Today we’d like to introduce you to JArthur Grubbs III.
JArthur, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is JayG. I’m the founder of a production company called Faders2Records which specializes in video production and music production. We’ve been in business for a little over a year now and are now looking to expand our team and continue to grow the company.
Personally, I’ve always been involved with music since I was very young. I started out singing in my church choir when I was 8, moved to play the drums, and eventually became the leader of a small youth ensemble. In middle school, I joined band and show choir and continued with the band throughout high school, so I was always surrounded by some form of music.
One person, Mike McGlenn, the percussion instructor for Opelika Middle School and Opelika High School at the time, really poured into me and helped cultivate my ability to read music and develop a strong sense of innate rhythm and melody. I also learned a lot about chords structure and different song movements from the guitar instructor, Patrick Bruce. It all came very naturally to me.
I began learning how to record and mix music when I was in middle school and continued to refine my skills as I continued through high school through various YouTube videos and trial and error. I recorded myself as well as other friends that were interested in creating music.
After graduating high school, I didn’t know exactly how to monetize my love for music and recording arts, so I decided to pursue my more practical educational interest, Architecture. I decided to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, GA where I initially majored in Architecture and minored in Music Production. I ended up switching my major twice after learning that Architecture wasn’t actually my passion, I just really loved creating as a broader concept.
I realized I was running full speed away from my passion for music out of fear of success. So my last attempt at SCAD was majoring in Sound Design which was geared toward sound for Film and Television. However, this still wasn’t directly related to my passion.
I did some research online and found that Full Sail University was a common factor in the careers of some power players in the industry I really wanted to be in. So in 2018, I talked with my parents and they supported my decision and helped me make the transition to a new school in a new city, Orlando, Florida. I studied Recording Arts at Full Sail and started building my business from day one while I was still in school.
By this time, I had acquired a lot of high-quality audio equipment capable of recording from my home studio. So I would go out every weekend to local open mics hosted by organizations such as Fusion Co, We The Future Movement, and Loud Gallery to recruit artists to come and record. It got to a point where I was having about 100 Orlando artists coming in and out of my apartment to record.
I also was doing a few internships at local studios in the area to learn the business side of how studios actually function. I built relationships with a few studio owners and was able to begin to take sessions in various professional studios. After graduating from Full Sail in March of 2020, I got a full-time job as an engineer for some time and then started running Faders2Records full time as solely a music production company.
Around January of 2021, we expanded to video production because of a marketing venture that I decided to take. I wanted to promote the audio services of Faders2Records by creating a live acoustic series of the songs of local artists. It would be similar to Tiny Desk Concert. I did a few of these with outsourced videographers, but the logistics of things started to get too complicated without having a consistent in-house videographer.
I couldn’t afford to contract someone, so I decided to finance my own camera which I bought from a friend of mine. Moving forward, I tried my hand at music videos, and found myself getting more and more requests. I expanded to doing promotional videos for business and real estate videos. It reached the point where video became the most profitable service of the company, so I put my focus there and began to shoot bigger productions with contracted crews.
At this point, I’ve developed the full groundwork of the company. I’ve just launched with a digital marketing and social media management company which will significantly increase leads. So I’m now looking for funding to create a few part-time and full-time positions to adequately support the new-coming demand.
Additionally, I’m looking to build out a space to be a central hub for the company to streamline our booking and scheduling system. These are our plans for 2022, and things are definitely underway and moving in the right direction!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Overall, I would say that it has been a pretty smooth road. Granted it hasn’t been perfect, but I am thankful for the things that I have learned along the way. I think one of the biggest struggles that I had was simply not being paid for my work at times.
I had to become more comfortable discussing business and being a little more unapologetic with my rates and terms because I delivered high-quality work.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When it comes to music production, my specialty when recording is vocal production.
I am very good at communicating with artists while they are recording to get the best performance out of them. Additionally, I can come up with background vocals and arrangements as well as help with writing when needed. This all comes from my extensive musical background paired with my engineering education and experience.
A moment that I’ve been very proud of was being able to record YK Osiris and Ivory Scott at YK’s crib. It was a great experience to be put in the hot seat and stand up to the test. I knew I had the ability and know-how to effectively lead those sessions, but it was great confirmation for me and inspiration to keep going!
On the video side, I have a gift of bringing ideas to life and making sure they are executed in the best way possible. Also, I am able to introduce my songwriting background into video production through the art of storytelling. Where music is limited with structure, video is limitless.
I am able to tell whatever story I want through the lens, and it’s easier because I’m used to telling stories within more strict boundaries.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
The thing that most people would find surprising is actually simply what I do. My video clients would be surprised to know that I can produce music, and a lot of my music clients were surprised to find out that I could also shoot their music videos!
Contact Info:
- Email: jayg@faders2records.com
- Website: https://www.faders2records.com
- Instagram: @faders2records
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faders2records/
Image Credits
Monique Pitts
