Ask almost anyone who their top 5 soundclick producers are and this guy will make that list more often than not. Through hard work and sacrifice, he's making his dream a reality.
Can you give us a quick intro tell us where you are from? How did you get started in producing and when did you start taking it serious?
From Pittsburgh, PA.. the west side to be exact. I originally started producing because I used to rap, & didn't know where to get beats from.. So I made my own. Back then in like 2001 there wasn't no youtube, myspace, facebook.. nothing really.. the social side of the internet was still in its infancy.
To be honest I never had a 9 to 5 job prior to this, I used to be a dumb kid in the streets making ends meet. It wasn't until 2 local rappers from nearby housing projects purchased some of my tracks. I then realized I could make this a profitable business, & pursued it ever since.
Have you had any formal musical training? One of our members guesses that you must have some kind of Jazz background. Do you?
Nothing, I play everything by ear.. it started out with me & a couple friends sitting in an attic with a cracked version of FL Studio.. not MIDI nothing, I pretty much learned backwards by playing all of my melodies via FL Studio's piano roll. I still till this day rely on the piano roll for playing most of my chords.. other than that I play all of my drums, leads, baselines, etc out.
What are some accomplishments that you are most proud of in the production game?
My extensive work with Atlantic Records Recording artist Wiz Khalifa (40+ records including his Warner Bros. Breakout single 'Say Yeah')
I have a new record about to drop with Jive Recording artist Trai'd featuring T-Pain, & Twista. I also have a slew of records coming out
in the near future with various artists, can't say as of yet.. just pay attention & you will see!
What's your everyday equipment/software list look like?
FL Studio with 8 Hardware workstations/synths going through a MIDI hub.. along with a select few mixing VST's & VSTi's
What are your thoughts on the "Hardware vs. Software" debate? Is one better?
I mean in all honesty, it mostly depends on what your looking for.. I might use a hardware piece for all of my acoustic instrumentation, & use a select VSTi for a specific type of synth, & if I'm in the mood, I'll just go to 1 of my hardware synths & create something fresh off the fly.
I've seen you use FL Studio in some of your videos. What things do you like about it most and do you think you will ever move on to something else?
The ease of use, I fly around FL Studio like its nothing.. learn the hot keys & it will become your most valuable asset.. I do vocal recording / mixing / everything in FL Studio.. & mostly with stock plug-ins. Theres no point for me to switch DAWs , it would be regressing for me to switch to lets say.. Pro Tools when I can do everything & more with more familiarity..
Whats a typical day for Johnny Juliano?
I wake up, walk down the hall of my house to my studio area & begin to work.. As of lately I've been working literally from the time I wake till (sometimes varying) 10am the next morning..
I also have to find time for my family (son), which can be difficult when your dedicating your every waking moment to your craft like me.
A lot of up and comers think they can make beats and call them selves a "producer". Can you give us your take on the difference between a "beat maker" and a "producer"?
I hear this alot.. but I feel the actuality of what a producer is differentiates from what everyone argues it to be..
I feel a 'producer' knows the art of perfect sequence, progression, & styling.. for instance.. if I start off a track with purposely soft drums for the 1st 8 bars of a track, & then change it up to some really punchy ones for the 2nd 8 bars.. I subconsciously just excited the listener without them knowing why. That.. I feel is what separates a beatmaker with a 100 bar loop, from a really dope producer..
Do you sell your beats online, face-to-face or both? And do you have a preference? Why?
Have you ever heard the 'Johnny Juliano... DOT!... COM!.." tag before while randomly walking down the street in rural Alabama? I get people from literally all over the United States & then some, saying they've heard my tag everywhere! Its a blessing..
I mostly only deal with Major Artist as of now (as far as in-person clients go).
I'm currently looking for commercial property to build a studio in Atlanta, GA so I have future aspirations of doing more (in-person) work. I started off locally (unlike most online producers) so I have that producer / artist connection whenever I'm in the lab with someone who's ready to work..
What factors do you consider when charging for a beat?
A couple of things, if its non-hook or with, how old the track is, & just how I feel about the track in general.
Inspiration comes in many forms. Where do you think you get most of your inspiration from?
I've originally got alot of inspiration from old SNES/NES Rpg's / vintage video games in general.. I just thought how can I make this cool sound more urban accepting?
I also Listen to artists like Chromeo, Daft Punk, MGMT, Justice, Prince, The Dream, Ryan Leslie, Various 80's Late 70's Funk Bands.. & composers such as Joe Hisashi, Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, & more.. I can firmly say, I get more inspiration from film then anything.. besides being a producer, I'm kind of a huge movie buff..
Is there anything you can share with regards to your process of making a new track?
Don't think, just create randomly.. I rarely go into the studio with actual ideas.
Let your subconscious' ideas grow into fruition in your sleep.. & use your music as a conduit for executing it.
Any tips you can give us mixing a beat? Everyone wants their drums to bang. How do you do yours?
This answer cannot be anymore blatant - experience is the best teacher.
No one can 'teach' you how to have great mixes except yourself, Just as no one can teach you how to be a great painter.. the same rules are applicable.
In your opinion, what types of things should the new/young producer concentrate on most to develop his/her skills?
If you consider taking this up as a life long career.. you MUST dedicate every waking Milli-second (or free time) to your craft.. its that or be one with the vast population of so-so's overcrowding the online social scene..
On a personal note, your SC page says you're married and have a kid. I am too. I find that this hurts my ability to make tracks on the regular, how do you do it man? :D
My family has a very solid understanding of my work ethics, I feel bad at times because everyone's schedule mostly revolves around what I'm doing.
One of the biggest challenges is promoting one's self. How do you do that and what advice can you give our readers on that?
Use every free social networking venue possible.. Purchase a Soundclick v.i.p page & start building up a mailing list (one comes free with your sc)
How much money do you think you invested (equipment, training, advertising, web sites, etc) before you felt you got recognized?
Alot.. lol, you have to spend money to make money! I've easily spent $20,000 on keyboards alone.. trying them out.. etc with boards, its all about trial & error.. if you don't like one it may be someone else's treasure..
Can you describe your vision of what you do? In other words, how much of this business is for making money and how much is for artistic expression. Is there a difference? How do you keep the business side from encroaching on the creative side?
I feel there is a pretty good balance going on.. some of my works, artist claim they aren't artist friendly.. those are more so me just pushing the boundaries a little.. But the majority of the time, you have to look at it as a business.. and find the perfect balance of whats relevant with your own style.
Is having a management team an important part of the equation for you?
I moved down to Atlanta originally because I had management/consultant deals lined up.. I ended up turning them all down, because the numbers weren't right. But also because my business online is far more profitable then me sitting on my ass waiting for placements every couple of months.. alot of artist / producers who are "ON" so to speak don't make the income you assume.. in this day in age, its about the independents now.. its all about surviving this transitional stage right now.
What other producers (mainstream or underground) are you feeling the most right now?
None.. and I say that not in vain, "some" are dope, but if your not doing anything thats making me wonder "how" you did that?
I'm not going to impressed in the slight, I take my craft very serious.. sometimes a little too serious.
Do you have any upcoming projects you'd like to let us know about?
Mentioned some of them earlier, but yeah.. no record with Wiz Khalifa, Trai'd, T-Pain, Travis Porter, Young L, Young Joc & More
Before we leave you, where can we get more information about you and/or hear more of your music?
http://johnnyjuliano.com | follow me via twitter http://twitter.com/johnnyjuliano | my official facebook band page http://facebook.com/johnnyjuliano also my youtube http://youtube.com/johnnyjuliano - interested in purchasing some of my production we can talk about it via email - sales@johnnyjuliano.com
In closing, we wish you all the best and thank you for taking the time.
Thank you! very appreciative for the opportunity.. to all up & coming producers.. remember drive outlasts natural talent!