We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chewei Chang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Chewei, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
My optimism comes from a few key sources that shape my philosophy on life. First and foremost, my family has always been incredibly supportive, instilling in me the belief that staying positive attracts good things. They’ve taught me that there are always good people out there, and if you’re willing to do for others, it will also come back around. This reciprocal kindness reinforces my positive outlook. Life is not easy and you will definitely experience bad times, but it’s important to remember to always look forward to the good times ahead. Additionally, my deep love for music and the joy it brings me fuels my motivation every day. As an audio engineer, I get to immerse myself in music, which not only enhances my creativity but also keeps me grounded in the moment. This combination of family support, a positive mindset, and a passion for music forms the core of my optimistic philosophy.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Ricker Chang, born in Taiwan, based in LA . I’m an audio engineer, specialized in recording, mixing, mastering, post production, and live sound . A lot of my work takes place in recording studios and live music venues. The most exciting thing about my profession is meeting new artists. When you work with a new artist, you need to combine their ideas with your own, almost like creating a chemical reaction. This reaction becomes a unique and new art, this is the beauty of the work for me. My brand, or what sets me apart from other engineers is my patience and dedication to creating the best sound. I treat every session and song I work on as a piece of my own art, striving to make it unique and the best it can be. I hope that every piece of art I create is both unique and perfect.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Some important qualities that made my journey impactful are having a good ear, knowing the technology, and having an open mind. Having a good ear is important, and developing it takes a lot of time and practice. You need to listen to a lot of music to develop a “database,” or a know-how of what works well together. It’s also important to know the technology very well. The technology develops all the time in the current age, so you need to constantly learn new concepts and software that will keep you up to date. Lastly, it’s important to have an open mind to new experiences and ideas. All the time, you must be open to meeting new people and explore the new sounds.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I want to dedicate a shoutout to my mentor Adam Kagan. Who gave me the guidance to advance my skills, and help me knowing how it works for the audio industry and how to integrate into the LA culture. Tom Weir, the owner of Studio City Sound. Tom gave me a lot of opportunity to work on a variety of recording projects, got me the the real world. He’s one of the kindest and generous people I’ve met. Working with Tom helped build my musical connections and network that I have today. I also want to thank Craig Taubman, the musician and owner of the Pico Union Project. He manages a non profit that’s very beneficial to the community. He lead me to the live sound world and the his connection has given me an opportunity to work with Grammy winning artists.Craig’s generosity, his way of connecting with people, his kindness, and his overall positive character have greatly influenced me. I now emulate his good actions and character, even apply to my career.
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