HL Studios - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Owner of one of Southampton's best kept secrets. Well it's a secret no more!
HL Studios (www.hlstudios.co.uk) is an air conditioned, spacious, 5 room studio, equiped with State of the Art tools and staffed by me! I've been involved in Pro Audio for over 20 years, including selling Pro Audio for companies who's clients included Tears For Fears, Duran Duran, members of Squeeze and Craig David/Artful Dodger writer producer Mark Hill.
I've spent the last 10 years splitting my time between developing the facilities here at HL Studios and carving a niche as one of the South's most successful singing coaches. I've coached all sorts of people from complete beginners to full time professional singers, including leads in top West End shows like Les Mis (go Pete Blewden!) and many pro gigging singers (about 20 of my current students earn some or all of their income as gigging singers) I've recently begun to study a method of teaching singing that has a simply extraordinary track record, with over a hundred Grammy award winning singers included in it's students. I'll look forward to adding more about that when I can... :-)
The studio has been going from strength to strength with a wealth of diverse projects including pop, R'N'B, Swing, Jazz, PopPunk, Heavy Rock and Indie. Still no Line Dancing music though!!! :-)))) Recently 80's Dance legend Yazz (The Only Way Is Up) completed her first studio album in many years here and it's a mature, soulful, jazzy recording to be proud of. Find her MySpace in my Top Friends and check out some of the songs. 4 time Ivor Novello award winning songwriter and producer, Mark Hill now uses the studio regularly and has brought a number of first class singers in to record here, including Shapeshifter's vocalist Kelly-Marie Smith, Michelle Escoffrey and Andrew Roachford. Through HL Studios relationship with the Live and Unsigned competition, I've also been working with a flurry of the countries select new talent, including BKay and Kazz new single. Look out for more from them as well as Fizz (Godsend) and Loaded Dice in the near future.

My Interests

..errr Music!!! I'm pretty keen on my kids to (3 little boys) and film - I do like films. But that's all below.

I'd like to meet:

Well generally I like people who are passionate about music but specifically at this time, I'd like to meet people who need a top class studio and a friendly, helpful bloke who knows how to use his gear!
I specialise in helping singer/songwriters with really bare song ideas turn them into full productions, but there is plenty of room for a live band and obviously as a singing coach, HL Studios is an idea place for vocal demos or just Recording Studio Experience days. Check out the studio website at:
http://www.hlstudios.co.uk
if any of this sounds good to you. There are plenty of photos of the studio and lots of audio clips from our many happy clients.

Music:

God, loads of stuff. Easier to say what I don't like - which is line dancing music, county and western (new country ain't SO bad), bad punk (the kind where being punk is an excuse for an inability to play - not the good punk!) and very thrash metal. The cheeky girls are non of the above so why do I dislike them so much? I wouldn't wanna have the sound up when Chico was on either but that's cause he's funnier if you don't have to listen. I like Britney with the sound off to. Whole other reason...

Movies:

Almost anything that includes: Ridley Scott, Luc Besson, Jean Reno, Bryan Singer (inc House but that's TV), Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt (he is SO not just eye candy for the ladies, check out Twelve Monkeys and Snatch) The Princess Bride and Spinal Tap (natch) loads really, I'll add more later!

Television:

24 - Oh my god, how good is this programme?! I used to think Cracker and Morse were amazing but this is unbeatable. Lovin' Prison Break, House, Bones and ER at the moment. Really can't stand reality TV though, especially "Big Brother" or "I'm a D list Celebrity, Get me a new career"

Books:

Anything by Tom Clancy (the real ones, not the "executive writes"), almost anything by John Grisham, Michael Criton (that's not how you spell it but it's late) and Dan Brown. I guess I'm an 'Airport Lounge" kinda reader.

Heroes:

Bob Clearmountain, Bob Katz, Glen Ballard, Diane Warren (Yes it's formula but the formula works!) George Michael (for THAT Parkie interview as much as the whole singing thing), my wife for putting up with me (not that she always does) my boys for the men they are yet to be, Mark for actually doing it (whatever else, it will be something for you to tell the children) the hard core En Masse crowd that make me proud and every singer who cared more about the song than they did about how it made them sound.