- From New York bands to the University of Miami and back.
- Working in web development and tech through the tech boom of the late nineties.
- Trying to get signed to the German label Studio K7 producing Trip Hop, Drum & Bass, Jungle and experimental Hip Hop.
- Getting referred to the sales division of OM records.
- Building the relationship over a period of a year to getting signed as MING & FS.
- Being a “student of the game” and going out on “The Deep Concentration” tour with OM.
- Subsequently getting signed for a three-record deal with OM records.
- While playing in a rock band also making electronic music under the name Beat Tree.
- Working full time to fund the music career.
- Going out every night to make connections and network.
- Getting signed for the “weird” electronic music but not what MING & FS thought would be a major label deal with Beat Tree.
- Rewiring & re-eq’ing sound systems to make them sound right when on tour.
- Music business is 90% failure.
- Understanding the concept of failing forward and never giving up.
- Ten year run with Ming & FS, disbanding in 2006.
- Being in a Nissan commercial creating the music from car sounds (link opens in new tab) to fund the tour.
- Going on tour while filming the Nissan spot that ran through the Superbowl and joining the screen actors guild.
- Creating Habitat music production company to create original scores for commercials until the bubble burst in music licensing.
- Making money from multiple streams and shifting with the times.
- Learning from the mistake of overselling.
- The numbers of self pressing and why vinyl is never really coming back.
- Using any merch that doesn’t sell for promo.
- Throwing huge parties and promoting to the Mavens to create the right word of mouth buzz.
- Making mix CD’s to give away at every show and getting them sponsored by clothing brands to building a significant production business for touring artists.
- Struggling to get back on tour as a DJ post Ming & FS but building such a strong production business producing that when Covid hit it brought into focus that the work was coming in steadily.
- Commercial work, scoring and producing keeping all the irons hot.
- Getting nominated for a Grammy for a remix but not seeing any upside and crickets the next year.
- The Grammy bump is for major label “1 percenter’s”.
- Studio design and working with singers right in the room without headphones.
- Preparing the room to work with different singers.
- “I just vomit music at this Point!”
Want to watch MING produce? Check out this breakdown on his remake of White Horse!
Greg Gordon
host
I connect artists and producers to their purpose and help launch their careers.
Executive, producer & engineer with over 25 years in the music and video game industries: technical and creative services, business development and management, music publishing & education.
Host of the “Mentor My Mix” Podcast that features interviews with a global network of industry professionals, producers, artists and educators.
I have conducted panels and spoken at: SXSW, The SF Music Tech Conference, AES Conference, The Academy of Art, SFSU, and GRAMMY Sound Tables.
Voted entrepreneur of the Year by The Renaissance Center For Entrepreneurship and awarded ICIC’s (Initiative for a Competitive Inner City) top 100 fastest growing inner city companies in America.
30 year voting member of The Recording Academy (The Grammys). Served on the board of Governors and as a Trustee.
Clients have included: HTC Vive, Microsoft Studios, Insomniac Games, Ubisoft, Disney, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Blizzard and Zynga, working on award-winning titles like: Watch Dogs 2, Halo Anniversary, Sunset Overdrive, God Of War, World Of Warcraft, Kinect Disneyland, Arcade Saga VR, and Tron Run/r.
Music credits include working with many globally recognized recording artists including Rob Garza (Thievery Corporation), Giorgio Moroder, K Theory, Rain Phutureprimitive, The Bronx, Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia (The Grateful Dead) and Rocker T & the legendary Joan Baez amongst many others.
