Meet Joshua Sellem

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joshua Sellem. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Joshua with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

My work ethic comes from a drive to push creative boundaries by fully leveraging the tools available to today’s artists. Witnessing terrible execution in the entertainment and music industry motivated me to become self-sufficient across a range of skill sets, including audio engineering, DJing, lighting, and video production. With these abilities honed, I can now work seamlessly across multiple domains and communicate effectively with diverse teams, even in high-pressure environments.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

As a producer, audio engineer, and DJ/performer, I really enjoy the process of helping artists achieve the sound they’re looking for—and it’s even more rewarding when I get to perform my records on stage. Early into my music career, I invested heavily in top-of-the-line equipment to ensure that any clientele I work with experiences sound quality beyond the industry standard. Working at TreeSound Studios has also allowed me to learn from the best, giving me not only the tools but the skills to provide the best for my clients.
The music industry has led me to connect with some incredible artists in the industry. I’ve recorded tracks with underground cypher rappers like “Paytience,” mixed and performed music at the Rialto Center with the ever-so-talented “D’andré,” and spun records alongside outstanding DJs like “Zak Lav” and “Silent Duality” at venues such as the James Room and Underground Atlanta. The growing number of shows has also inspired me to elevate my stage designs with enhanced visuals and custom lighting rigs.
Lately, I’ve been placing a stronger emphasis on creative efficiency, involving my inner circle in music projects for added support in writing and composition to craft even better tracks. The results have been astounding so far. For instance, I just released a track called “Heatwave” with D’andré, heavily inspired by the Bailé funk genre, and it’s been performing incredibly well on streaming platforms. The exciting part about it is that it’s only the first of our Brazil-inspired wave of releases—so stay tuned for more!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Resilience, discipline, and openness to new experiences have been key to my journey in the industry. Mastering the skills needed to guide a recording session or create dynamic visuals starts with studying the programs themselves. I’ve gone through countless manuals and videos to understand the ins and outs of both software and hardware, which has made me an experienced troubleshooter. This allows me to bring my studio setup anywhere, seamlessly connect to any gear or studio space, and still ensure my session runs smoothly. Knowing your stuff also makes you look like a pro!
Professionalism in sessions not only helps artists feel comfortable but can also open up further networking opportunities when you go above and beyond for your clients.
For aspiring independent artists, the sheer number of tools available for content creation can feel overwhelming, but with enough time, experience, and resilience, you can become a one-stop shop capable of delivering diverse content.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

If you’re already in a successful position that plays to your strengths, you’re in a great place. However, for artists/entertainers who may not have the resources to focus solely on their strengths, I highly encourage you to become familiar with the tools or skills that can support you in today’s modern world—even if it takes some time and effort to master them. Not only does this help you stay within budget for projects, but it also makes you more self-sufficient as a creative. Plus, it enhances your ability to communicate ideas effectively with other professionals across various fields. Clear communication is essential for developing successful projects, and it eliminates the guesswork for engineers, leading to a smoother, more productive process.

One of the best areas in music to develop well-rounded skills in is live show production. For example, I worked as a playback rig technician for D’andré during a spring carnival performance, where my role was to ensure our crew could hear the backing track and click in our in-ear monitors. I was also responsible for syncing custom visuals to the track. With some experience in DMX, signal routing, and HDMI setup, I was able to coordinate with the venue staff to get everything set up smoothly.

However, the lack of coordination between the booking agent and the venue led to some major misfires with call times, pushing back our sound check slot. To add to the chaos, other artists in the lineup hadn’t communicated their stage setups with the venue, so I ended up assisting the venue staff by miking other bands, switching other artists’ visual cues, and even helping some band members with basic equipment setup. In short, it was a complete mess.

By the time we finally got our sound check, we had to reset our entire rig with only a fraction of the time we’d been promised. Thankfully, since I’d already coordinated with the venue staff, we managed to get the show up and running quickly. Despite all the setbacks, we ended up delivering the best show of the night! If my only strength had been operating that playback rig, we probably wouldn’t have been able to pull it off at all.

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