of the stuff that we do. So, uh, I guess [00:34:45] what's your take on AI specifically in audio and then like, are there any tools also, um, in audio with like machine learning and extensions of kind of within the same room, like that can help you get started?
[00:34:57] Work more efficiently, be more creative, [00:35:00] faster. Is there anything that you've, like dibbled and dabbled in or explored or even just kind of implemented into your workflow long term?
[00:35:10] Evan: Yeah, there's, uh, I mean this isn't, um, this isn't [00:35:15] anything new and it's not AI or, or machine learning or anything, but I do use like some kind of like, uh, like automated processes, so, you know, um.
[00:35:25] For instance, uh, what's the name of the, the, so the, um, well, [00:35:30] I mean, it's essentially like shortcuts. You know how in your software you can do, uh, shortcuts and things like that. So there's certain software where, um, you can just, with the push of a button, you can do like a series of events that you kind of set up, you know.
[00:35:44] So I, I [00:35:45] do some of that with my editing, where it's like, um. If I'm editing, uh, you know, like, all right, if you're getting rid of breath, like, you know, like the breath or whatever in the podcast, right? You know, this client, they don't like the breast, they want 'em out of there. You know, you gotta like, make that [00:36:00] cut and then add a little fade on each side.
[00:36:02] Or maybe you're, or maybe you're filling it, filling it in with tone. So those like little tedious tasks that you're doing, like maybe a hundred times. I have where I just highlight it and then I push a button and it automatically cuts it and it puts the two [00:36:15] fades on the end. You know? So if I, so sometimes if I'm working on something like that, I'm just going through highlighting, pushing a button, highlight, pushing a button, and I'm saving time on that kind of stuff.
[00:36:25] You know, when I'm, when I'm working with, um. Channel 13. [00:36:30] You know, we, we name our files in a certain way, so when I finish, when I finish a mix, you know, when I have like the, the stereo mix and then I have like, just the dialogue, just the music, just the sound effects, um, and all of those different [00:36:45] tracks. I, I just push one button and it names them all in like a second, you know, so I don't have to go into every track and like write what the name is.
[00:36:53] So that saves time. So, um, you know, there's, um, buttons I have where I could [00:37:00] pull up a certain plugin that I use all the time, and even like, you know, it'll render it also, like if I push the, a certain button, it'll like go to a preset and just like render it if I know that I'm going to be using a specific preset for, you know.
[00:37:14] For [00:37:15] something. So there's things like that that I use. You know, I have a, uh, um, a stream deck that I use for the buttons. I use this, um, this software called Sound Flow. Are you familiar with sound flow?
[00:37:26] Sidney: Uh, it's, I feel like it's so many. [00:37:30] Tools with the word sound in it. I don't know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I wanna say yes, but I'm not a hundred percent sure.
[00:37:34] Evan: No, for sure. Yeah, yeah. No, that, that's true. Uh, but yeah, sound flow is, um, is a good software for, for creating these, [00:37:45] um, these processes. So that, that kind of stuff has sped up my workflow a bunch, you know, and like I paid, you know, 10 bucks a month for the sound flow software and users can, um, make their own, [00:38:00] um, shortcuts and processes and, and that kind of stuff has really helped.
[00:38:05] You know, as far as, um, actual like ai, you know, or, or machine learning or that kind of stuff. I don't, um, I don't know [00:38:15] too much about. Any of that kind of stuff. Um, I, I feel like it, it's taken away a little bit of work. Um, I think if, if it's making things for, um, editors sometimes on smaller jobs and then the, you know, [00:38:30] video editors, then a lot of times the video editors are doing.
[00:38:33] Uh, the sound work, you know, and sometimes it's like, you know, it, it's not, it's nothing too intensive or whatever, and it's something they could handle and, and that's fine, but you know, something that you [00:38:45] used to need to get a separate, um, sound person to do. Sometimes those opportunities aren't there. Uh, I'm finding that with music, especially on commercial stuff now, it's like, instead of paying a composer, maybe they're, they're just going to a music library.
[00:38:59] [00:39:00] Um, and getting music. Uh, I haven't run across anybody u using AI to generate music yet. I know that kind of stuff exists. You know, I've heard, you know, on YouTube, different songs and things like that made with ai, but I haven't run into anybody [00:39:15] actually using it. So that kind of stuff is rough. Um, that's 'cause it's
[00:39:18] Sidney: not good right now.
[00:39:19] Like the actual making the music is not, it's, it's, it sound, it is not good. So that's why it's, you know, we haven't got to that point. And who knows, like, you never know. It might take years and you might make it one day and [00:39:30] it's like, wow, this is, I can't tell the difference. You never really know. Um, but I think, I know, I know there's a lot of craze around like, you know, taking work and taking jobs and in life in general.
[00:39:42] Like obviously there's the two extremes. This is gonna stream [00:39:45] for everything. You have hot and cold, you have night and day. Ultimately, like somewhere in the middle is kind of where always thing where things always end up. So I think it'll be somewhere in the middle. I think it'll be a, a, a, a quality tool that can help people that do audio speed [00:40:00] up things and, and, and, and streamline it.
[00:40:02] Will it, you know, with the evolution of technology, it always. Takes a little bit of business away from somebody. I mean, or sometimes big, like with the transition from music, from CDs to, to digital. Like you have things [00:40:15] like that that happen, but I don't think it's necessarily where things are gonna get replaced or eliminated.
[00:40:20] It's just evolving. Um, so that's, that's how I like to look at it. And, you know, I don't, I don't try to go in with the, um, being completely sold [00:40:30] on it. It's just like this could be done for everything. But then I'm also not super resistant. Like I'm a purist and this should never. You know, be incorporated.
[00:40:37] You know, I like to live somewhere in the middle. So thank you for take, thank you for kind of sharing your take and, and how you have or [00:40:45] have not, uh, implemented it. So yeah, man, I think we're kind of getting down to, to the end of the episode. I appreciate everything you've shared so far, but, uh, do want to, uh, ask some questions for this in this segment, just to kind of general, get a general idea of your taste [00:41:00] and.
[00:41:01] The things that you, that you, uh, the, the prefaces that you have as far as music and other things related to sound outside of your work. So, first question I want to ask is, uh, what's your favorite album of all time?
[00:41:13] Evan: I'm really bad with [00:41:15] like lists and favorites and I feel like it changes a lot, but, um, you know, it.
[00:41:21] And depends on the setting and all these kinds of things. But, uh, you know, a few might be like, um, the Random Access Memories album [00:41:30] by, uh, daft Punk. You know, that's, they, they had a lot of collaborations on there sonically, like, that's amazing album. Um, awaken My Love, uh, childish Gambino. You know, the, the first one where he wasn't really [00:41:45] rapping.
[00:41:45] It was, it was like a soul record. Um, the production and, and, and you know, the kind of recreation of like the seventies kinda funk and soul kind of sound on that. Album's amazing. And then [00:42:00] like a lot of like, uh, hip hop nineties, you know, boom Bap, east Coast kind of Tri Tribe or, um, yeah, a lot of tribe albums.
[00:42:11] I'll, you know, some, sometimes midnight Mars is like my [00:42:15] favorite. Sometimes it's like. Um, you beat rhymes, you know, in life or all. Yeah. So all that kind of stuff.
[00:42:24] Sidney: Okay. You got some, uh, obviously with the nineties boom bap and stuff like that, I'm more familiar, but with the, the DAF [00:42:30] punk and the, uh, Travis, again, being a reference you made, now it's familiar, uh, which is why I asked these questions.
[00:42:35] I don't expect, I don't do it so everybody can have the same taste that I have or listen to the same things I have. Yeah, it is like, it's cool to share that moment. It was like, oh, that's my favorite too. But it's also [00:42:45] good to be put on to some stuff. So I'm gonna, I'm gonna check those out and, uh. You know, based off your suggestions.
[00:42:52] So I'm looking forward to it. Alright. Uh, I guess you, and the last question, you kind of, uh, mentioned multiple, so the [00:43:00] que actual question is for every music producer, but I'm sure you probably have like a group or I, I, everybody does. They have a, it just depends on your mood. One day your favorite might be this, like you said, one day it might be that.
[00:43:10] But whatever comes to you in the moment, I feel like it, it came to you, you know, for a reason. [00:43:15] So, um, interested to, to to know your favorite, uh, producer or producers.
[00:43:20] Evan: Yeah, I mean, um, you know, uh, a lot of Kanye stuff, you know, he's a questionable person or these days, [00:43:30] uh, but you know, strictly speaking music, um, you know, the production.
[00:43:36] Is, uh, is amazing. I really like, you know, lately a lot of alchemist kind of stuff. He's really been, yeah, [00:43:45] breaking through even more kind of. And then, um, you know, Lu Ludwig Sson, he's, uh, he's a composer and a producer. Um, he does, he, he, he did all the, pretty much all the Childish Gambino [00:44:00] albums. And he's done, you know, the, the mo um, move the film scores for like, uh, all the Ryan Coogler, oh, you know, fruit, fruit Veil and Black Panther.
[00:44:10] And, you know, he just won the Oscar for, um, [00:44:15] Oppenheimer. Uh, but you know, if he's, yeah, I
[00:44:17] Sidney: feel like Uhhuh. Do you know if he's working on the, because you know, uh. Not b Jordan. And, and, and Kler have, do you know if he did it for that movie?
[00:44:25] Evan: Yeah, for the new one. Uh, I, I, I would guess he is, but I'm not sure. I haven't [00:44:30] looked up who the composer is.
[00:44:31] I would say most likely he is, he's done all, he's done all the Ryan's other films, but yeah. Wig Warrenton. But yeah, as a, as a, aside from the composing, just like as a producer, you know, and he, and he's. Um, he's stretched out beyond Childish [00:44:45] Gambino stuff and he's, he's been working on, um, with other artists and things like that.
[00:44:49] But yeah, his, his production is, is really dope also.
[00:44:53] Sidney: Yeah, he is. He is. Um, alright. Next, uh, your favorite film score or soundtrack?
[00:44:59] Evan: [00:45:00] Yeah. Um, a big one when I was younger for me was, uh, signs. Mm-hmm. You know, the Lon,
[00:45:09] Sidney: that was his like first one, wasn't it? Big one.
[00:45:12] Evan: Yeah. Well, well after Six Sense, I think after, [00:45:15] yeah, yeah, after, yeah.
[00:45:15] Yeah. After Six Sense. I think, uh, he did Unbreakable and Signs of, yeah. Um, James Newton Howard is, was the composer, uh, for that, you know, um, interstellar. Mm-hmm. Han [00:45:30] Zimmer, you know, the, the music in that is amazing. You know, those might be like two of my, um, more recent. Or, or current, I guess favorites that I can think of right now.
[00:45:43] Got
[00:45:43] Sidney: you. I um, [00:45:45] I guess when people ask me this question, sometimes like I'll say like, back to the Future is one that stands out for me, but one that I'm thinking of, and I love this movie as a kid 'cause I'm a video game kid was Mortal Kombat. Like, [00:46:00] the music for that was amazing. It was,
[00:46:02] yeah, because
[00:46:03] Sidney: it was, it wasn't, it wasn't commercial at all.
[00:46:05] It was like. And even listening to it on its own, it's like, man, this is impressive.
[00:46:09] Evan: So yeah, me, me and my brothers had, um, it wasn't the first mortal comment, but it was, [00:46:15] uh, the second movie, we had a cassette tape of the soundtrack from the second movie, which, you know, the music similar. It's like a lot of like.
[00:46:24] Electronic. Yeah, kinda like, uh, but like, yeah. That, that was dope. [00:46:30] We listened to that. I, I have it here somewhere in my studio. Um, but yeah, the Mortal Kombat Annihilation soundtrack. We had the little cassette tape of that. We played that so much.
[00:46:41] Sidney: The, the, the soundtrack probably made more than the movie because that movie was terrible, but it's awful.[00:46:45]
[00:46:45] Um, alright. Last one is, uh, favorite TV theme song.
[00:46:52] Evan: Yeah. Um, you have, you, you seen the Mandalorian? No. Uh, yeah. That, that's another little [00:47:00] wig Goranson, uh, production, uh, yeah, the Mandalorian music is, is so dope. A, a really cool mix of like, um, it sounds like tribal music, but then it has that heroic kind of like Disney-esque kind of vibe [00:47:15] also, you know, um, the Simpsons.
[00:47:18] Right. His classic, you know, Danny, Danny Elman, uh, made, you know, did that one. And then stuff like, you know, game of Thrones or [00:47:30] Succession. Mm-hmm. I don't know if you've seen succession, but that, that, that main theme with the piano and, and the hit, like trip hop, kind of like vibe.
[00:47:38] Sidney: Um, yeah. I haven't, I haven't seen succession yet, but we walked me and me and my, my, I'm making another [00:47:45] reference.
[00:47:45] My significant other, we, uh. Watch a lot of the award shows. So that's how I get put on the stuff that I'm not necessarily is like, okay, if this is winning all that award, the awards, then it must be. Um, so that's how I learned about succession. So I'm gonna check it out, but I haven't, haven't got to it yet.
[00:47:59] [00:48:00] Um, but yeah, that's pretty much it, man. Thank you for you the, uh, diversity and answers. You know, I probably, we probably tied the, the most diverse answers to these questions. So glad we was able to. Share a couple things with then me learning about a couple things as [00:48:15] well. And general, just, uh, as far as sharing, sharing your story.
[00:48:19] I know you've done a lot, man, so kind of just trying to have to recall some of those things and let everybody into your world a little bit. Uh, I know everybody's not willing to do that, so I appreciate it. But before [00:48:30] we, uh, end completely, can you kind of just share how people can find you online if they want to support what you got going on?
[00:48:36] Check out some of your, your stuff. Uh, I know you said you're getting more into making, doing, uh, the music thing nowadays, so I can listen to your music, just [00:48:45] the places they can find you online and as far as you're willing or able to share, uh, some of the current upcoming things you're working on.
[00:48:53] Evan: Yeah.
[00:48:53] Um, evan joseph music.com. You know, you can go there for my music. Instagram, [00:49:00] um, at Evan Josephus and, um. Yeah, this year, I'm not sure what I'm working on just yet. It, it, it's getting started now. Uh, I do a lot of work with the, um, with the Black Sands, [00:49:15] um, uh, brand. Uh, they're, they're, uh, comic. Um, comic book publishing company and, uh, they're, they're working on the anime movie right now, so maybe I'll work on that.
[00:49:28] I haven't heard from them about it, [00:49:30] but I've done, you know, over the years I've done music for their app and for their, um, you know, they're, they're on Shark Tank. I did the, you know, the music for the Shark Tank demo and trailer, and I've done all kinds of stuff with them. So we'll see. Maybe I'm working on that.
[00:49:44] And, [00:49:45] uh, yeah, I did last year I did some stuff with Cartoon Network, which was really dope. Uh, and I haven't heard, it was a short film, a series of short films. I worked on one of 'em, and, um, hopefully that's getting a release sometime soon. That'll be [00:50:00] really cool to share. So, yeah, you know, we will have to see.
[00:50:03] But yeah, if you follow me online, then of course I'll keep, you know, everybody updated on what's going on.
[00:50:09] Sidney: All right, well, uh, there you have it. You know, you all know where you can, uh. [00:50:15] Find them online to support and, uh, yeah man, thank you, my brother for, for hopping on with me on, on such sort notice and us not having, you know, connected at all previously.
[00:50:26] Um, just appreciate your open-mindedness. So that will [00:50:30] wrap today's episode and for those listening, uh, we'll cut you on the next one.
[00:50:38] Thank you for joining us on today's episode. Please don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave us a review. [00:50:45] If you'd like to work with me or connect, please go to sound by sit.com and schedule a call there. You can also check out the full list of productions I've worked on if you'd like to connect on social media.
[00:50:58] My handle is sound by sid.com on [00:51:00] Twitter and Instagram. And I'm Sydney Evans on LinkedIn. Don't forget to follow beyond the threshold on Instagram as well. I'll catch you on the next [00:51:15] episode.