Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriella “Babygurl” Eugenio.
Gabriella, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I always had a passion for music. I started playing guitar when I was eight years old and taught myself up until I was fourteen. At that time I attended The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) where I was classically trained. As a student at ChiArts, I further developed my guitar playing skills and my understanding of music theory. During my high school career, I realized that I had an interest specifically in music composition and music technology. I loved making music, and ChiArts had several resources that could help me improve my compositional skills. I took advantage of using the DAW Logic Pro X as a way to monitor my ideas. I would record my ideas and play them back and try to layer a countermelody or any kind of harmony on top. Instantly, I fell in love with recording and production.
After high school, I attended a small liberal arts school in Gambier, Ohio known as Kenyon College. In college, I went crazy and worked three to four jobs. I would save most of my paychecks for whatever school bills I anticipated and spend the rest on music gear and software. I was obsessed with making music so I never really went to parties, I just stayed in my room trying to learn anything and everything about my DAW. As time went by, I became extremely critical over the quality of how my music sounded. This pushed me to learn more about audio engineering and mixing. I made a friend in college who told me about an internship he did at this place called Classick Studios. I booked time there with an engineer and producer who is now my mentor and friend, Lanre. I wanted to learn more about studio culture and see how the recording and mixing process differed from what I was doing. As the sessions went on Lanre encouraged me to intern for the studio, suggesting that I could make incredible strides. I decided to give the internship a go and within six months I became the “Intern Manager” and “Equipment Inventory Manager.” I had another mentor named Don who would ask me to come to his house to record and assist with some of his mixes. Soon after, with Lanre and Don’s help, I started receiving clients that wanted to book me for recording and mixing sessions.
During this time, around mid-2020, Classick Studios had launched a new series called “1Take”, which is a collection of live performances of up-and-coming artists. At its premiere, Don was mixing all of the 1Takes. After a few months, Don had let me know he was moving to LA to advance his career. I remember holding a hard drive of all the 1Take recordings and asking him if we should transfer the files to his computer. He said he didn’t want the files and instructed I do what I thought was best with them. I was desperate to improve my mixing skills, so I took that as an opportunity to mix the 1Takes myself. Since then I’ve been recording and mixing the 1Takes for Classick Studios while building my clientele. A little less than a full year as an intern at the studio went by, and I was hired as a Junior Engineer by Chris “Classick”, the owner of Classick Studios. It’s been two years since I’ve been working at Classick Studios as both a music producer and mix engineer, and I’m happy to be here.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Embarking on this journey hasn’t been easy, especially as a queer woman of color in a male-dominated industry. On top of normal challenges, I’ve experienced harassment and discrimination from clients and peers alike. When a working environment turns into a hostile one, it’s understandable to be left feeling discouraged. These experiences lead me to question my creative worth and if I should continue working in this industry. However, I do have talented clients that respect my work and time, and that makes my job so much more worthwhile and meaningful. The best part about having a client that discriminates against me is that I don’t have to deal with them ever again, allowing me to focus on fostering the relationships with clients I admire and respect (and that feel the same about me!). Practicing gratitude and acknowledging even my smallest successes has also allowed me to stay persistent.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Above all, I’m a creator. I’m a music producer and an audio engineer. I’m a confident, ambitious, and hardworking woman with an intense love of learning. I believe what sets me apart from others is my ability to lead, as well as recognizing when it’s my turn to follow. I’m known by my friends, family, mentors, and colleagues as someone who makes things happen.
I’m proud to be alive and taking up space.
Pricing:
- Recording Sessions: $75/hr
- Mixing Services: $200-$300
- Mastering Services: $50-$100
- Production Sessions: $150/hr
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iseeubabygurl/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/iseeyoubabygurl
Image Credits:
Studio Photographer: @hulli___ @estornudodeciannita @codenametorino @ryan_lehrman
