Richie Acevedo
Richie doesn’t believe in coincidences; he’s meant to be here.
Destined To Be a Creator
Producer/Creative Richie Acevedo doesn't believe in coincidences; he's meant to be here.
PART I
Richie had been in Nashville for 6-7 months at the time I interviewed him mid-June.
Fairly fresh to the city, he already felt as though he found his place here, though that confidence took his lifetime to build.
For those like me who are visual creatures, here's a timeline to illustrate Richie's life journey.
Growing up in Milwaukee taught him life survival skills that carried him into his present day. He credits his grandfather as his pillar, who was the 2nd African-American administrator in the NBA and established important community programs to help people living in the long impoverished city. Even though Richie came from a somewhat ok background, living there was surreal and made him who he is today, along with his other monumental life experiences.
Fast-forward to 2008 when Richie joined the military, he was stationed in Germany where he performed as an opener for American artists coming through.
He traveled the entire country and even trekked out to the region between France, the Netherlands, and Italy. Being in the military was one of the best experiences for Richie because it taught him discipline and grounded his previously free flying spirit. He learned how to be cultured, how to do business with all walks of life, and how to understand somebody else’s perspective aside from your own, knowing they, too, are human.
Once he was out of the military, Richie utilized his GI Bill to attend Full Sail University in Orlando in 2012. After completing his education, he gave everything away and moved to Seattle, which was another priceless experience for Richie. In the very top Northwest corner of the US, Richie made an immediate impact on the community; so much so, that by the end of the year he was invited to perform at KUBE 93 Summer Jam. All the events in Seattle, however, are only a beta run for what Richie wants to do here in Nashville.
After the Seattle chapter ended, Richie packed up again and left for Atlanta.
He shortly noticed the vibe and atmosphere was different in Atlanta, and it conflicted with his positive spirit.
In the Atlanta hip-hop community, the more negative you are, the more exposure you receive. Especially in hip-hop, the cities that everybody looks to in order to chase their dreams are no longer NY or LA, but Atlanta. Despite the toxic environment, Richie continued to work in the hopes of making a change.
To clarify, Richie believes Atlanta has wonderful and beautiful people, some of the best in his life today; in fact, they’re like family. Though, witnessing the oppressive culture that Atlanta promotes affect his loved ones was difficult for him, specifically the inorganic appropriation of oppressed lives by the big guys with the big money. Richie’s mom taught him at a young age to never glorify the hood you get out of because you want to be out of it.
And so, after returning from a performance in the Dominican Republic in April of 2016, Richie finally realized that he needed to change his strategy as to how he can affect the most change through his talents. That’s when Nashville caught his eye, due to a well-kept secret among the hip-hop community that record label offices are moving from NY and LA to Nashville. Thereupon, Richie told his wife about the city, the two sat down and prayed, gave everything away again in a week, and moved to Nashville for another fresh start.
PART II
Once in Nashville, Richie won his membership to HOME while attending a Who Knew event.
Unsure exactly what HOME was, he talked to Tom who coordinates the Who Knew events, and Tom reassured Richie that there is no need to worry and to enjoy his membership because it will help him on his path. After visiting the mid-renovation headquarters and instantly hitting it off with Logan’s energy, Richie knew that the space would be perfect for incubating his visions. Today, Richie spends more time at HOME than he does at home, all to say that he firmly believes the universe is doing its thing.
He says he’s been blessed with doors opening for him, that people he meets during one part of his journey lead him into the next part,
where he meets even more guiding people to help him continue further, and the cycle goes on. Richie is passionate about pouring the energy that’s been blessed with into others, so they can also benefit from the overflowing positive energy.
Recently, Richie recorded new material in our top-notch HOME studio with some help from magician Anthony Falcone to be released in August; the music’s aim is to direct people back to HOME. For Richie, the space is not exactly a community center, but rather a beautiful art collective.
Though Richie produced music when he was younger, he picked up the pace and started seriously producing two years ago.
To him, creating compositions is therapeutic.
Although, he went through a tough period of terrible writers’ block; he was completely frustrated that he was struggling to write out the sounds he had in his head. Instead of continuing to brood, however, he decidedly stood up and just started using technology. While his producing skills have improved since then, he admits there is still a lot for him to learn.
Despite being a mover and creator in the hip-hop world, Richie’s greatest musical influence is actually gospel music.
His uncle was a profound songwriter in the gospel scene, having written songs people still sing today. More specifically, the most influential style is Church of Christ a capella. Next to that, Kanye’s fearless production style of pushing boundaries largely influences Richie. Throwing it back, he believes Pink Floyd, another influence, was 30-40 years ahead of their time when they created their music. They concocted today’s ubiquitous digital sound using all analog instruments; also notable as one of the first multimedia artists, they merged audio and visuals to artistically express ideas. Additionally, Miles Davis along with early Motown music creep into Richie’s creative brain.
Being familiar with a wide variety, Richie believes there are similarities in all genres of music. For instance, the only difference between country and hip-hop is guitar; both sing about problems with women and problems with money. Using that knowledge ultimately to heal people, Richie strives to bridge the gap so people can realize that we’re all walking down the same road.
In the end, art is unfiltered truth.
With the new technology we have, we need to affect change and make a difference both short-term and long-term, not for personal glorification, but to help the world around us.
Written and interviewed by Andra Ingram
Brad Dollar
Has the tools and the know-how to move music from dusty hard-drive to audience's ears; Brad gears towards helping artists on a deeper level to reach people through music.
Seasoned Producer Flowing Energy
Has the tools and the know-how to move music from dusty hard-drive to audience's ears; Brad gears towards helping artists on a deeper level to reach people through music
Supreme pizza
Imagine living in a city where the weather is nearly always perfectly warm and sunny, where the art scene is oozing with creativity, and where the civilians are as diverse and multi-cultural as the toppings on a supreme pizza.
That dreamy city is exactly what Brad left behind one year ago in July to become the New Guy in Nashville; who knew July heat here wouldn’t turn a West Coast native away.
More specifically, Brad hails from The Bay/Oakland, California area, which he dubs a haven for hyper-creative music and technology makers. The mix of minds and cultures transfers over into the music Brad creates; it allows him to broaden his perspective for what is possible to concoct. The danger, however, is remaining in the clouds. Too much freedom can be counter-productive and can build a never-ending list of unfinished projects, in Brad’s experience. The unbound freedom is abundant in The Bay, which provides a fantastic environment for performers to flourish; Brad, however, is no performer. Relocating to a city where music business individuals use a timeline was Brad’s best option, so he decided to pack it up, expand his music ecosystem, and move to Nashville. Creative discipline, a sense of adventure, and massive amounts of music drew Brad to our great city.
The buzz of HOME reached Brad’s ears in January, when he met Logan for the first time. However, he only recently signed up as a member in early May. For Brad, energy and synchronicity is vital; he needed a studio space and writing room that wouldn’t separate him from a community of creatives. Also, at HOME, we are a no-schmooze-necessary zone, and everyone here has a vision to build something greater, which helps Brad break the barrier to network with others. According to Brad, HOME is a signal of what is happening in the world in a broader sense. People crave a dialogue about creating. People desire to learn and discover answers to their questions. Here, the HOME community embodies a constantly flowing synergy for people to grow without limits.
Brad’s earliest music memories are blurry from ages 3-7, but he remembers playing on the piano with his mom while she sang, and drawing dots on a page trying to write his own version of sheet music. When he was 11 he picked up the guitar, which quickly led to the desire to play with other people. Soon he also began recording his music in order to show other people what he could do, and shortly realized his talents were stronger in the recording field rather than the playing field. So, at age 17 he started a studio business out of his grandmother’s garage, a precursor to going on small tours to LA or Oregon. Nearing the end of his High School career, Brad was certain he was not going to enroll in college because he wanted to do his own thing; however, he did attend Ex'pression College for Digital Arts and earned a Bachelor's of Applied Science in Audio Engineering. Even so, at age 20 he assisted Stephen Hart with mixing at Bay Area Sound Studios as an intern, leading to becoming a studio manager. Fun fact: his first ever recording session at BASS was in 2008 with Van Morrison. Two years later, the ownership switched over to Bob Weir and became TRI Studios. Next scene, Brad freelanced, flying all over the country producing and mixing records. To date, he has over 2,000 recordings under his belt and counting. Of course, some recordings are released while others remain dust-covered in an attic, waiting for the perfect moment for reveal.
Rewinding back to 25/26 years old, Brad shifted his focus and he began working for Zoo Labs in 2013 as a producer/mentor, helping artists put their work together, think about who their audience is, and learn about the business side of making sweet music.
The company Zoo Labs came to Brad during an important intersection in his life when he was trying to establish a thriving producing and engineering life. He was frustrated that he had music sitting on hard drives breeding dust bunnies, and he wanted to understand why; he wanted to know how to give design and purpose to things so that they can be distributed into the world of music. Today, we expect all artists to have everything already figured out, but the reality is that musicians don’t automatically know how to market their music to the ears of the masses. Artists aren’t always business savvy. Zoo Labs takes that ethos and goes into the paradigm of the music industry; they are genre agnostic and try to make sure that the music teams are working cohesively and effectively moving product. In this age with highly accessible technology, the recording industry is an unguarded castle: there is nothing to prevent artists from creating and releasing music, which also means that artists assume the role of entrepreneur.
The creative production sound Brad embodies in his work derives from heavy 80s influence growing up. He has three sisters 14, 15, and 17 years older than he, and they obsessively played old 80s hits in the 2000s as if they were new smash singles. As a result, the synthetic sound weaved itself into the fabric of his creative mind; though, he tries his best to utilize the distinct sound without cheesing it up. Particular 80s artist influences include Echo & The Bunnymen, Joy Division, and Oingo Boingo; more contemporary influences include Tame Impala and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
The list of artists Brad has had a hand in recording/producing is as long as the Chick-fil-a drive-thru line, and includes names such as Father John Misty, Lukas Nelson, Journey, and Grateful Dead.
Thanks to working with Bob Weir in his studio, Brad has also had the opportunity to work with local Bay artists such as Van Morrison, Primus, and Metallica.
When the studio changed ownership, Brad helped rebuild the studio with Bob, and Journey was one of the first projects to record in the newly renovated space. The band waltzed in with an entire touring set-up for live tracking to create their most recent record, which is now on Spotify. When participating in Lukas Nelson’s recording project, “and The Promise of The Real” had not yet amassed. Instead, Bob Weir and Lukas were consistently writing at Bob’s house with guitar, and then they came to TRI to lay down the original acoustic tracks. Those tracks were later re-recorded as transposed pieces for the full "and The Promise of The Real" band, what we now listen to today.
In summary, Brad is the New Guy in town with energy already flowing, ready for creatives to tap into the energy and flow with him. He realizes there is a lot of potential and that artists here feel pressured to create something new and groundbreaking. Reality is, there is no need to re-invent the wheel of music; the key is bringing in more of who you genuinely are into your music. What truly makes music come to life is every person and everything happening around the music during its conception. Everyone leaves their own thumbprint on music.
Visit his website for more info and show him love on his socials!
Interviewed and written by Andra Ingram