Meet Tony Burkhart | Studio Owner, Music Producer & Audio Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tony Burkhart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tony, what do you attribute your success to?
The BlackLite Team is made up of music producers and mixing/mastering engineers who genuinely LOVE making music and collaborating with artists. We treat every song as a unique work of art and take a highly-detailed approach to understand and achieve each artist’s vision. This is one of the top reasons we have been blessed to work with over 1k artists worldwide, spanning virtually every genre and style of music.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My musical journey began long before I realized it, growing up in a family of career musicians, writers and performers. This instilled a deep appreciation for music and artistry in my childhood, but it wasn’t until my high school sports “career” ended that I started experimenting with music production, making beats with a Radio Shack keyboard and 8-track digital recorder in my father’s basement studio.

I was hooked instantly… constantly researching, saving up for gear of my own and obsessing about ways to improve my sound quality. After I grew more confident in my own music, I started branching out and collaborating with family, friends and eventually professional artists outside my own inner-circle. Over time these same artists began asking me to make them beats, co-write, record, mix and master their songs. That’s when I realized there was a huge opportunity to make a living in music, performing the same services I had been doing on the side while working other jobs.

I launched BlackLite Productions out of the basement (with a ton of help from my wife and amazing family) and my music career grew exponentially along with our list of clients. We eventually were blessed enough to expand into a wonderful commercial space where we are still located, in Longworth Hall located in Downtown Cincinnati. With the help of our team of incredible producers and audio engineers, we have become one of the premiere studios in the region after a decade in the industry. We have also branched out to hosting large music events which allow dozens of our artists to perform in front of thousands of fans, with the goal to inspire a citywide musical movement.

My advice to other artists interested in starting a music career, is to remember that every success comes with new challenges to push through. But if you embrace all the side jobs, training courses, late nights, early mornings, unexpected detours and massive bumps in the road, you will find success. I believe much of my own success, and that of many artists I’ve worked with, is due to perseverance above any other factor. The skills, networking connections, financial stability, etc. will eventually come if you love music enough to endure the challenges and continue learning, practicing and coming back for more every day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are tons of amazing sights, sounds, tastes and activities in the Cincinnati area… but you only need one day to experience my absolute favorite: a Cincinnati Bengals tailgate/game combo in October. This is the heart of America. All in one day you can experience some of the most fun and passionate fanfare in the nation, incredible city views, beautiful historic and modern city architecture, crisp Autumn weather, the smells of a thousand grills, the sounds of club hits, classic rock and hometown anthems, infamous Skyline Chili 3ways and cheese coneys… and that’s all before the football game even starts.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
FAMILY. From the start of BlackLite Productions family has been at the core, and still is. We are incredibly blessed to have multiple generations of amazing (and talented) family members involved in our studio’s success. Not to mention the many incredible friends and artists who have become part of the “BlackLite family” over the years!

Website: https://blackliteproductions.com

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