2003 IAR graduate Joe Demby is currently putting his audio skills to work at New York’s famous Chung King Studios, where he is in charge of operations, staff bookings, billing, client relations, and studio expansion. “I sell time, which means I communicate with independent and major record labels, managers, and artists wanting to use the studio. I also coordinate with the head technician, decide which assistant engineer gets to be on a session, what plug-ins to purchase for our rigs, and ultimately which artist works in which room,” he said.

He described how he worked his way up the ladder: “After about three months of scrubbing floors and getting coffee, I began to assist on sessions and help with office work. After six months, I had earned a paid position involving the billing and invoicing of labels. I continued to work in the office while helping the owner build out studios for about six months, until the studio manager left the company, at which time I was promoted into the position because I showed my superiors that I was indispensable.”

When he’s not at the studio, Joe also DJs at weddings, private functions, parties, and clubs, and he has produced music for film, television, theatre, dance, and documentaries. He just finished an album to be released later this year on Raptivism Records, entitled Protest in Disguise, for a spoken-word artist from New Orleans.

“IAR opened my eyes and ears to the many different frequencies we hear, or do not hear, every day. Both a blessing and a curse, it has made me so much more aware when listening to music; I appreciate how much more is going on than just sight and sound. Without the knowledge I gained at IAR, I would never be able to converse with world-class engineers and understand what they’re referring to, whether it’s a microphone pre-amp or standing waves occurring in a room.”

When asked what advice he has for current IAR students, he replied, “Stay after class and spend extra time with the instructors. You’re paying for an education, and the instructors at IAR are experienced in real-world audio. They will have extremely relevant information for you to learn. Create a relationship with the staff and fellow students, because you never know when you may need them, or they you, in the future. Start to get an idea of what you want to do, and ask around to see how you can make it happen.”