South Carolina Focus

Many famous musical artists have been heavily influenced by their audio producers, but Joe Miller, a music producer who owns and operates the Sounds Like Joe recording studio in Rock Hill, South Carolina, describes his job in humble terms. “I like to consider my artistic domain, I move air and people hear it,” he said. Producing music is defined by taking music written by an artist or composer and transforming it into a high quality, professional studio sound. It involves several tough decisions that producers must make when there are several options available. Gary Bolton, a music producer who runs the Strawberry Skys recording studio in West Columbia, South Carolina, described the numerous crossroads producers must face on a daily basis. “First, is it fundamentally right? Is it together? And could we make it even better before we even start recording?” The most important decision a producer is responsible for is whether to producer a sound with an instrument or a synthesizer, Miller