How I Became - a Music Producer.
How I Became - a Music Producer w/ Aubrie Mitchell.
Welcome to the ‘How I Became’ series where Billie talks to girls across New Zealand who are killing it in their chosen career and see how they got there!
Trying to decide what you ‘want to be when you grow up’ is hard enough as it is and your careers counsellor probably won’t have all the answers you need.
HIB aims to give you a bit of insight into different career paths and what it takes to get there.
Name: Aubrie Mitchell
Age: 22
Job title: Music Producer
Current job: Studio Supervisor / Engineer / Music Producer at Big Fan
Firstly, what drew you to music production?
When I first came to know what music production was, I was 15 and had no clue. My highschool back then was having these lunchtime ‘Music Production Masterclasses’ with a semi-established local producer. Watching him work, I was mystified on how he sculpted and manipulated sounds to just feel so good. A dull, dry vocal would suddenly sound like a polished pop ballard, and even though I watched him through the entire process, I had no idea how he did it. Learning production felt like I was being let in on a well kept secret! So that’s what drew me in essentially, I wanted to know exactly what makes good music the way it is, and later on make it myself.
What subjects did you take in high school that you think helped?
I took NCEA Music through levels 1 to 3. But funnily enough, I also took Painting, Graphic Design, and DVC (Design and Visual Communication) where I listened to so much music to get in the zone that this is where I grew a desire to create my own.
What did your pathway towards starting your career look like?
I was lucky enough to have taken part of the IGNITE programme back in my last year of highschool in 2018. I got to produce a song with Josh Fountain who mentored me over 12 weeks. I learnt so much about music production, the industry, and the people in it. It was a game changer for me as I was originally going to study architecture, but I switched last minute and decided music was where I was most passionate.
What did you study/where/how long did it take?
I studied Music at The University of Auckland for 3 years, where I majored in Classical Theory and Music Production.
What’s the best thing about your job?
Hands down it’s the opportunity to meet, connect, and work with so many amazing and inspiring people in the industry.
What’s the hardest part?
Burnout is definitely a thing in the creative industries. It can get overwhelming trying to live up to your own creative goals and often it can cripple progress. I’m trying to take things as they go and not be too hard on myself if I’m not exactly where I want to be.
What surprised you most about your job once you started working?
I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of opportunities that came my way as soon as I started working at Big Fan! Big Fan really is a community of people that want to see you succeed so I’m very grateful for the support!
What does an average day look like for you?
It changes every day! Some days I’m in a session with an artist recording a new track and other days I’m helping people who book our studios by supervising and making them feel comfortable in our space! I also make my own music and will be releasing some tunes later this year.
What advice would you give to those looking to follow a similar career path?
To pursue music you’ve got to love it, otherwise, the lack of money and late nights probably wouldn’t be worth it. But, the good news is that if you’re passionate about music, that passion will inevitably take you somewhere and to me that’s all that matters.
What are the biggest challenges in your opinion to getting into music production?
I knew it was a risk pursuing music full-time and had to overcome my fears of not knowing where this career could take me. Both financially and creatively. Before the IGNITE programme, I had no idea that a career as a music producer was actually viable and accessible to me as a young woman.
What kind of skills does your job require?
I’m still relatively new to producing but something I’ve learnt that is a major skill is good sound selection and having the ear for it. If you start off with sounds that already sound good by themselves, you’re halfway there.
What part of your job gives you the most satisfaction?
When I help an artist with their vision and produce a song that we’re both proud of!
What has been an absolute highlight of your career?
Being in the studio for a vocal session with an international artist on my first week on the job!
What’s an unexpected element to your job that people don’t realise you have to do?
I guess people don’t realise that I spend a lot of time trying to find cool sounds and can often be flicking through synths for hours on a regular basis. Being a producer also involves lots of late nights tweaking little things in songs.
Describe your job in three words
Creative, Potential, Expressive.
