Meet ToneDownForWhat of DC & Surrounding Areas

Today we’d like to introduce you to ToneDownForWhat.

Hi ToneDownForWhat, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Music has always been a part of me. I had an amazing teacher in 1st grade that I vividly remember. The way she taught music resonated to me as if learning a new language as a kid, It just sticks to you. Fast forward to 5th grade, I convinced (honestly “manipulated”, haha) my parents to buy me a guitar for an after school program. Also, my music teacher at the time really wanted me to join the school choir, but i refused because i would have been the only boy in the group. It’s like i knew I loved music and that i was somewhat good at it, but I didn’t realize how deep of a calling it was. When I got to high school I finally joined the school men’s chorus since there was no guitar in band at the time. The reason why i joined was because i wanted to go to the band trip, which funnily didn’t work out because the year I joined was the first year the school decided that the lower tier of the choir group i was in wasn’t going on the annual trip. So instead of quitting the next year, i decided to reveal more of my vocal range so i can join the mid tier choir class. When I got to college, that’s when i started to dabble more into the other side of music, engineering. My best friend was an amazing rapper so she would have me around anything music related, and sometimes for fun i would learn to record us on GarageBand either on my laptop or in the library podcast room. While I wasnt directly involved with doing any music in college, I would throw some o f the best parties on my off campus apartment. That’s where my name ToneDownForWhat came from: Tone’s parties never get shut down. I was probably one of the very few people on my campus that can throw a party and it would end when the sun rises, sometimes i would throw a party everyday of the weekend in a row! I started taking music seriously again when I left school. I didnt have real direction or passion there, and my grades suffered because of that. Being back home with no plan and depressed, and also not having a studio or space to go to, i decided to turn my room into a mini studio just so i can have an outlet and escape for myself. I started first with practicing to engineer on my own voise, and then eventually the neighborhood found out i had the “stu” at home. I started working with local artists, and also my managers at Best Buy were very supportive and introduced me to one of my mentors. Fast forward, i continued to sharpen my craft and work at one of the most known studios at the time in 2018. When I felt the urge to grow, i started going to California where I was able to challenge myself and be around people at the top of their game. It’s also where i started to actually produce more and make loops, and continued to grow as someone that just doesn’t press buttons behind the board, but really dive in with an artist and produce a record. Wanting to do more and understand my city’s infrastructure better, I started working at Radio One in D.C as a board operator. I wanted to get more hands on experience on that side of the business while still building my name as one of the well-known and respected engineers in the DMV area.

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?
It definitely was not a smooth road. I started off doing this as a passion and an escape from my problems. but i feel like everything blew up so fast; it’s like my skill and popularity grew faster than me knowing exactly what I wanted to do and who i wanted to be in this world. I was a student at Penn State University pursuing a business degree. I was supposed to graduate with a degree that would land me a great job at 21, and walk the stage with my friends. Instead I’m back home where i didn’t really connect with anyone, having to go to community college to fix the mess i made academically. It felt like purgatory in a sense that i had to work my way back up to redeem myself from shame and failure. Also not getting an education in audio engineering, I really had to learn and figure out how to become better with the distraction of school. But that road was, and still is, beautiful. In the moment when you go through these obstacles they can be frustrating. but I’m a movie person; I love a good story. I remember going half on a studio session with my friend/amazing artist so i can get my foot in the door with an engineer i wanted to work for. The first time i went to L.A it wasnt planned. i literally booked a 4 day flight randomly with no plan and that led to me going almost every other month for 4 years. sometimes i would stay there months at a time, sleeping in airbnbs, motels, and friends couches. I was addicted to the hustle. What kept me going was knowing that there are people in more challenging situations working twice as hard as i am with enthusiasm and no complaints about their circumstances.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
By trade, I am an audio engineer. I currently work at Vault Studios in Hyattsville Maryland. Honestly, as cliché it may sound, I specialize on bringing out the best out of any artist i work with. I think my talent shines the most in that respect when i work with singers. I take vocal producing seriously, from achieving great takes, to harmonies and ear candy throughout the record. Sometimes I would add production to a record when necessary. I’ve been a part of records from the DMV Trap scene, Go-Go, RnB, Latin, Reggaeton, AfroBeats, Gospel, and Dancehall. I also have worked on audiobooks, podcasts, and even audio for cartoon web series. Being back in music also revived my love for the guitar. Although i don’t limit myself to the type of beats i make, a lot of my beats have guitar elements to them. Honestly, what sets me a part is who I am as a person. My vibe and energy is an experience in itself. Artists can go to a bunch of different engineers that can do the job exceptionally well, even better than me. But everyone’s passion, and style is different. Music is such an intimate process, and you need to be able to resonate with who you’re working with. That’s why i always strive to bring the best version of myself in every session.

What are your plans for the future?
My goal is to cement my name in the culture in this game, no matter how big or small God intends my role to be. I want be a part of bigger records, for sure. I would love to take all my skill, experience, and relationships and produce more projects with artists i connect with. I feel like that’s something i could have been doing but I overlooked. I want to be known as a producer that can make records across multiple genres. I also would love to keep growing my business. I want to continue to provide engineering services of course, but I would also love to provide services such as doing live sound for artists during their performances. A lot of artists make amazing records but sometimes that energy doesn’t translate on stage, and it’s very easy for artists to carry that whole burden on themselves. I also want to create a dope private recording studio one day in a remote area, where artists can escape their city and noise and just be in a peaceful, fun , vibe-filled space and just create amazing music.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tonedownforwhat.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonedownforwhat_/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonedownforwhat/
• Other: https://tiktok.com/tonedownforwhat