Today we’d like to introduce you to Dee Dee Anderson.
Hi Dee Dee, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi, my name is Dee Dee, I run an audio engineering business called Behind The Faders. I started the business about 12 years ago and became official in 2023. I also just opened a small studio space for studio recording, mixing, mastering, and podcast editing this year. I grew up in church, played a little drums at my dad’s church. Sang in youth choir and young adult choir. My sister was a choir director/minister of music/singer as well . So music has always been a big part of my life. I was the kid reading the liner notes in the CD’s and making mixtapes on cassettes. Always curious “how they made that sound and make that sound so good” Ive always known since I was a little girl I wanted to do something with music but wasn’t sure what. When I was 16 I went to a family party took over the DJ for a minute and had so much fun I thought “I wanna be a audio engineer” now obviously that’s way more than just DJing but the way the sound could be mulipunated fascinated me. Then when I was about 18-20 I would record Christian rap in my friends garage and run the sound and Video at church on Sundays. I eventually dropped out of community college, and went to SAE Institute Los Angeles. Graduated in 2013, moved back to San Diego, interned at Signature Sound. I started working with local artists around the city and continue to do so. I’ve now worked with artists in San Diego, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Las Vegas.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road,I’ve done a lot of starting over, over the years with losing spaces to work out of to, losing some of my closest
family members. Even health challenges have slowed me down. Sometimes I didn’t have the money or the effort, consistency to put into my craft. Id work 2-3 jobs just to try and stay afloat. But even when I was ready to just walk away I couldn’t and I didn’t. I will forever follow my dreams. I’m a fighter.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Behind The Faders?
I am an audio engineer, I specialize in Studio recording, mixing, mastering and podcast editing. I also am a Corporate Audio engineer, meaning I handle sound for corporate and live events around southern California and across the United States. A couple of things that makes my background unique is, I’m a black woman working in audio engineering. There still aren’t a lot of women, and particularly Black women, represented behind the console in many of the spaces I’ve worked in. I’ve experienced that both in recording studios and in corporate and live environments.
Because of that, representation is important to me. I want other women and young Black girls who are interested in the technical side of music and audio to be able to see someone who looks like them doing this work and building a business around it. At the same time, I want to be recognized for the quality of my work, my knowledge and what I bring to a project. Part of what I want Behind The Faders to represent is that there isn’t one type of person who belongs behind the console.
My experience with audio is unique and isn’t limited to the recording studio. I work both in studio production and live corporate audio, so I’ve been able to see how sound functions in very different environments. In the studio, I may be helping an artist capture the emotion of a record, while in the corporate world I’m responsible for helping deliver clear, professional audio to an entire room. Those experiences have shaped the way I approach Behind The Faders. I also think my perspective influences the environment I create for the people I work with. Engineering is technical, but it’s also very personal. An artist has to trust you with their music and their voice. I want people who work with Behind The Faders to feel comfortable being creative, communicating what they want and knowing that I’m invested in helping them bring their vision to life.
I believe audio is one of the most important parts of how people experience a message, even though it’s often something they don’t consciously think about. A great song can lose its impact with a poor mix. A great podcast can become difficult to listen to because of poor audio. A beautifully produced event can immediately feel less professional when people can’t clearly hear what’s happening. That’s why I see audio engineering as more than simply operating equipment.
As Behind The Faders grows, I want to bring that philosophy into more spaces. In addition to working with artists, I’m expanding into audio services for brands, creators and businesses. Ultimately, I want Behind The Faders to become a company that can help shape how something sounds, feels and connects with its audience, whether that’s a record, a podcast, branded content or a live experience.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I learned some skills and reiterated others like micing a whole drum kit or a string section while interning at Signature Sound. Then a few years ago I was fortunate enough to work out of Blackwav Studios in El Cajon with Manny Frezko. And I learned a lot just hanging around him, asking questions and perfecting my skills. I would say just reaching out to local engineers that have studios and seeing if you can help in anyway. That’s how I ended up being mentored by Manny. And with networking, I usually ended up in communities online like MixedbyAli Enginears and others that has alotted me some networking or folks I work with in the Corporate AV Industry who “do music” as well. But reach out, talk to people, go to shows, open mics. And I’m willing to help in anyway way I can as well. I give me clients that record themselves advice all the time.
Pricing:
- Studio and Remote Recording Sessions $50/hr 2 hr minimum
- Mixing — 2-Track + Vocals — $180/song
- Mixing + Mastering — 2-Track + Vocals — $240/song
- Mixing + Mastering — Full Stems + Vocals — $250/song
- Podcast Editing — Starting at $120
Contact Info:
- Website: https://BehindTheFaders.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthefaders
