Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Rodriguez. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Juan Rene Rodriguez, better known as Jake “B Nimble” Rodriguez, was born in East Chicago, IN. He discovered his love for music at an early age by cleaning the house with his older siblings every weekend while listening to “The Jackson 5” and other Motown artists blaring through the home stereo system.
While still in high school, Jake was part of a Gary, Indiana based band called “Cruise Control.” The young bandmates would compete/win opening act slots for major concerts in and around Chicago for bands like The SOS Band, Zapp, Deniece Williams, Kool and The Gang, and ConFunkShun.
In 1987, “Kulur Blynd” (pronounced “Color Blind”) an “offshoot” band from “Cruise Control,” relocated to Minneapolis in hopes of more opportunities to perform and record. Things didn’t quite go as planned, and Rodriguez found himself back in Chicago three years later. “The dissolution and disillusion of that band was a blessing in disguise. It allowed me to seek higher education and training in a new art form I was just starting to explore… recording music in a recording studio,” Rodriguez stated.
In 1990, he attended “The Recording Workshop” in Chillicothe, OH, and in 1991, “Columbia College,” in Chicago, IL, both for Recording Engineering. Once his education was completed, he then headed back to Minneapolis to put his newly learned skills to use. “It was while I was back in Minneapolis that things really started to take off for me,” says Jake.
In 2000, after a brief stint in A&R/Artist development for Sony/Epic Records, Jake began doing “free-lance” recording engineering and producing for OarFin Records (Angel Beach Studios) in Minneapolis. And in 2005, Jake formed “Urban Grooves Productions” (UGP) in conjunction with “FS Studios/Records.” in St. Paul and “A440 Studios” in Minneapolis. It was at these two studios that Rodriguez really perfected his vocal producing/arranging and music production “chops” and was instrumental in securing three artists with publishing, development, and artist label deals.
In 2010, UGP relocated to Austin, Texas. By 2012, UGP created “Music Recording Production Technology” (MRPT). It started as an After-School program with High School students. The students in the MRPT program were assigned to write, record, arrange and produce an original song (with Jake’s teaching, help, and tutelage). They also shot/edited a music video, uploaded it to YouTube and got over 25K views and over 1,000 digital downloads via iTunes and Amazon.
Since then, Rodriguez has implemented the MRPT program into three more schools in Austin, 2 in Round Rock, and 1 in Lockhart. This program is continuing to grow!
In November 2018, Jake formed “Takeoff Terminal Studios,” a place where he records, produces and develops songs for Austin-based and national recording artists. “This studio was created with music producers, recording engineers, musicians, songwriters, singers, rappers, students, and all around artists in mind,” states Jake.
TTS/UGP has expanded its sphere of operation and now offers artist consultation services, marketing, promotion, artist branding, podcasting, LIVESTREAMING, social media integration & upgrade, photography, music video, EPK, event planning/hosting, and many more different strategic ways to increase an artist’s online presence.
“I’ve also recently added an educational component to teach young people the arts of recording, producing, mixing and mastering, and the music business. I love giving back to the young eager minds wanting to learn more about this art form. We’ve become a lean, mean, dream team, dedicated to recording, producing, editing, educating, and delivering top-notch musical and industry products to a wide range of client,” stated Rodriguez.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
From the studio’s (TTS) implementation in November 2018 to March 2020 thing we’re going REALLY well and expanding! But then the PANDEMIC hit and shut ALL non-essential businesses down…
We lost our momentum and cash flow… Thank God for Unemployment compensation, PPP Loans, and EIDL Advance program, or we would have ended up as another statistic of an independent business closed by the pandemic…
We are on the road to recovery and business is GOOD!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I believe music to be the MOST POWERFUL force on earth! It has the ability to inspire, change your mood, it can be therapeutic and cathartic, soothing, or make you fall in love…
As a songwriter, lyricist, producer/arranger, I believe EVERY song has its own spirit. During my songwriting process, I allow myself to be a vessel for creativity… It may sound weird, but the song or musical arrangement “speaks” to me and shows me what it is trying to say. I just follow its lead, with the lyrics that come to me that hopefully match the emotion and “vibe” of the music.
I think I specialize is song and vocal production. I love to develop artists’ ideas and their music arrangements to their fullest possible potential.
As a recording/mixing engineer, it is my job to bring the song to life by balancing levels of the individual musical/vocal parts, process the tracks and blend everything into a finished, “Industry-Level” song.
I think I work best with female vocalists, as I believe the female voices to be the most pliable, emotional, and soul-reaching. A female voice can do many things that a male voice can’t and might not even try…
I am most proud of my musical body of work, which spans four decades (1990’s thru the 2020’s and beyond…..). THOUSANDS of songs, each with a story, and special memory, like my children. Listening to some of my older works INSTANTLY takes my right back to that specific studio, my relationship with the artist/band, and the sweet memories of the “magic” that only happens while creating in a studio.
Awards are fine, and I have a few. But how can one piece of art be “better” than another? Art is so subjective to the viewer/listener. But the body of work lasts for all eternity and is open to everyone’s own interpretation.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I don’t really read “paper” books, but I am usually reading online info about perfecting my songwriting or engineering process. I do try to stay abreast of new trends in the music industry by researching current musical events and litigation.
I also have a fairly good grasp of the music business side of things and do LOTS of consulting with young, new artists about the music business, IP, publishing, etc.
I do read some music blogs about new music techniques and skills. I watch A LOT of YouTube videos to again, stay current with new technology…
When I do have free time, I “binge-watch” TV series thru the various streaming sites available.
Pricing:
- Basic Recording (starting at) – $70/hr
- Mixing – $85/hr
- Mastering – $45/song
- Rehearsal – $45/hr
Contact Info:
- Email: jake@takeoffterminal.studio
- Website: takeoffterminal.studio
- Instagram: @takeoffterminalstudios
- Facebook: jakebnimblerodriguez
- Twitter: @jake_b_nimble
- SoundCloud: tts-ugp
