Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Birdsall.
Hi Jeremy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was the oldest of eight siblings in a very musical and theatrical family. My parents both enjoyed community theater as actors and singers in our hometown of Sandpoint, Idaho, and my dad plays piano as well. They were very encouraging and supportive of any involvement in the arts, and all of my siblings at one point or another either played an instrument, sang, acted and/or danced. I started piano lessons at age 10, whether I wanted to or not, haha!
At 16 years old, I had the opportunity to join an internationally-touring group called The Continental Singers as their keyboardist and toured the U.S. and Europe supporting 5-time GRAMMY® Award winner, Sandi Patty. The bass player for our group canceled at the last minute and I was asked to play the basslines on my keyboard along with my other keyboard parts. It was on that tour that I discovered my passion for the low notes!
I went on to study Music Composition at the Lionel Hampton School of Music at University of Idaho (Go Vandals!) where my primary instrument was double bass and secondary was piano. Each year while there, I was the Artist/PR Rep for the renowned, annual Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, the largest jazz festival in the world. As such, I was afforded the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work closely with Dr. Lionel Hampton himself, as well as other jazz luminaries including Ray Brown, Diana Krall, Brian Bromberg, and Elvin Jones.
After graduating, I moved to Miami where I had the privilege of studying analog and digital production from GRAMMY® winner and platinum-selling producer Rick Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band. During this time, I learned some of Rick’s best recording and production techniques across the spectrum, including how to record a full drum set with only one microphone, how to physically cut and edit on 2-inch analog tape, and how to motivate artists to produce a perfect take in the shortest amount of time. I used this unique experience to lay the foundation for starting my boutique post-production house, Kavode Studios, in 2000.
Not long after that, I met my beautiful (soon-to-be) wife, Lynn, who lived in Orlando, which is what brought me here! I immediately began to immerse myself in the Orlando music scene – producing, performing and teaching. I eventually connected with several original and cover bands. One particular favorite and the first band I was officially a part of in Orlando was Decoy Beat, an instrumental groove-rock fusion trio with John and Glenn Kastrinos (R.I.P. John). In Decoy Beat, I played simultaneous bass and keys, for which I won the “Musician of the Year” award from Songwriters Showcases of America! Lynn and I often muse that literally everything I’ve done in my musical career since then can be traced back to John Kastrinos and Decoy Beat.
Another favorite project was Flying Mammals, an original rock band with three of my brothers! Flying Mammals had the extraordinary opportunity to record an album with GRAMMY® winner and legendary producer Sylvia Massy (Tool, Johnny Cash, Prince, Tom Petty, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more). During the 11-day recording residency, which took place in a 14th-century castle in Germany, we collaborated with Sylvia on the kind of unorthodox techniques she’s famous for, including recording vocals in a dungeon, recording a piano with a garden hose, and recording guitars through a sausage, a cassette deck and a robot!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
“Not a smooth road” would be an understatement! While I did immediately immerse myself in the Orlando music scene when I moved here, it didn’t immediately provide much income…if at all. It took about ten years to pay my dues as a trusted musician and producer in Orlando. During that time, I had several different day jobs to pay the bills. At first, I was a band director for 13 different private Orlando-area schools, which had me regularly driving across Orange, Seminole, Volusia and Osceola counties all in the same day! I also taught private lessons at various local music studios and at my home studio. There even was a time that I earned my Series 7 license and was a stockbroker for a few years! After that, I was an Account Executive at a telecommunications company where I sold cable TV and fiber optic products to companies like Spectrum and Dish Network. It was at this job that I finally realized it was time to go all-in with music and production.
So I began to establish myself as a first-call musician and in-demand producer in Orlando, which required constant hustling for the next gig, the next session, the next opportunity, and being available for anything and everything that came up. There was a time back in the dark ages when I would scour Craigslist every single day, searching for bands that needed musicians or artists who needed a producer for their album. At one point, I even co-founded a grassroots music festival called Shut Up & Play with my friend Thuan Nguyen, which ran for two years and showcased 30+ bands! Shut Up & Play gave me the chance to network with tons of other like-minded local musicians and industry professionals I wouldn’t have otherwise met, which in turn resulted in many more gigging and production opportunities. Lynn and I also sought out ways to support the established arts in Orlando and became inaugural Circle Members for Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and Board Members for Central Florida Jazz Society.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a professional multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, and I operate Kavode Studios, a boutique music and audio post-production house just north of Orlando in Casselberry.
At Kavode Studios, we’ve recently expanded our space which allows us to accommodate larger live sessions. In the last few weeks, we’ve recorded a string quartet, brass quartet, woodwind trio, acapella vocals, and an eight-piece folk band.
As a musician, I sing and play electric and upright bass, piano, guitar, percussion, cello, mandolin, ukulele, dulcimer banjo, lap steel, sitar, and Chapman Stick.
Throughout my years in Orlando, I’ve been part of many different original and cover bands, as well as Director of Music, Orchestra Director and worship leader at several area churches. Currently, I’m thrilled to be playing with Foreigners Journey, American Sirens, Johnny Wild and the Delights, Mirrors: The Justin Timberlake Experience, and polka band Key Tunes. You can also catch me with various duos and trios around town including Paul & Jeremy (with Paul Q-pek), J. Morse Trio (with J. Micah Morse), and others.
I believe in investing in the future of music and am honored to be a District Advocate Captain, GrammyU Mentor and Voting Member of the Recording Academy/GRAMMY® Awards, a Professional Voting Member of the GMA/Dove Awards, a Voting Member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists, and Competition Judge for the annual NAACP National Act-So Competition. I also proudly endorse Aguilar Amplification, Gator Cases and Gold Tone Instruments.
A fun fact about me is that I have synesthesia, which is a blending of the senses. Some synesthetes smell color, while some experience words having a certain taste in their mouth. I have grapheme-color synesthesia, so when I see or think about letters or numbers, I see colors that my mind has assigned to them. Musical notes are letters, of course, and when I play an A on my bass, I see red because red is the color of A to me. When I play a whole song, I see a rainbow of colors swirling around! For much of my life, I thought this was how everyone experienced music until I learned about my synesthesia. I believe that this unique wiring of my brain has fortified my grasp of relative pitch, enabling me to quickly retain new music and to help my production clients find the very best arrangements and mixes for their music.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
The Music Lesson by Victor Wooten is a thought-provoking book that illustrates a beautiful way of thinking about the spiritual side of music and getting beyond just playing the notes. I’ve read it many times and keep coming back to it as I always gain new insights.
Absolute Mastery by Kenny Werner is a brilliant book on tackling your anxieties, fears and hang-ups to help you be the best at your craft, whether it’s music or anything else.
And the Lord of the Rings trilogy…obviously.
Contact Info:
- Email: Jeremy@kavode.com
- Website: www.Kavode.com
- Instagram: @jeremy_birdsall
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kavode
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/JeremyBirdsall
- Other: www.facebook.com/jeremybirdsall
Image Credits
Michael Cairns, Elizaveta Kovalëva, Christoph’s Vault, Jim Parker, Zandi Cabiltes, Lynn Birdsall
