The crazy, sincere, lovely, misaligned and blessed thing about being a "music professional" in the Pioneer Valley has to be, for me, the diversity of music. Where, outside of a major city (with all the negatives that go along with being in a major city, perhaps) can a recording engineer work on metal one day, then acoustic folk the next? Go from techno to indie rock? Segue from traditional Irish into screamo? Blues to industrial? Reggae to string quartet? Hip-hop to klezmer? Funk to jazz? Punk to a cappella?
I've had opportunities in my 20-some-odd years recording local (and not so local) artists, living and working here in the Valley that many in my line of work never get to touch. Now this isn't bragging—this is celebrating. I entered into recording as a tech geek at heart—perhaps more interested in the tools and mechanics of the trade than the music itself (albeit with a fondness for punky guitar bands and most certainly harder-edged electronic music.) Quickly, though, I found that, regardless of the style of music I was put in front of to record, working in various local studios (and eventually, my own), that there was almost always something I could take away from the session that was not only enjoyable, but enriching as a music lover.
Sure, I could have moved away to some "music Mecca" to hang my shingle, but every time the idea came about, I found myself working on some project or other that was satisfying—giving me the subtext, "Why move? What could change that would be better?" So, here I am still. And grateful for all the opportunities that recording music in the Pioneer Valley has afforded me.
