Music Producer Robert L.Smith, has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry from Sir Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston, U2, Michael Jackson and so many more.
As a long-life music fan, he took the initiative to learn from others around him growing up, recording since age 11 and never pausing to stop working on his dreams. After going to technical school in New York and achieving an Audio Engineering qualification, he secured a career in the industry as a music producer/engineer and then founded his own production company, Defy Recordings that has just celebrated its 15th year anniversary in 2022.
Robert features on the first episode of the WE-R1 Podcast, talking about his experiences getting into the music industry and the skills it takes. He claims that music for him is not a job – it’s a lifestyle. No weekends off, but the chance to create a new song every day from the comfort of his studio in his own home. With a dedicated outlook, he shares the importance of asking yourself the question – what exactly do you want from your career?
The goal for him is not money or fame, so he shares the wisdom that you need to be in it for the right reasons. Another point he makes is never to downplay the importance of people skills. ‘People come back to you for how you treat them’ Robert claims. In a society so focused on building technical skills and knowledge for your career, people skills can so easily be forgotten through the process.
Robert reminds us all what success looks like – hard work and dedication. With a motivational quality and a successful career, his wisdom is highly valued and self-evident, ringing true to the saying that 'hard work really does pay off'.
Blog Post written by Tahlia Cave, THE HOUSE OF RADHA