Today we’d like to introduce you to David Schanzer.
David, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Born in NYC. Both my parents were Classical musicians, my father, a concert pianist and symphony conductor, and my mother, a singer, voice teacher, and opera director. I began playing piano on my own around four years old, guitar at 14, and percussion at 19. From the start, I fell in love with composing on the piano. I loved jazz, contemporary jazz, Latin jazz, folkloric music, classical music, bluegrass, folk, rock, almost anything as long as the music was inspired, and well done; I enjoyed it, same to this day. In my teens, I became interested in recording and got my first reel to reel, and began developing arrangements of my music with the simplistic overdubbing available at the time, but it got me learning about arranging and orchestration, producing and recording. In my 20’s I worked up a repertoire of original contemporary jazz.
After gigging and recording in New England and NY, I moved to Florida, co-led a band that went through a few transgressions and ended up with my own band “Frenzi!” Made a debut CD entitled Decade, and we enjoyed some regional success. At the same time, and since, I have been freelancing as a percussionist with various groups and recordings. I also have worked since the ’80s with all my friends and colleagues in the dance world, both accompanying technique class and collaborating with choreographers with composition and concert performance, here, in New England and in NYC. I have worked at the Harid Conservatory, which is a ballet conservatory in Boca Raton, for the past 12 years as the modern dance accompanist.
As a recording engineer and producer, I worked at Miami Beach Recording Studios, Mole Hill Recording Studios in West Palm Beach in the mid-’90s, and was staff engineer and implemented operations at Stardom Recording Studios in WPB, a world-class facility located in the heart of City Place in West palm Beach at the time. In 1994 I opened Lakeshore Recording Studios. At that time, it was modest but over the years, I’ve put all the pieces in place and have created a high-end facility that includes state of the art equipment and features a 1917 Steinway grand piano. The Studio is a hybrid studio offering both a state of the art analog signal chain and the best of today’s digital recording tools. I have developed wonderful relationships with ongoing clients for the past 25 years in multiple branches of the recording world. I love the production process and happy clients. 🙂
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
During the pandemic, it has become challenging since many recording scenarios are in close contact with the artist, but I’m fortunate that a lot of today’s recording work can be done remotely, so the studio has been busy!
LRS has even been recording high-resolution audio over the internet as a courtesy to the client’s safety in an effort to keep everyone’s projects rolling forward. I can’t wait to do more in-person recording again soon, and like all of us, look forward to an end to this global pandemic.
Of course the recording industry is evolving so fast, you have to stay ahead of the curve. It’s a service industry, you have to remain competitive. and keep your overhead and rates under control. It’s largely a word of mouth business, so happy clients return and spread the word to other people.
Like any freelance business, there are moments. LAUGH, but the key in today’s recording world is to provide services that the “recording hobbyist” doesn’t necessarily have access to. World-class equipment, the Steinway, Isolation capacity, acoustical treatment, etc., as well as always continuing to forge ahead, learning new techniques and studying and procuring new equipment. That’s what I love about it; it’s a never-ending learning curve no matter how long you’ve been doing it. I love to chew the fat with engineer friends of mine and hear about different approaches and equipment that they use.
Please tell us about Lakeshore Recording Studios.
The studio specializes in recording, editing, mixing and mastering. Over the years, I have produced many records with the region’s great talent. Jazz, Classical, Rock, Folk, to name a few genres. In addition, LRS works commercially serving the needs of corporate, film, ADR and voiceover, advertising. LRS has worked with Sony Pictures, Showtime, The Goldbergs, CBS, Disney, National Geographic, Learjet, Bounty paper towels, Buffalo wild wings, to name a few, and for the past 15 years, has ongoing work recording medical education content for the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. A week in the life might include recording a band, classical ensemble, a vocal, a voiceover, film dialogue replacement for Nurse Jackie, a bounty commercial, recording the head of transplant surgery at Johns Hopkins, recording and editing audiobooks, restoration work on old recordings, or poorly recorded content that clients need fixed, overdubs for ongoing records, etc. editing, mixing, mastering and delivering content to clients. I am also always developing original music for people who need production or arranging done, whether on a music project or a corporate or film project. I’m very proud of the studio, the studio is all hand-wired and I’ve carefully selected a large swath of high end equipment. I love to record, mix and master projects. I enjoy getting a window into all these different worlds and grow so much from the amazing talent that comes through the door.
What I’m most proud of is creating the best possible product for the client. Proud that I listen to what the client wants and try to fulfill that. I’m proud of the rig I’ve built. In today’s recording world, large scale facilities are dropping like flies. I’ve taken great care to create a microcosm of a large scale facility. I offer that level of gear and expertise, but just in a smaller, more cost-efficient package. I love to watch talented artists realize their vision, and have developed some great partnerships with repeat clients over the last 25 years.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Studied piano more consistently since I was four. My father kind of sucked all the air out of the room as a concert pianist. LOL, but I’m enjoying my continued studies on piano, as well as percussion, there’s always more to learn.
Contact Info:
- Address: 33 Misty Meadow Drive
Boynton Beach, Florida 33436 - Website: www.lakeshorerecordingstudios.com
- Phone: 5619638263
- Email: info@lakeshorerecordingstudios.com
- Instagram: @lakeshorerecordingstudios
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lakeshore-Recording-Studios-246246098753414
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