Byron Morrison – Class of 2013
What is your job title and what are your job duties?
I own and operate ROK10 Productions, an audio production studio based in downtown Lancaster, PA. In running my own business, I tend to wear many hats. A few of my responsibilities are, setting up the studio to engineer artist’s recording sessions, mixing and mastering, performing live Dj sets for hip-hop clients, creating backing tracks and instrumentals along with all of the marketing and self-release/sale of instrumentals. Plus scheduling and coordination with all artists and additional producers. The list goes on.
What are some of the things you like best about this job?
Nothing makes me happier than creating a great atmosphere for artists to create in and get their work out to the people! It is a lot of work doing this on my own, but it is very fulfilling, from first-time studio experiences to veteran Musician’s there is always a sort of “magic” that happens.
How do you see yourself using your Audio skills in the future?
I am continually evolving ROK10 and taking on different projects; recently I started a podcast called Earspace. (available on iTunes) Then began to bridge out and began consulting individuals on how to begin their podcasts; whether it’s talking about required equipment, mixing techniques, or marketing strategies. I would like to get into the live mixing and live performance space more as I grow my skill set.
How did your education at AMP prepare you for this job?
My time at AMP taught me a variety of skills that I use daily. Most of all the physical recording/mixing/mastering of audio. I have always been more of a hands-on learner, so the fact that AMP is a hands-on program worked for me. From the first day, we were in the studio without hands on the equipment — which you don’t get at traditional colleges. Being able to have a balance between conventional book learning and practical use of those lessons was a real blessing! Also, the small class size and fast pace of the courses was a great real-life type of environment that prepared me for the actual job of working with audio.
What is your fondest memory of AMP?
I’d have to say between the joy of being able to learn while working on music and getting to know my classmates personally, one specific day comes up. We were assigned a project to create foley for a selected short video, and it genuinely opened my mind to the seemingly endless possibilities of sound manipulation. We recorded non-traditional sounds and through the magic of Protools created some killer foley audio for our videos. It was a mind-expanding lesson that to this day reminds me to experiment with out of the box ideas.
What advice would you give to a student who is considering pursuing the Audio field?
Learn how to network harder than you think is possible! Obviously staying in and honing your craft is a priority but never forget to get out in the world and talk to people. You would be surprised how many clients I have picked up from just casually chatting with people from all walks of life. And of course be creative! In my experience, the engineer of any record is as valuable as the artist(s) themselves push yourself to try new things and set your self apart. And finally be prepared to work your butt off music is not only an art form it is a business and like all other businesses you have to work 10x harder than your peers if you want to succeed.
Main accounts –
Rok10productions.com
Facebook.com/rok10productions
Instagram: Rok10_productions
Long form video interview way more in-depth on how I got to where I am my process: https://youtu.be/pVTZsApouUI
Earspace Podcast social: Facebook.com/earspacepodcast
Instagram: earspacepodcast