Meet Ryan Sandlin | Music Producer & Audio Engineer

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

Hi Ryan, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
For as long as I can remember I’ve always enjoyed the arts and the ability to create, whether it be through music, film, photography, writing, graphic design, etc. My interest in technology and computers also played a big influence. From a young age, I would take apart electronics and try to make something cool out of them (at least I would try). I was 11 when my friends and I started a band in my garage (as many aspiring musicians do) and while we certainly didn’t sound very good, our first thought was that if we ever wanted to get noticed, we should be able to record music and put it on the internet. So a few days and a few google searches later I went to my local music store and bought my first cheap microphone. My mom jokes that I couldn’t have picked a more expensive hobby because as I learned more about all the gear and tools involved in creating and recording music, I became obsessed with the endless possibilities I had at my disposal to create music that I wanted to hear. I knew not long after I started learning about recording that it was something I’d like to pursue as a career. Making and recording music just never felt like work, even when it was. Friends and classmates from school would pay me to record them in my makeshift bedroom studio and it would always just feel like having a good time and making music. Fast forward to the present day and I still get that feeling, even when assisting or engineering in professional studios. The comradery between a room full of creative individuals all putting their skills and talents together to create something unique in the form of music is an unreal experience.

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.
Getting to where I am now has been nothing short of a whirlwind. It began after five years at a traditional university with no Audio Industry programs. I knew I wanted to produce and record music for a living so in the span of a month or two I moved to Nashville and enrolled in an Audio Engineering program. Going into the program I assumed I at least knew enough to have a head start, but I learned more in those six months than I could have ever imagined. It was intense but so incredibly rewarding and I wouldn’t be where I am now without it. After school, I interned for two years at a studio that also housed several songwriters and producers that I was so fortunate to meet and learn from. That’s where I met my friend Cale Dodds, who has mentored me in the mystical ways of being a songwriter in Nashville. During my time interning at that studio I was fortunate enough to be a part of some really big sessions for big artists and just being a fly on the wall in those sessions offered a wealth of knowledge and gave me my first look at how big commercial studio sessions go. After my internship, I started working at a studio called Welcome to 1979 where I assist and engineer when I’m not producing or writing.

My favorite part of producing and engineering for artists or friends is watching their reactions as their visions come to life, and the best part is knowing I played a part in it. The variety of genres I get to work with always ensures things never get boring. I mostly do pop, but since moving to Nashville I’ve gotten into country (when in Rome), as well as indie, folk, singer-songwriter, and everything in between.

The past four years have been full of long nights, early morning, sore feet, and wayyy too much coffee, but it’s been a wild ride that I’d do again in a heartbeat.

The biggest piece of advice I could offer for anyone looking to get into this industry is that almost anyone can be taught the technical skills required. What can’t be taught is people skills. When my recording class had the chance to talk with recording and mix engineer F Reid Shippen, I asked him what were the three top qualities he looked for most in a potential intern or assistant. His answer was “hang, hang, and hang.” Being a “good hang” was more important to him and many other studio professionals than how well you could work all the gear in the studio. He said that when artists come to a studio the most important thing is for them to feel comfortable and at home so they can get the best performance possible. I’ve seen interns get fired after one day because they brought bad energy and attitudes into the studio. Who you are is more important than what you know.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Whenever I’m working a studio session, nine times out of ten we get lunch at The 51st Street Deli in The Nations area. They have just about anything you could think of, sandwiches, tacos, quesadillas, salads, breakfast, dessert, snacks, chicken, literally ANYTHING. And out of all of the hot chicken joints in town, my favorite is Hattie B’s Hot Chicken hands down. Also, Baja Burrito in Berry Hill has some of my favorite Burritos. It was right down the street from Blackbird Studio where I went to school and we’d walk there literally every day for lunch it was soooo good.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Nashville’s music community is in my opinion its greatest characteristic and the support of my fellow music makers has been a huge source of support and inspiration. That being said, I wouldn’t know a thing about studio recording if it weren’t for the best teacher I’ve ever had, Mark Rubel at The Blackbird Academy. I also owe a lot to my friend Cale Dodds for befriending the studio intern and showing me the ropes of Nashville songwriting. Last but not least, the support of my parents is the biggest reason I’m able to pursue my passion. Whether it was getting me music lessons as a kid or fully encouraging and supporting me to take a leap and move to Nashville and study music production and recording.

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

Image Credits
Images by Sydney Frodge