Today we’d like to introduce you to Zak (Thready) Threadgill.
Hi Zak (Thready), we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Dreams are a journey, not a destination.
Growing up, I loved playing sports which followed me through college where I played D3 Football and Rugby. For much of my life, sports were a way for me to escape. My Junior year of high school I was diagnosed with depression before eventually being diagnosed with Bi-polar Disorder my Senior year.
Managing my disorder was difficult early on and I struggled a lot to find joy outside of sports. This became even more apparent after a career ending knee injury. I became very depressed during that time. After a couple months I was at a friend’s house who was producing a song inside of Reason (Music Production Software). I remember how focused he was and it was cool to go from nothing, to something.
Going out on weekends wasn’t fun because my knee was healing so I needed a distraction. I ended up getting my own copy of Reason to try beat making and fell in love with it. I found freedom again. When I entered my flow state the world would disappear along with any depression or stress I was feeling. Very quickly I realized my passion for music could lead to a career and I focused on learning as much as I could from that point on.
It wasn’t easy and I wasn’t good in the beginning. I couldn’t really afford college courses for audio engineering so I hit Youtube University every night and searched for a mentor. In the meantime I took up a manufacturing job and did overnight shifts. I would work 4:30pm – 3am every night, come home and work on music until 6am, then go to bed and repeat.
This was my routine for 4.5 years. I was teased relentlessly by co-workers because of my love for music. At that time I was in Rural Minnesota, but no one knew the effort and progress I was making when I went home. Eventually I ran across a well established engineer (Dave Fore), who I paid to review my work and give me 1 on 1 classes. This was critical in my professional development as an engineer.
Working in a factory was soul sucking for me because I felt like I didn’t belong. I wanted bigger things in life, I wanted to be an audio engineer. Eventually I went on a week long vacation to Las Vegas, when I got back to Minnesota, I quit the factory. Shortly after quitting I met my now wife who encouraged me to pursue engineering.
We decided to move to Minneapolis and that’s when I opened a home studio and went full time. I ran facebook ads to find new clients and reinvested every dollar into new equipment or more advertising. I loved music and it led to a lot of great relationships and clients. Fast forward another 4 years, and I wanted to work in a commercial environment.
It was around this time that my wife found her own passion for Acting. We soon realized that we both could pursue our dreams if we moved to a bigger market. We considered LA, Chicago, New York and Atlanta as possibilities before deciding Georgia made the most sense for our situation.
Once in Atlanta, I called about 50 music studios and found 2 internships… not exactly what I hoped for (a paying job)… but it was a foot in the door. I used those opportunities to learn more about the commercial industry and improve my engineering skills. After about 6 months I finally got to a point where I was able to take sessions as a paid engineer.
One of the places I work at now (The Kolab) had initially turned down my application (stating my skills weren’t ready). I reached back out after the internship and they ended up giving me a test session and hired me. Shortly after, another studio I previously applied at (Legacy Pro) reached back out for an interview and test session. I got that job. Later I became an engineer for Wraith Studios and Show Boat Studios.
I still have a lot to learn on my journey to becoming a world class engineer but I feel proud of how far I’ve come. I sometimes think about the factory I worked at and wonder how many of my old co-workers are still there. I wonder how many of them had dreams and goals similar to mine that they gave up on. It’s true when they say “nothing worth doing is easy.”
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?
The biggest challenge in my opinion was learning the right way to do things. Without formal education, my knowledge was limited to what I taught myself. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I had to rely on information that might, or might not be, the best way to do something.
I had no-one to compare myself to or measure against when recording. It wasn’t until I moved to Atlanta and sat in on commercial sessions that I learned the necessary speed required to operate at that level. It was humbling but it provided the measuring stick I needed. I had to be as good as these guys if I want success in Atlanta.
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 an Audio Engineer and Music Producer specializing in Rap, Pop, Hip-Hop and R&B music. I do corporate work as well as an A1 engineer and mix live for a local church.
My mixing is what I’m most known for and proud of. I’ve put hundreds of hours into ear training and that gives me a ton of confidence. Understanding fundamentals and technique is only half the battle… Recognizing when, and when not to use a tool is the difference between a professional and amateur engineer.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I was lucky growing up to have a good family and friends. I have a few memories of sneaking out of my house during the night to hang out in a friend’s basement to play Monopoly and Risk. His dad was an audio engineer and they had a soundproof room that was PERFECT for kids to play in because we didn’t have to worry about staying quiet.
Pricing:
- Rates vary by studio, please contact me for details.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mixedbythready.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mixedbythready
