Photographs: Matt Martin

We’re excited to introduce you to the inaugural Creator Class of 2019.

They’re twelve promising sound creators hand-selected to participate in this first-ever program. They’re receiving dedicated creative support, financial assistance, career mentorship, and a chance to share their sounds with the world. As creators who may not have previously considered sample creation as part of their craft and careers, the Creator Class gives them the opportunity to develop and strengthen their skills for creating professional-level samples.

At the end of the program, the class will graduate with the knowledge and access needed to create and market samples that could be distributed on Splice. Get to know each member of this inaugural class and what they’ll learn below.

What is Creator Class?

The nine-month program takes these creators through the entire pack creation process, from concepting and recording to formatting and marketing a sample pack. Participation includes biweekly check-ins with program instructors and a monthly interactive class held at the Splice headquarters in New York.

Specific Creator Class curriculum ranges from what we look for in a sample to mic techniques and field recordings, designing sounds with various instruments, QA processes, best practices for pack art and social media, and beyond.

Creator Class programming is developed and led by Capsun, the Creative Director of Capsun ProAudio. Also a producer and sound designer, Jay has made some of the best-selling sample packs on Splice, as well as sounds for industry-leading hardware and software.

Creator Class is a part of the Splice Creator Initiative, a constellation of programs creating new opportunities for the independent sound creator community powering today’s music. From access to information and community outreach, to creative feedback and financial support, each of our efforts is designed to foster sound creators’ crafts and elevate their careers.

Meet the Creator Class of 2019

The inaugural Creator Class has already brought great energy and excitement to the program. Meet the first-ever Creator Class:

Bryn Bliska

Musician, producer, composer, sound designer, engineer

Bryn studied neuroscience at Brown University, where she was heavily involved in the music scene. She then worked with composer Tod Machover as a Graduate Research Assistant at the MIT Media Lab. Now, she lives in Brooklyn and works primarily as a composer and producer. Her creative mission is to support historically marginalized and underrepresented people and to amplify their sounds and stories. Listen to her work.

Boston Chery

DJ, producer

Boston Chery is a well-known DJ known in the scene. With 10 years of DJ experience and 4 years of production experience, she wants to learn to engineer and create a more radio-ready sound. She brings afrobeat, dancehall, and hip hop influences to all of her projects. Listen to her work.

Simen Sez

Producer

An established producer and studio-owner, Simen got his start as an assistant engineer working on jazz records. Recently, he mixed and produced on Lionbabe’s latest album. He’s also collaborated with Topaz Jones, Allan Kingdom, Kamau, Indigo General, and many more. And he won our Beats Battle at SXSW. Listen to his work.

Dominique Pecchio

Producer, vocalist

Dominique is an artist and songwriter who just signed a major publishing deal. She and eight other female songwriters meet every week and write songs together for placement on records. Listen to her work.

Rimarkable

Vocalist, DJ, musician, producer

Rimarkable is from the Detroit music scene. With 22 years of industry experience, she says she “has a lot of success with almost making it” and is now ready for the next level of her career. She was a recipient of a scholarship for the Splice Creator Summit. Listen to her work.

Jacob Hill

Sound designer

Jacob works at a nanotechnology lab in Troy, NY at night and runs a sample label inspired by Capsun ProAudio called Sistine Sound during the day. Listen to his work.

Reynaldo Hernandez

Producer, engineer

Known as BASSBEAR!!, Reynaldo is from the Bronx, NY and works in the collective Papi Squad and wrote and produced Princess Nokia’s “Brujas” track on the album 1992. He’s a US military veteran who decided to pursue a lifelong career in the arts. Listen to his work.

Corey Smith-West

Producer, instrumentalist

Corey is one half of the Brooklyn-based “alt-R&B” duo, Bathe. He’s a guitarist and a producer, with a passion for combining R&B with indie music. During the day, he works as a freelance writer for several publications. Listen to his work.

Paulina Vo

Vocalist, producer

Born in New Orleans to Vietnamese immigrant parents, Paulina is a singer, songwriter, and music maker. Her upcoming projects explore relationships with love, letting go, inner monologues, and her personal dissection of a bi-cultural upbringing. She has written music for the award-winning web series Here We Wait, and is composing music for film and TV. Listen to her work.

Khaya Cohen

Musician

Recently graduated from NYU, Khaya is in a synth-pop band called Moon Kissed. She’s looking to improve her production and sound design skills and is very intent on driving her own sessions when producing a track. Listen to her work.

Nathaniel John

Producer

An up-and-coming music maker, Nathaniel got his first break with iLLMind and has produced a few singles for Abir. His style of blending genres pushes the bar and gives him a very unique sound. Listen to his work.

Alejandro Vega

Drummer / percussionist, producer

Alejandro is from Nicaragua, where he ran a studio. His mission is to make electro-punta music and work on both sides of the studio as a producer and creator. His band, Adam Travis & The Soul, released a live album called Live at Puck on all streaming platforms this spring. Listen to his work.

This very first class graduates in December 2019. Keep your eyes peeled for the release of the work they create as part of the program.

Want to be in the next Creator Class?

This 2019 Creator Class is just the beginning. We’re excited to grow and evolve the program over the coming years. Find more information on the Creator Class here. If you’re interested in staying up-to-date on the Creator Class, sign up for our newsletter for the latest announcements.

June 19, 2019

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Team Splice