Today we’d like to introduce you to William Perry.
Hi William, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My earliest memories of falling in love with music probably dates back to middle school. I played the clarinet in the neighboring high school’s advanced band and played no lower than 2nd chair in probably every other band as well; concert band, marching band, pep band, jazz band – if you needed that extra “UMPH”, I was always “that guy”.
Around the time I got into high school, my cousin Eric (TRN EricDPrince) introduced me to what is now FL Studio.
I remember him telling me how one of his friends introduced it to him initially and it didn’t work out, but for whatever reason, he just knew I would figure it out and love it – and he was absolutely right. In hindsight, that moment honestly changed my life going forward. I never knew how much time I would spend perfecting my craft after that moment. I was 16 back then, I will be turning 28 in 2022.
I’ve always known I wanted to do something in the music field, but all through school I wasn’t sure what that might be.
Upon graduating high school, I thought I wanted to be an “audio designer”, so I went to school for that. After two years of schooling and not one mention of a live studio session, I had a fit and transferred schools because the program wasn’t nearly what I expected it to be. At that point, I thought I wanted to be a “music therapist”. The thing about that is, it’s a pretty difficult program to get into – but all I know is hard work, so I wasn’t going for anything else. I got accepted into a university soon after, but there was a school of music on campus; which was home to the program I was striving for. This required another admission separate from the initially acceptance of the university if that makes any sense. Since I transferred after the start of the year, they had already held auditions. I, unfortunately, had to wait around until the following year. This was right around 2014 when I dropped my very first EP, “Beats by Last Will”. In the meantime, I took all the music classes I possibly could. At this time, my ex-girlfriend and I were living together while I was going to school. I was also working a part-time job outside of everything but I wasn’t overwhelmed, I was determined to make a way.
Two semesters go by, I ace all my classes, and now preparation for auditions are about to begin. I’m thinking I’m ready to finally audition and get into the school of music on the campus university – especially after passing music courses without officially being accepted into the program. I remember this moment clear as day; I walked into the department to schedule my audition and the head of operations, or whatever the hell her title is, was standing at a podium. I walked up after waiting in line and told her my unusual situation and how I ended up there, but she was so cold and didn’t seem to care one bit. She asked, “what instruments do you play”? Naturally, I responded “clarinet”, but apparently the only appropriate options were guitar, piano, or voice. At the time, I had zero vocal lessons – so that was immediately eliminated. I am left-handed, so I already know I would have a hard time learning guitar from scratch. Now I’m aware my only choice is to say piano, which wouldn’t necessarily be a lie! I had been making beats consistently and just dropped my debut project. She told me because I didn’t have any classical training, I wouldn’t even be eligible to audition – regardless of taking two semesters worth of music courses on campus. I never will forget the disappointment in her face as I stood there like a deer in headlights.
I went back home to my apartment trying to maintain my composure. I’d like to think I did a decent job in public, but having to tell my long-term partner “I’ve failed” was tough considering she moved hours away from home to be with me. I couldn’t even think straight. At this point, I am a junior in college. I literally just need one year of my degree courses and I can be finished! I’ve taken all my core classes, all the extracurriculars and all the music classes I can take without being accepted into the program. The answer was still no. Now I’m thinking if music isn’t my calling, I don’t know where to go from here – and I’ve never felt like that before. I’ve always performed well when my back is against the wall. But in that moment, I felt so defeated. I told my girlfriend what happened and how I’d be forced to leave campus after the semester ended and I could see the same look in her face the cold lady had standing at the podium. That was the end of 2015 and the beginning of my depression.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Definitely not! I had to move back home with my parents after the fall-out, so I enrolled in a nearby community college and continued to take as many music classes as I could. I even began getting tutored one-on-one in additional to classes for piano. Another year goes by and I return for my first audition, finally. Everything went well until the end. I was asked to sight read a classical piece and I butchered it just a couple of measures into the song. I remember receiving a letter in the mail congratulating me for successfully completing the audition. The letter then goes on to read along the bottom of the page, “We regret to inform you…”. That was the night I blacked out and punched a hole in my bedroom wall.
The next day I took the letter to my professor with disappointment and we both agreed to work even harder going forward because he could see I wasn’t giving up. We repeated the process for an additional year, and I still received the same letter. After two back-to-back years of “successful” auditions but not being accepted into the school of music, my professor bluntly told me “William, this is saying something. I’m sorry”. My mental health suffered a bit more having everyone give up on me for not knowing classical music because my whole point is this – how many platinum plaques does Chopin even have? Because Metro Boomin has a whole wall dedicated to just that!
I transferred school, yeah I know, again. This time I’m going to be an “audio engineer”. The moral of this story is: sometimes you block your own blessings because you refuse to be open-minded to new experiences. The last school I ended up at was actually one of the first colleges I toured when I was still a senior in high school, and I hated the idea of it back then because I didn’t think it was music-focused. To me, it sounded much like the first college. But in hindsight, everything I learned at that school is exactly what I needed to learn; networking. I was blocking my own blessing for years and didn’t realize it because I was so committed to a path I wasn’t meant to travel. I graduated within one year and had a job as a live sound technician before I was even certified. Every other school I went to made me feel like I was unworthy, but when I went to this school, it was like a complete 180. All of a sudden, I had tremendous potential and value. My mental health began to stabilize when I got my first couple placements with the NBA and WNBA – from the exact same beats that flopped years prior on my debut EP.
Don’t let anybody else tell you what you are capable of!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an artist, producer, engineer trifecta! I have been making music for almost 12 years now. I began when I was 16 years old and I am turning 28 in May.
I am Avid Certified in Pro Tools and have several Waves certifications as well.
I am most known for my work ethic; I get that from my father, a retired marine of nearly 30 years.
All my life, I’ve watched him work multiple jobs and wear multiple hats to be able to provide the opportunities I’ve been given. I was taught to never half-ass anything you attach your name to. Those little lessons growing up still apply to my day-to-day life and I do not take it for granted.
I am most proud of my determination and perseverance. I honestly feel like most people would have given up on their dreams after going through everything I’ve overcome. Depression is obviously a difficult battle for anybody to endure but often times its a bit tougher for men to overcome it because it isn’t seen. It isn’t expressed, and it isn’t felt by others most times. A majority of men suffer in silence, and it’s not even done purposely. I will give you free game right here, right now. The sooner you admit you are the cause of your destruction (whether you want to admit it or not), your life will begin to improve. But – you will not improve until you’re self-aware enough to admit your at fault and in charge of your own life. Once I accepted that idea, my life began to change considerably. If you go to a therapist, they gon’ tell you the same thing – and then charge your ass right after! Thank me later!
After two years and some change, I was no longer angry. I was no longer sad. I was no longer anxious. I fell in love with the music all over again after a four year hiatus and have been consistent ever since! I’ve been blessed for the life I have and the potential I am given. Going forward, all I want to do is continue to make high-quality music and spread positivity in the process. The goal is to create my own collective of artists, producers, and engineers. Once I am in a good position to provide opportunities consistently, I will be the coach of a dream team. If my old professors or teachers are reading this – JUST WATCH!
What’s next?
Just last year, I filed for a couple of trademarks for my name and logo. Upon securing approval for those, I intend to begin an LLC soon after.
Within the next couple of years, I plan to establish my own label/collective.
I don’t want to reveal the name just yet, but it will be huge!
I will have a team of artists/songwriters, producers/sample makers, engineers/sound designers, and photo/videographers.
You can for sure see the influence Taz Taylor and Southside have had on my entrepreneurial mind.
Pricing:
- Basic Lease – $34.99 (mp3) / Standard Lease – $49.99 (mp3+wav)
- Premium Lease – $149.99 (mp3,wav & track stems)
- Unlimited Lease – $199.99 (mp3,wav & track stems)
Contact Info:
- Email: willzthewiz@gmail.com
- Website: prodbylastwill.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willzthewiz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prodbylastwill
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/willzthewiz
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCktYuH5le9YEpMvwj4TAwwQ?app=desktop
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/willzthewiz
