Based in Burke, Virginia, Jesse Hoptiak created MixMaster Pro with Rob Sanchez and two other business partners as a way to bring the "DMV a place where [they] could make industry quality sound." The DMV is known for its culture, food, and upbeat energy, and Jesse and his team created a place where creatives could freely and comfortably create art with full support!
3300+Climbing had the privilege of speaking with Jesse about Mixmaster Pro and his experience in the industry.
P.S: He spit so much value in a short amount of time!
Who was the first artist you managed, and how has your management style evolved since then?
I've managed a lot of artists. And the first artist I had under management, I still have under management, it's Gorilla Zoe. Zoe was a big help to me. You know, he's been in the music industry for quite some time. We can all remember his hits, like, Lost, Echo, and Hood Figga, right? These were all big songs. Do you know what I mean? So he's had quite a long time in the industry, and he taught me a lot of ins and outs. And what I brought to the table for him was... You know, a lot of times the artists have a lot of heads-down work to do. So there's two types of work, one is heads-up activities, the other is heads-down activities. Heads-up activities are future planning, and like so for your business tomorrow, right? Heads-down activities are what you're doing right now. You're interviewing me which means, like you right now, are doing a heads-down activity. So artists are always doing that, right? They have a show to do, they have signings to do, they have some endorsement to go to, a photoshoot to go to. So someone has to be there to do the heads-up. Like, "Okay, you're doing a photoshoot today, but when's your next photoshoot? So while the artist is fulfilling their contract, and their duties, their management is hopefully working on the next project and getting them into the next one. So most managers are two years ahead.
When looking for artists and producers to manage, what does the process in choosing them look like, and what is your working relationship like with the artists you currently have?
So the first thing I look at is the relationship. You know, it's hard to be an artist, you're supposed to be fully yourself, and still listen to other people, right? It's like two different concepts. So you're supposed to be like, "No, no, no, I'm the man. I know everything." But then you need other people to help you though because no one knows everything. [chuckle] So it can be a very difficult task. That's why management is a more trusted position. There's a couple of different types of managers, right? I am an artist or talent manager, so I work on day-to-day and overall with the artist. Then you have managers under me like tour managers, right? The business managers. So they handle just specific parts. So when I look... The first thing I look for when working with an artist is their commitment.
"Their longevity, their ability to work, and their ability to listen. So because what I do is not what most people do, it's the money part, right? And I learned how to get money, so if you're not... If you feel like you don't need that, right? Which a lot of people say they want help, but then when you give them suggestions, they're like, "I'm not gonna do that"Because there's also a large misconception on the workload in this industry. Like, when it's been three months, and you haven't been home yet. You know, and your kids are sitting at home, and your wife is screaming at you on the phone, or whoever, right? Is going all crazy on you, because they haven't seen you in three months, and your job is to be out showing people a good time.
Like this stuff is very wearing and taxing, like, incredibly wearing and taxing.
So, the big thing for me is commitment. 'Cause if anyone has the real commitment, the real work ethic, that's a... I did a tour with Zoe, which is how we started our relationship. We were with Flo, Flo Rida, Nelly, and TLC this past summer. And we toured the US, and that's how I got to know Zoe's incredible work ethic.
And that's what really locked me in with him. His work ethic is incredible.
It's non-stop.
What are some essentials you try to instill in the people who enroll in your academy, and what are some of the courses offered with Mixmaster Pro?
A studio is a place of vibe. So it's not just the equipment that's there and all the sound treatment. Yes, that's great, but let's just face it like in today's world, you can create pretty good music at home. So the reason you build a studio, and you have a studio is not only to control the sound...Get the energy better, and give that top quality. But also create a vibe, an environment, a place that's safe, and kind of like an escape, right? So we wanted to create a space that was focused on not only technical knowledge but vibe. All of our classes are one-on-one only.
We do a group on Saturdays where the students get together 'cause you need to know how to work with others. But all of our classes are one-on-one, so that we can go over things like... Sometimes people aren't super socially adept. But you're just trying to teach them how to read a room. It's easy to do that one-on-one. Like, "Hey, do you see how you're kinda pissing me off right now? Can you feel that vibe? Can you feel the air right now, how it's a little dense?" You know what I'm saying? Like, "It's your job to learn how to fix that. So what can you do now that you know me, Jessie, your instructor? What can you do to change that vibe if I'm your client? What would you do? Literally teaching people how to work their clients and how to get the best out of them.
When it comes to working on music videos, what does your processing in ensuring a successful shoot look like?
Music videos are important, right? We're in a visual world, so everything goes into, again, five right? We do a lot... On music videos, it's a lot of the artists, but all we do is make sure that... Again, our focus at my studio is quality. Our company uses Netflix approved gear, we have some of the highest staff... I've literally used hundreds of videographers in the Northern Virginia area. And up and down the East Coast we do a lot of work in Atlanta and Miami. And when I find people that... We work well together I just stick with them, and that's the medicine. Josiah Mendoza, he's my business partner on the media side. And he's phenomenal. And we do everything from photography all the way down to videography, of course. And we can do things like $700 run-and-gun videos, to record label style with more unlimited budgets. So it really depends on what people do, but we bring the same quality of shot into every price. And that's what a lot of other companies, we feel like, don't do. Just because someone can't afford a $30,000 music video doesn't mean it shouldn't still look good. You know what I mean? We use knowledge, old school lighting techniques, and stuff like that to really run down, capture the vibe of a song, do a lot of the visual stuff that the artists want and we kinda go from there. But yeah, video's visuals' super important to us and it's one of the larger size of... It probably shares 50/50 on the percent of our company. Media and the audio kind of are 50/50 on what people spend their money on.
Working with clients from big names to independent artists, what have you been able to learn from the artists who have come through your studio?
One of the things that... I'm gonna be honest with you... That I learned was when I first got into this industry, I thought it was super important to get the biggest names you can get, and work off of that, and tell everyone about it and brag about it. But that's actually not the case at all in this industry. What people want in this industry is quality. They want reliability. So I.e. This is a very "now" industry. We can make a song now and they wanna put it out tomorrow. That means it needs mixed, mastered, and ready to go, copy written, tomorrow. You know what I mean? And being able to reliably do that on call, right? Those are the two. And they also want their privacy. I actually have... My studio is lucky enough to have a lot of different clients sell in it, and we don't brag about it. We don't talk about it. I never drop names. I don't want people to come to my studio because so-and-so is there. I want them to come there because they're serious about their music, you know what I mean? That's really the things I learned. It really changed my perspective altogether and I've had no problems. As you can see, it's the second year in a row we've gotten Studio of the Year here in the DMV area. And we did it without dropping any names.
What is one piece of advice you can give to students looking to start a studio or record label?
Get ready to work, haha. No. But seriously, the work load is heavy, it's definitely intense. And then, I stick to my guns on all decisions, right? So, I work well with others, but I always implore people to remember, "You don't have to change or bend the way you are to work with somebody else." There are people that want to work with you and will enjoy your style, you just gotta go find them.
So, the biggest I've seen: A lot of people come in, they change quickly to adapt, and they think that's the right thing to do, but they don't realize that they're losing respect. Sticking to your guns and being able to work with people, but still stick true to what you are.
Voted Best of D.C. two years in a row, the brand created by Jesse and his team has become a staple in the music culture of the DMV. A collective of "ideas and thoughts basically about music and the way studio life should be," became a safe place for artists and producers to put to work and hone their creativity.
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