Meet Lyndon Shelton | Music Artist, Producer, & Studio Engineer

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

Hi DYN, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Before opening NOTA Studios I was recording people in the basement of my Mom’s house, but only people I considered close friends. I had other people reach out to me about recording, but I didn’t want people I wasn’t close to coming in and out of my Mom’s place. I thought, if it was my own place I wouldn’t be as pressed about it, so I started looking for any space that I could rent or own that I could be loud in for a reasonable price. That’s when I found 412 Studios which offers band rehearsal rooms that could be used for band practice or recording.

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Well, I like to say that I don’t have one particular art, I do many things. I have experience in acting, vocal performance, music production, photography, and video editing. I think that’s what sets my team and me apart from others is that we are a collective of creative people and not just musicians. It’s actually where the name NOTA came from. It stands for “None Of The Above” because we don’t fit into any category. It’s a title I came up with as a kid because I never felt like I fit into any particular group.

My main passion is music, though, and I also feel that my music doesn’t fit into any one category either. Yes, I rap and sing but it’s not only hip-hop or R&B. There are some pop elements and rock and heavy metal influences in my music too. Especially since I started my music journey in an alternative rock band in middle school. My goal with my music is to prove that versatility, I’m not going to stick to one genre, one flow, or one sound. Also, I want to prove that I can make good music without using profanity or vulgar language. I remember growing up I wasn’t allowed to listen to certain types of music or certain songs because they were explicit. I want everyone to be able to listen to my music, I don’t want to be one of those music artists that you can’t play in the car with your grandparents.

Those two goals have been my biggest challenge with music, because I always have to challenge myself to learn something new, to push myself further, or to find a different way to do things. It’s easy to write songs when you have every word in the dictionary available to you, but because I’ve decided not to use explicit language I’m limited in the words I can use, so I have to find a creative way to say what I want to say. But this has taught me how powerful lyrics can be when they’re thought out. It’s had a huge impact on my flow and cadence and has taught me to be more intentional and poetic.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First, we’d go to downtown Pittsburgh, and maybe see Point State Park. I feel like that’s a requirement whenever you first visit Pittsburgh. Then head over to Primanti‘s in Market Square which is considered THE Pittsburgh restaurant. After that, we take the T from Gateway Center Plaza over to Station Square so we can ride the inclines. We could also grab some drinks and play pool and darts at Homerun Harry’s in Station Square. I go bowling a lot, so we’d get a group of people together and go to Bowlero Pittsburgh, Arsenal Bowl, or the AMF in Mt. Lebanon. Another good group activity is to go axe-throwing at Lumberjaxes in Millvale, which is my favorite spot. If it’s a Friday night then afterwards we could head over to The Forge winery to grab some drinks and watch some local artists perform. Or, if it’s a Thursday we could go to Eon in Homestead for Karaoke and the best lemon pepper wings in the city. Finally, while I’m not a fan of clubs, we’d have to visit the Southside, especially if it’s their first time in Pittsburgh because it’s known for its nightlife. I’d recommend Mario’s for the culture, Jimmy D’s for the cheap drinks, and Enclave for the real club experience. If they prefer dive bars or don’t like clubs like I don’t, there are other places in Southside like Pins Mechanical Co., Twenty-Fifth Street Bar, or Fathead’s Saloon.

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?
The biggest shoutout goes to ReeseJPG who helped me start my music production journey. He showed me the ropes in FL Studio and encouraged me to experiment with different sounds and techniques. Also, Soy Sos over at Tuff Sound for starting the Tuff Sound Apprenticeship program, that’s where I learned everything about being a studio engineer and why I’m able to have my own recording studio now. Lastly, huge shoutout to ABSNT who was my first producer and engineer. He’s also the co-founder of NOTA Collective, he was the one who came up with the idea for starting a group and I ran with it, now we have 9 members and we’re working on our first project as a collective.

Website: https://www.notastudiospgh.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/litfam.dopemane/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dyn.theartist

Other: https://linktr.ee/dyntheartist

Image Credits
ReeseJPG, DYN, CHUCK!, Lofty Rose, ABSNT, LeShone Smith