Meet Kimberly “kimik’al – K.i.m.s.productions Samuels | Studio Manager/Producer/Audio Mix/Master Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kimberly “kimik’al – K.i.m.s.productions Samuels and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kimberly “kiMik’aL – k.i.m.s.Productions, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
The most import lesson that my career has taught me is to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Listening is a very important characteristic to have in the music business/industry. Everyone is so quick to want to be heard but they never listen first. In my line of work this is a must. It is also a key factor to having future business endeavors with clients who require you to listen to their needs as well as their expectations. My grandmother would always say if you don’t listen you will miss the lesson. I truly had to learn this lesson the hard way. This particular phrase comes from the bible and man I had to write it so many times growing up because I was the total opposite of this phrase. My grandmother’s did not play when it came to being the master of your emotions. You had to sit up straight, focus, give eye contact, and actively listen. My clients and artist respect this so much when it is received and given back in return. You also have to learn to be the fly on the wall in order to be the most effective and create the best possible dialogue. Most Recording Artist are not big on a talkative personalities because they already have their vision in mind of what they want to do. It is our expertise they rely on to carry that vision out. So if you are over-talking them, telling them too much of what they don’t want to hear, bombarding them with what you like, etc… It is highly unlikely that they will want to return and do business with you.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I manage, produce, record, mix, and master music for Atlanta HD Studios (ATLHD). I am most proud and excited about this journey that I have taken with them over the last 5 plus years. I started with music when I was about 5 or 6 singing in the adult and children’s church choir. I studied piano from 6 – 12 years of age in Louisiana. Around the age of 7, my Godparents bought me a Casio keyboard and I was teased everyday of my life that the keyboard was my boyfriend.
Well it was. I ate with it by me, slept with it in my bed, and took it to school everyday in my bookbag. Around the age of 8 years old my cousins and I started making other instruments out of what we had at our grandparents house. Mop buckets became drums, old brooms became guitars, and 3 kids from the neighborhood became backup singers and we had a band. We would sing and play in the hottest of summers everyday in my Grandparents front yard for the community. My Grandparents admired our persistence and they went and bought us real instruments to replace our made up ones. After tons of practice over the years we became very good. My late uncle, who was a Gospel Music Producer at the time noticed us and had us come to his home to record in his studio He begin the process of presenting us before different record labels. He found one that liked us a lot and when they were ready to sign us, everyone was on board except my Father. With our religious beliefs at that time my Father did not want to compromise my enjoyment of being a child and especially not breaking the Sabbath by any means. It was a very strict and disciplined household, so church was a must, not an option. He did not care about what the others thought. He just wanted to do the right thing for his daughters, so that stopped the progress with the band when I turned 12. I must say, that I am grateful for him doing that. He would always tell me to learn and study the business you want to mind. From 12 – 17 my music classes would consist of choirs, ensembles, studio band for church/school, and secretly writing and producing songs hoping for them to be heard one day. By the age 17 my cousin from the band Ron (Ballhogging ENT) went on to form his own group called Ego Swing. When they were presented to the record label, the label chose who they wanted from the group. One of those members happen to be a gentleman by the name of Fred who would later be apart of a great 90’s R&B group called Profyle. At the age of 19 my cousin called me and he had a studio that we could work out of helping to make music for Fred or anyone else that needed it. At the age of 21, I got and offer of a lifetime to move to Atlanta, GA to pursue my corporate America career in Property Asset Management. This has been the business that funded my music journey with over 32 years experience in that industry as well. I thought this was a predestined move of God, so I hopped on the chance to come to ATL. I begin performing in nightclubs with live performance when most of the clubs were doing lip syncing. My late brother in law and I formed a duo until he was out and I ended up meeting a friend from California and she and I formed our own singing group with the two of us. We performed at several alternative night clubs and got great reviews from it. Around 2002 – 2010 most of my focus with music was heavy in the church, specifically the music ministry. In the midst of this I begin taking piano lessons again, producing, and writing music for the Youth Ministry at my church. In 2008 I started my own production company but needed more education on how to get it off the ground. Around 2014 I discovered that I wanted to go back to school to finish up my Bachelor’s degree, but this time it would be for what I love instead of my LSU and Bossier Parrish Community College Associate Degree days with Business Mgmt. This time I would go back for music and let nothing stop me. I graduated from Full Sail University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Music Production. In 2018 I graduated from Full Sail University with a Masters of Science in Entertainment Business. I graduated with honors and top of the class from Full Sail University. With the profound and continuous support of Full Sail University, I ended up getting a call from Atlanta HD Studios after graduating. For the last 5 plus years I have been rocking and working hard to be the greatest that I can be in the business under the leadership of Montez “Tez” Harris and Atlanta HD Studios. Tez offered me the opportunity of a lifetime and I humbly rose to the challenge. He begin to teach me everything that I needed to know going forward in this business along with the support of our awesome team at Atlanta HD (ATLHD) Studio. He entrusted me to become more than just an intern when I started. He entrusted me to become the Hiring Manager, Studio Manager, Producer, Audio Recording, Mix/Master Engineer, and Business/Partner Investor. Nothing about this journey has been easy. There have been grave sacrifices of time, energy, finances, and dealing with sometimes difficult people & personalities. I have been afforded great reward from working with beginners in the industry to working with Grammy award nominated artist and producers. Some of my clients and credits consist of Nivea, Young Dro, Cherelle, Mac Bre-Z, Slim Calhoun, JB The Hustler, Samuel Christian, King Floaty, Bando Jonez, Le_Primetime of Ballhogging ENT, SlaylaThePurpose, Doxie Irene and a special feature with Omeretta The Great, and Lindsey Blackwell just to name a few. All of this required being able to be quick to listen and slow to speak. You also had to know your stuff too. Listening to learn in order to see what needs to be done. I also developed the art of being teachable in order to learn how to do my job. And when it is time to speak I learned to say what needs to be said but with efficiency and effectiveness. What the world needs to know is before you can brand anything or build anything, you must first be humble, listen, pay attention, show completely up for the task, talk less, focus, practice consistently, constantly pray for guidance, respect yourself, respect others, and have a great work ethic.

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?
I like to eat at Don Amechee’s Kitchen, American Deli, Sea Salt Seafood, & Annie Laura’s Kitchen. You just gotta have great vegan food, great wings, great seafood, and great soul food to survive away from Louisiana. Lolol. I definitely miss my red beans and rice, gumbo, crawfish, and crabs from home… Lolol. I like to hang out with my work of course, gospel concerts/church, museums, music stores, open mic cafes, small showcases, small jazz lounges, basketball games, some football games, amusement parks, race car lots, & battle of the bands. I have fun kicking it with my family, friends, choir members, church members, organizations and chapter members, and of course my studio fam. It is exciting to live life to the fullest each day you are given. Not foolishly, but having fun doing what you love and the people you love to do it with. Learning your culture and other cultures, along with travelling the world are definitely exciting and adventurous times for me. The opportunity to unplug and practice self care in order to care for what you love to do is truly Finding Happiness and Loving What You Do In the Process!

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 give a special recognition to God, my grandparents, my parents, my spouse, Dr. Adrian J. Ford, Kenneth Walker, WOMBC Church & Music Ministry, Sigma Alpha Iota, Order of Eastern Star Women of Faith #4, and Capital Star #148, The Gospel Music Workshop of America – Atlanta Chapter, Minister Reginal Jefferson & The Royal Priesthood Chorale, Full Sail University, Cold Love, Team MFN, The Blackwells, and my Brother from another mother Montez “Tez” Harris and Atlanta HD Studios. It is so long of a list to mention everyone, so if I forgot someone please charge it to my head and not my heart. These people mentioned have been the core of my development of the greatness that I am able to offer. There have been countless hours of encouragement, mentorship, training, dedication, listening, learning, practicing, and comprehending what has been taught in order to become great. The love and support shown towards me has truly been unconditional and rewarding to my career. I would not be here if it were not for their endless support and dedication to me and my career.

Website: https://www.kimsproductions.com

Instagram: @officialkims_productions

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimsProductions?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Other: www.atlhdstudios.com – Studio website

@atlhd – studio Instagram

@atlantahdstudio – studio Instagram

Image Credits
Christian Haskell & k.i.m.s.Productions