Meet Salvo Riggi, Sound Engineer with GTR Recording Studio

GTR Recording Studio is based in Dubai. They help artists, DJs, and musicians record and launch their music worldwide. The studio has the latest professional equipment, and they offer a range of services including sound design, music composition, voiceover services, video editing, mixing, music synchronization, and more. Check out GTR Recording Studio on Facebook to learn more.

Our interview is with GTR's sound engineer, Salvo Riggi.

1. What do you provide artists at your studio?

We help artists by using the best equipment ever: universal audio analogue and digital equipment. Also, we work hard to keep our prices lower than all the other studios in Dubai. The important thing is that in addition to better prices, we offer better quality.

2. What made you decide to start GTR Recording Studio?

I was inspired to open GTR Recording Studio because music is one of the most amazing things in the world. It's something people can enjoy every day. The meaning of GTR is Good Time Recording.

3. How do you help artists reach a worldwide audience with their work?

In addition to recording music, we distribute the final product in more than 400 digital shops, including very high-traffic sites like iTunes.

4. What is the music scene like in Dubai, and what do you bring to the scene?

The music scene in Dubai is big because we have many solo artists and bands, so there is a demand for professional recording. The benefit that GTR Recording Studio offers is knowledge. For example, weknow all about frequency, and we have a qualified sound engineer. We work with the best machines ever, names like Universal Audio; we are using a Teletronix compressor, 1167 compressor, lexicon reverb... It's our goal to give people the quality of analogues--a nice and warm sound.

5. What are some of your goals for GTR Recording Studio in 2015?

Our goal for 2015 is to see many of our up-and-coming artists go to the top of the charts!

Thanks, Salvo!

Meet Jonathan Real, Magician and TV Host

Jonathan Real, a master magician from New York, performs close-up magic for small, intimate audiences that often include chart-topping musicians and celebrities. You may have seen Jonathan on Real Magic TV (RMTV); the show features Jonathan's magic skills as well as his ability as a celebrity interviewer.

Jonathan has performed for a variety of celebrities, from Maroon 5 and Jason Mraz, to Dan Aykroyd and Kevin Bacon. He also donates his time and magic skills to coaching youngsters as a Director at the Society of Young Magicians.

Learn more about RMTV on Hulu and YouTube.

1. How did you first become interested in magic?

I was always enamored with magic. When I was four or five, I saw a magician perform at a birthday party and was immediately hooked. There is something about it: it has the ability to take an audience on a journey. It makes us realize that there is much more in life than what we see. To be able to bring that feeling to people, and more recently, mainstream celebrities, is just amazing.

2. Would you tell us a little bit about the concept behind Real Magic TV and how you got involved with the show?

Real Magic TV was born from a film project called "Real Magic New York." The original film followed me around the state of NY performing magic in support of the Twin Towers Fund. At the tail end of the benefit project, I was invited to perform for the com band Sevendust. The band's appearance opened the door to a host of record labels and artists wanting to get involved with a magic/music show. We originally called it "RMNY Backstage" but quickly changed the name to "Real Magic TV" after the third taping, and it has stuck ever since.

The concept itself is extremely original. In a nutshell, I am invited backstage at popular music shows to do magic for the bands. The show captures both the magic and a relaxed conversation I have with each band.

A few years ago we added live music performances to the show as well and had the honor of debuting Jason Mraz's hit "I'm Yours" with an exclusive acoustic multiple-cam recording four years before its release. The performance has been viewed millions of times worldwide and launched a whole series of acoustic sessions that we continue to do to this day.

3. How can viewers of RMTV interact with you online and share suggestions of tricks they want to see you perform?

We have just launched a special website for just that purpose: http://www.challengethemagician.com. Viewers can submit their own magic idea videos for me to view and tackle on the program. The site allows the public to see all of the submissions and vote on their favorites. We've seen everything from card tricks to mentalism/seeing through blindfolds and escape requests come in so far.

4. What do you find to be the most fun--and the most challenging--about performing magic?

The fun part is easy: performing magic is extremely rewarding. Seeing the smile on someone's face is incredible and what I strive for in every performance.

The challenging part is practicing and keeping on top of your game. I'm in a really unique place with this show because unlike most magicians performing on stage or in front of a large crowd, I am most often performing for an audience of one. And that one person is a well-known celebrity with a loyal following. The first few tapings we did were extremely nerve-wracking, realizing that if I mess up an effect, not only will this person know about it, but potentially millions of their fans as well. But with risk comes reward, and my career was launched by so many mainstream artists that shared with their fan bases the great stuff I was able to do for them.

5. For people who want to improve their own skills as magicians, what's your best advice?

Practice makes perfect. As secretive as magic is, there are groups across the country that can help you learn the art and perfect it. I joined one such organization (The Society of Young Magicians) at the age of 12, but they welcome people as young as seven who have an interest.

Other than that, you need to perform for as many people you can once you have perfected a trick. And before you have it down perfect, perform for yourself, for a video camera or for other magicians. It's a lot like music: you aren't going to be very good at it at first, but with experience you can really create great and memorable performances.

Thanks, Jonathan!

Meet Ross Barber, Web Designer for Bands and Musicians

Ross Barber is a web designer who specializes in design for bands and musicians. With his company Electric Kiwi, he has worked with many independent and unsigned artists to enhance their online presence.

1. What inspired you to create a web design and marketing firm specifically geared toward the music industry?

I've always loved music, and studied BA (Hons) Popular Music Performance at university. I started my course with the idea of becoming a professional singer/songwriter; however, as I progressed, I found I was becoming more interested in the promotion and marketing side of the industry. I had been designing websites since I was around 12 years old, and it made sense to me to combine the two things that I loved: web design and music. From there, Electric Kiwi was born!

2. What do you see as some specific/unique needs for music artists when it comes to building a website?

I create completely custom websites for each musician, as I think everyone's needs are different. However, I'd say that every musician's website should have the following sections: a way for people to listen to/buy your music, a way for people to contact you (you'd be surprised how many artist websites DON'T have contact information), a news section so people can see that you're still active, show listings (if you play live), and a design that reflects who YOU are as an artist.

3. In addition to having a great website, what else do people need to do to get noticed online in the music world--both by industry professionals and by fans/listeners?

I think with everyone being so easily connected via social media, fans and listeners expect artists to be available and want to connect with them on a personal level. For this reason, I think it's so important for artists to be engaging with their audience on social media. Of course, good music comes first, but you can't underestimate the power of building relationships and connections with your fans and industry professionals--it can make a huge difference.

4. I've often read the advice that with social media and online marketing, it's good for an indie artist to choose one network and commit to posting there rather than trying to "do everything" with social media. What are your thoughts on this?

I agree. There's a lot of overwhelm, especially for artists who are still in the DIY phase of their career. It can be tempting to be everywhere all at once, but ultimately, something is going to slip when you're spreading yourself so thin. It's good to have a presence on all of the major social platforms, but the main thing to bear in mind is where your audience is, and also what platform you enjoy using the most. My suggestion would be to be active on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube (if these are relevant to your music and fanbase), but to also have profiles set up on the other platforms so people can find you there.

5. Would you tell us about your new podcast interview series and what listeners can expect to hear?

Absolutely! I've just launched a new podcast show with my friend Marcio Novelli, called Bridge The Atlantic. We interview musicians and creative professionals about their careers. We're aiming for a balance between entertainment and education, so we try to keep it lighthearted and fun, a little more like a TV talk show than most other music business podcasts. We're on YouTube and iTunes, but the best starting point would be our website: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com.

Thanks, Ross!