Meet AONAH | Music Producer || Audio Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with AONAH and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi AONAH, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I would love to be able to say I have a healthy work/life balance but if I am being 100% transparent, I don’t. As an Audio Engineer and Producer at Street Execs studio, music takes up all my time. My morning routine is to wake up, get ready, and spend however many hours possible in the studio . On days I have pre-booked sessions, I schedule some time for myself beforehand. Recently, I have been trying to focus more on my personal life and allow myself time to nourish the relationships with the people in my life. But I would be lying if I said I don’t have FOMO when I’m not at the studio. The music industry never sleeps and on days where I am taking time for myself, I could be missing out on making crazy records that could be the next hit, or networking with important people. When I was younger, I was more social but once I made the choice to commit to my music and career, I became a ghost you only see at the studio. While there are days where I wish I could’ve been with friends and family, I will never regret focusing on my work. I’ve been able to open doors and meet amazing people and lifelong friends who share the same passions. I understand it can be overwhelming for some people to have work become their whole life but for me, music always has been and it always will be, I made sure of that.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a Music Producer and Audio Engineer, the entirety of my life revolves around music and sound. I believe I have a quality with my music that I’ve been able to develop into my own “sound” that attracts clients and artists. I’ve been producing music longer than I’ve been engineering and because of that, I’ve been able to tap in to multiple different styles and genres but my “sound” is still there. I started off making electronic dance music and transitioned into other genres (Garage, Ambient, Bass Music) that eventually led me to making Hip Hop/Rap/Trap beats, and sometimes I bring in elements from my experience in those genres into my current style of production and engineering. I’ve been involved in music my whole life and I never had the thought that I would be able to have this hobby become my career. I struggled a lot when I was younger, wondering if music would really be a possibility for me and I can’t lie, there were plenty of times where I felt like things just weren’t going to work out.

Fortunately, I was able to stay focused thanks to my family and my stubbornness of not wanting to do anything else. I’ve spent countless days without sleep working on beats or mixes so that I could set myself up for the future, and I still do just that. I’ve learned that just because I was able to cross off a huge milestone in my career (working at a big recording studio in the heart of the music scene) I still need to work as if I’m not in my current position. There are plenty of people wishing they could be where I’m at and I can’t take that for granted, I have to work as hard as I can to make sure I’m up to my own standards. I have so much music I wish I could share right now but I’m lucky enough to have worked with some big names so I have to wait just like everyone else.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Honestly if my best friend is visiting, we’re going to the studio. There is nothing in this world like the vibe and energy you can experience at music recording studios, especially multi-million dollar studios. I would of course show them around the city and different areas like little 5, and as far as food; I’m at least going to take them to Escobar two or three times just to experience Atlanta culture, and I definitely have to get some JJs. For touristy/fun places, I would go to the High Museum and check out some of their exhibits and maybe catch a concert at one of the local venues. To be fair though, I am not really the best to ask to get a tour of the city. I spend too much time working on music to do anything else really!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shout out to my family. After graduating from college, it was tough maintaining my focus and drive, especially since I wasn’t having the best luck with consistent work. I was freelancing with music at various studios across Atlanta and I often felt like I wasn’t doing enough and that it would be impossible to get a real job in music. Thanks to the constant support my family offered, I didn’t give up and I was able to land my current job with Street Execs. I am forever thankful for them believing in me when I didn’t even believe in myself.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aonah_/

Other: email: aonahaudio@gmail.com for any inquiries.