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

Hi Nicholas, how do you think about risk?
I think risk-taking is essential for any entrepreneur. Without risk, there is no reward. I’ve laid my neck upon the sword in order to get to where I am now. I’ve faced numerous cash crunches where bankruptcy seemed imminent but I persevered and think that if I hadn’t taken those risks, we wouldn’t have been able to seize the opportunities before us, like buying our first building. The deal almost fell through numerous times and I had to bring on co-signers, find backup investors, and pledge every asset I could for collateral as well as providing a personal guarantee. Suffice it to say, I risked it all in order to achieve a dream our community has worked towards for over a decade. The doubts I experienced along the way were terrifying. But with great hope comes the facing our fears and being willing to loose it all in order to live a life in accordance with my dreams. To stray away from risk out of fear of failure would itself be a failure in my opinion. Go big, or go home!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I love writing exotic folk music with world influences like the Chinese violin. My solo project, Dr. Trance is a mashup of natural hyde drums, chinese fiddles like the Erhu, grand pianos and various 5-dimensional synthesizers. I was inspired by Tuvan throat singers like my good friends in the Alash Ensemble and Huun-Huur-Tu and that’s why most of my tracks feature the chorus of raspy horse head fiddles in the background, drenched in reverb for maximum ambience. I think what sets me apart is my reliance on human rhythms as opposed to machine-based tempos. I feel like much of the human spirit has been lost in modern electronic music and the beat doesn’t breathe. I usually start my tracks with a basic drum beat and then layer everything over top, with the exception of a few tracks that were recorded to a click. Although the click helps make things sound tighter, I prefer the imperfect cadence of human beats. This makes it more difficult to overdub and layer the music but adds to its uniqueness. I’ve learned that there is a human essence that is worth capturing which machines simply cannot emulate.

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?
My favorite venue in town is Hendershot’s Coffee Bar. The owner was my camp instructor at Nuci’s Space and helped mentor me with my businesses. Seth Hendershot is a great friend and a constant inspiration in so many ways!

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?
Nuci’s Space! I attended a summer music camp for kids on a scholarship program when I was in high school. I owe my career and passion for music to this non-profit mental health services provider that helped connect me to the Athens music community, start my first band, and served as an inspiration for my own company that expanded upon the rehearsal space concept with a coworking space and event space. Thanks to Melinda, may she rest in peace, for founding Nuci’s Space and for the Board of Directors who continue to serve and inspire us all.

Website: www.rabbitholestudios.org

Instagram: instagram.com/rabbitholefellowship

Twitter: twitter.com/RabbitHoleDAO

Facebook: fb.com/whiterabbitproductionsllc

Image Credits
#BennyShotMe

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