Meet Astheris Miller: Audio Engineer & Web Developer

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

Hi Astheris, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I wanted to start a socially-minded podcast network and media production company. At first, I thought of modeling the practices of other companies, then it dawned on me that Tsuga must create equitable content from the ground up. I redrafted the articles of organization with a co-operative structure grating co-equal votes to the members. Tsuga Productions exists to provide a platform both to amplify marginalized voices and create immersive audio experiences.

What should our readers know about your business?
Tsuga Productions is a media production company that seeks to bridge the divide between entertaining and educational content with the co-operative space of equity. Tsuga creates content for our listeners for free, and we operate solely on sponsorships from similarly-aligned organizations and our listeners. There were a few hurdles when we decided to organize our projects to form Tsuga as the world was in the midst of a pandemic. After we built workflows to accommodate remote recordings, we were able to continue somewhat normally. Although all of the issues have not been fixed, we are pushing through them more efficiently each day. We have learned that our audience is more receptive to our content when they know what efforts we have gone through to produce it. Like the mighty Eastern Hemlock from which we get our name, we might be hit with a few blights, but we shall overcome them.

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?
If a friend were visiting me, then I have a few options for a long trip. Of course, all of them are easily accessible for public transportation to be environmentally conscious. We would start the outing north at Doraville Station, taking transit and intermittent walking to Feedel Bistro, and we’d feast upon a variety of dishes, preferably plant-based, from the Eastside (of Africa). From Feedel we would head down to the High Museum of Art to experience the works before we skip over to Little Five Points to support local artists. If we are still hungry, we could grab a bite at Go Vinda’s Cafe and roaming around the area. Including transit times, it would be a full day of adventure. At last, we would hop back on MARTA to make it to ARC Studio just in time for the evening run.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Several people have shown their support in-person and through social media. However, I would not be where I am today without the encouragement and dedication of my interchanging co-hosts from “In Defense of Humanity,” Nehemiah and Khalid. Nehemiah Johnson pushed me to develop my skills as a podcaster, and he joined me as a co-host for the first three seasons. Nehemiah is now a recording artist, and he drops by from time to time to speak on the podcast. Khalid Johnson consistently pushes me to stay innovative while not losing the refined edge often loss with ambitious projects. He has joined me in creating several projects for the production company, and he is a great person to have in our corner.

Website: https://www.tsugaproductions.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tsuga-productions