Building a Dream Career in the Music Industry with Producer + Engineer Thomas Dulin

Mar 16, 2022

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Not all of us have the guts to chase our dreams. Despite family disapproval and peers all around him taking the safe route, Thomas Dulin knew he could make music for a living. Fortunately, he was correct, and today, Thomas is a music producer and sound engineer in Nashville, Tennessee living his dream. He splits his time touring with popular and emerging artists and making records of his own.

While earning a living as a music producer sounds glamorous, an email list is what tipped Thomas off to a gig that would jumpstart his career. Even with a short resume, all it took was the promise of work ethic, an obvious passion for the craft, and one person to take a chance on him. Luckily, that one person was Drew Holcomb.

So how does someone go from a college classroom to center (or back) stage? And what are the real barriers to entry besides doubtful onlookers? Over the last decade, Thomas has learned a lot about making waves in the business and he’s here to share tips for making it in an industry as competitive as they come.

In this episode, Charli, Haley, Miguel, and Thomas discuss knowing when a creative career is right for you, what sound engineers really do, the importance of representation, and the early advice that shaped Thomas’ outlook on the industry.

Key Takeaways

[01:50] - Have you heard?
- [02:02] - Taylor Lorenz, a notable reporter in the creator space, has moved away from The New York Times, partly because the NYT is taking issue with its reporters building out personal brands.
- [03:30] - Apple unveiled new products yesterday including a display and a new desktop mac mini.
- [06:10] - Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, recently acquired Bandcamp to develop an e-commerce-powered marketplace for creators.
[07:52] - Main topic: Building a dream career in the music industry.
- [08:18] - An intro to Thomas Dulin.
- [10:30] - How Thomas landed a gig with Drew Holcomb despite a short resume.
- [14:49] - How Thomas realized that a career in the music industry was his ultimate dream and the steps he took to achieve that dream.
- [18:27] - How Thomas envisioned his career in music and how he feels about the role he ended up in.
- [23:31] - Why sound engineering requires creativity and coaching skills.
- [25:26] - Thomas’ advice for aspiring music professionals.
- [27:37] - Does Thomas have a future as a course creator?
- [28:53] - The invaluable early advice Thomas received at his first job in the music business.
[31:27] - Submit yourself for a creator shoutout! Plus, Thomas shares a recent success.
[32:38] - A sneak peek at next week’s episode.

Quotes

[17:38] - “It wasn’t like a conscious decision, it was just like, this career exists, someone’s making money doing this, why can’t that be me?” ~ @thomasdulin

[25:58] - “Somebody who wants to do what I do needs to love music in a way that is outside of ego or the need to make a living, honestly. If you go into it thinking you’re going to make a lot of money and this is an opportunity for that, you’re going to fall on your face guaranteed.” ~ @thomasdulin

[27:00] - “The number one thing is to do it. Just know that you’re gonna fail and it’s not gonna be good for a long time, but figure out a way to do it, get a mic, get a converter, and one pair of headphones and just go after it.” ~ @thomasdulin

[30:09] - “It’s not the producer’s job to take over and sort of steamroll whatever vision the artist has, but rather to come alongside them and guide them into what they want to make. And sure it is a creative process to guide the artist, but at the end of the day, it’s not our song, it’s not our art, we’re just there to facilitate that and be sort of the mountain guide for the artist.” ~ @thomasdulin

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