In San Luis Obispo, an underground movement is unfolding — a group of student producers are shaping the local music scene. Whether it’s a weekend or a class break, they’re not just hitting the books; they’re cooking up beats. Each student has their own unique story. Here is a look at three self-taught producers.
Daniel Risher
Daniel Risher is a sophomore business administration student at Cal Poly who is navigating the intersection of academia and music creation. His journey began by leveraging parental support to access crucial tools like Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) licenses and plugins, such as FL Studio and Serum, a common synthesizer. Risher’s artistic foundation goes beyond the beats, drawing inspiration from deconstructing musical creations on platforms like Genius during his formative years, he said.
“Spending time watching others deconstruct their music taught me so much, it helped to see the process of music construction,” Risher said.
Risher said that his heightened musical knowledge at Cal Poly is attributed not only to the supportive community, but also to his proactive engagement with the Music Production Union (MPU) on campus, collaborating with knowledgeable peers, and leveraging these interactions to accelerate his learning process, a passion he ignited in high school as a freshman. Additionally, Risher enrolled in a music theory class at Cal Poly, a choice that significantly contributed to his foundational understanding of music.
Alex Elliott
Within the MPU at Cal Poly, students can find a crucial ally in their journey. Alex Elliott, an electrical engineering senior at Cal Poly and Treasurer of MPU said that he delved into music production during his childhood, inspired by EDM and House music he was listening to at the time. Starting with free trial softwares as a teenager, he taught himself the ropes, navigating buttons and sliders to create new sounds, with minimal support from his peers.
“I was just a kid, I spent hours pressing buttons and changing faders to see what everything did,” Elliot said. “And since I only had free trials, I wasn’t able to save any of my projects, so I found myself staying up all night trying to ‘finish’ a song.”
Elliott said MPU’s offerings include software licenses for members and workshops catering to all skill levels.
“MPU is a space for collaboration, competitions, and promotional opportunities,” Elliott said.
According to Elliott, MPU offers an array of opportunities for both novice and experienced creators, providing valuable feedback sessions and a diverse community of perspectives. The MPU’s commitment to fostering an inclusive space where the barriers to entry are dismantled aligns seamlessly with the stories of self-taught student producers in San Luis Obispo.
Matt Zahn
Matt Zahn is a landscape architecture senior at Cal Poly, who entered the music scene through DJing, which is a common medium of performance among those who make music digitally. While lacking formal musical knowledge or instrument-playing background, he still ventured into music production.
Zahn said that his journey into sound and music originated from his initial hobby in videography, where he keenly observed the pivotal role of sound. This experience prompted him to dive deeper into the world of music and sound creation.
He started by collaborating with his musician brother and friends in Seattle, he said tapping into expertise in audio engineering and mixing/mastering one day at a time. While also being a student, Zahn said that he faced some financial challenges.
“Music software is expensive, luckily my friend was able to give me a license to get started” Zahn said.
Zahn now not only plays numerous shows but has also played at the Shabang Music Festival here in San Luis Obispo, and is gearing up to play at Shabang 2024.