Rising Stars: Meet Manny Frezko

Today we’d like to introduce you to Manny Frezko.

Hi Manny, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in San Diego, CA, and found an interest in music at a really early age. By the time I was around 11, I had already been fully submerged into the world of music mostly consisting of Urban, Latin and Tropical genres. Once I got into high school, I was introduced to recording and started working on music more as a serious profession. In college, I found the real definition to the things I was messing with, I knew how to mess with things like an EQ by listening, for example, but once I learned about frequencies and how to adjust things in a more technical manner, I was able to get in-depth and detailed with the adjustments I would make. These things would eventually lead up to me opening my own recording studio, which is where I’m located now full time.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course, there have been struggles! There were a lot of times. I wasn’t sure I would be able to pay bills. I had hit a point where I didn’t know if I could afford gas! But I pushed forward and always did my best to find a way to make sure things got taken care of. I knew that if I wanted music to be my career, I was going to have to make sacrifices and that I was going to have to endure hardships. The hardest thing is probably being validated by the community because there are so many people who are after the same career and it becomes very saturated. How do you stand out? How do people believe that you are serious and that you are willing to put in the work? They’re not watching you every step of the way, and so here’s another kid who “makes music/records/produces,” and you have to PROVE yourself every. single day and once people can physically see the progress, they come in waves. Earn the respect of the people you want to call your colleagues.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a recording/mixing engineer. That is my job and what I am most proud of is my ability to be able to help an artist achieve their goal of getting a song creatively where it needs to be, along with the quality control of course. I also have experience with production, songwriting and artist development in order to make sure that each person who I work with gets what they are looking for from a session with me. I have a wide variety of projects I’m incredibly proud of, so it’s really hard for me to name one, but even the fact that I have entire albums that I’ve done is really awesome! I’m grateful for people allowing me to be a part of the body of work they release. I don’t think there’s anything that really sets me apart. I’m just a guy who enjoys making music and I really can’t see myself doing anything else, so thank you to everyone for allowing me to do this consistently!

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
Social media is huge for working in creative fields because it allows you to build traffic that’s particular to what you love. As far as apps, I can’t think of any from the top of my head that I would say are “resources,” but if I had to choose, I would say document applications are essential (Word, Pages, Excel, Numbers, etc.). Those applications help with organizational skills in a time where everything is done electronically, and if you become savvy with technology, then it becomes very beneficial to have everything in the palm of your hand. Podcasts and blogs are amazing! There’s so much information, and when there is something you’re interested in, all you need to do is find someone who has done a blog on it, and your world opens up to a variety of opportunities you never thought were possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: blackwav.com
• Instagram: @mannyfrezko
• Facebook: Manny Frezko