Today we’d like to introduce you to Danny Gonzalez.
Hi Danny, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As most audio engineers, I started out as a lover of music. Growing up in my household, music was always playing in the background. My life felt like it always had an ever-growing eclectic soundtrack always playing. As I grew older, I wanted to be more involved in the music I enjoyed. So, I started to learn how to play guitar and other instruments. Years later, I’m in several bands, trying to make it big. At the time, we always had trouble finding a means to record demos and records. With a meager budget, you either had to rely on unreliable recording engineers or faulty dated recording equipment. It was then I realized. If I wanted my music to reach people, I would have to take the lead and learn how to professionally record and cut out the middleman. I became the recording engineer and producer to every band I was in. Pretty soon after that, our friends in other bands reached out to me to record their music. It was both a humbling and eye-opening experience. My life became the pursuit of great-sounding music that I can help capture and improve. From self-education to Mira Costa College, from bedroom studios to professional recording facilities. I slowly enhanced my technique and increased my networking circle. Now today, I’m proud to say I have a professional studio I built from the ground up with the help of my family, Gonzo Records.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nowadays, there are so many self-appointed audio experts online and specialty schools for audio production. When I started, there was barely curriculums established for such a career. You either had to get in severe debt with specialty schools like Full Sail Academy for a chance to get a job. Or get lucky with an internship opportunity to a big studio. I was lucky enough to live by Long Beach City College at the time. I found out it was the best community college for the recording arts. While I attended college there, I found out about our sister community college for recording, Mira Costa College. Another community college located in San Diego area that mirrored our recording curriculum but had better funding and facilities. I was able to attend both colleges with financial aid. After I graduated, it became obvious that both investing in a recording studio business and starting a family would be impossible without further funding and education. That’s when I decided if I wanted to further pursue my dreams, I would have to join the Navy and establish financial stability in my life. That four-year hiatus on my musical career was the biggest test of my ambitions and tenacity but I don’t regret a thing and am proud to be a veteran business owner.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Gonzo Records is a recording studio, record label, photo studio, videography studio, and practice space. We provide musical artist a place to record their music and give them options to further expose their art. Need to record your hit song? Need that song on Spotify? Does that song need a video? Gonzo Records can help you on your musical journey. We use industry-standard equipment to record, mix, and master your music. Whether you’re looking to record your next single, album, or podcast, Gonzo Records can help achieve your project goals.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I think society as a whole realized they have options in their life. People broke their backs for companies that turned their back on them during a crisis. I see a lot of people taking the opportunity to spend time with their family. Or taking the risks to follow their dreams without the fear of losing that job they overvalued. It makes me happy to help people follow their non-traditional careers like I did. It makes me even happier to share these experiences with my family.
Pricing:
- $50/Hr for Recording, Mixing, and Mastering
- $350 Day Rates (8 Hours)
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gonzo.records/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gonzo.records.studio
Image Credits
Jane Shukan
Nikolai “Kolya” Shukan
theshukans.com
