We had the good fortune of connecting with Harrison Caldeira and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Harrison, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
At the beginning of 2020, I traveled back to Toronto, Canada, from Seoul, South Korea. After spending the year teaching and producing music in another country, I realized that I wanted to work full-time in the music industry. I thought working at a music studio would be the gateway to making a career in music: an idea planted in my head ever since I started producing music. So I searched job postings, internships and went to networking events for months, meeting people and learning as much as I could about working in the industry. Looming in the background, I knew for sure that I wanted to produce for other artists. But the pathway towards producing for other artists full-time seemed insurmountable. Then, the brunt of the pandemic hit. Alongside the massive halt to the music industry, all traction I built in Toronto halted, forcing me to rethink my preconceived beliefs on how to make it in the music industry. I started an R&B duo called CALHUIS with Jordan Vyfhuis, which inspired me to finally abandon the quintessential search for a job in the music industry and create my own music production business.
What should our readers know about your business?
While I produced tracks for CALHUIS, we still needed a place to record professionally. Jordan suggested using this old, battered storage-type unit at the back of my parent’s house. I shied away from that idea because I held onto the hope that the pandemic restrictions would loosen soon enough; thereby, we would be able to rent a recording studio. But, weeks passed to no avail. And as bad as the pandemic was, it held a unique opportunity in its grasp, nudging me forward. I rounded up my closest friends, who know a lot more about construction than I do, and we decided to build The T House Studios. We stripped the building, kept the bones, and rebuilt the entire A-Frame over nine months. While we threw down the walls, built a stronger foundation, and created a functional studio, at the time, I didn’t realize that we were also building the foundational principles of The T House Studios. Whenever I’m there, I remember that experience and want to exude that energy to anyone coming to spend time there. It truly feels like an oasis.
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.
If one of my best friends spent time in the city, I would hit up Tim Hortons for some coffee, head to Sonic Boom and Bob Miller Book Room, and grab some chicken at Dave’s Hot Chicken for lunch. At night grab Thai food for dinner at Pi and either go to an open mic at The Painted Lady, catch a show at Massey Hall, or watch a Raptor’s game.
No trip to the city is complete without hitting some of my favourite spots outside Toronto:
– West Indian goodies at Shereen’s Bakery and Roti Shop
– Falafel at Sababa
– Panzerotti at Ricci’s Pizzeria
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?
On an individual level, there are so many people I would love to shoutout for their efforts in my growth. So much so that I can’t choose one. But, if I were to think of something that changed my life for the better, my shoutout would go to Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters To A Young Poet. Rilke gives an abundance of life lessons that have shaped my life, and for any creative, it’s a necessary read.
Website: www.thethousestudios.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/harrisoncaldeira
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/harrisoncaldeira
Twitter: www.twitter.com/hmonharrison
Facebook: www.facebook.com/harrisoncaldeira
Youtube: www.youtube.com/harrisoncaldeira
Image Credits
@castillovisuals @stirlingvisuals