Sean Meier

Engineer/Producer 

1. I don't think that hip-hop will ever become obsolete, or that pop music will ever replace it. I think of pop music as just anything that's popular. Right now, hip-hop is incredibly popular, so even though it's technically "hip-hop", it's also "pop". That said, pop music is always changing, so even though hip-hop is considered pop today, in a few more years, it could just be hip-hop again. If and when that happens though, I think hip-hop will still always be relevant, no matter how many transformations it undergoes.

2. A huge effect. I'm 18, and I still find myself being influenced by the music industry sometimes. It's funny though, because I don't think that the music is what has such an influence, but rather the stars behind the music. Just like film, tv, politics, etc., the music industry creates huge celebrities. Every kid strives for attention, and what better what to get that attention than to copy the people who are getting some of the most attention in the world?

3. I don't think that there was ever one person who sparked my interest in music. I've always been really interested in music as a whole, so I've just always listened to anything that sounds good. My two favorites though have always been Linkin Park and John Mayer. Although they didn't spark my interest in music, they sparked my interest in guitar, which lead me to learn how to record myself playing, and then eventually produce. All in all, I would just tell every musician, songwriter, producer, engineer, etc. to keep making good music, because you never know who you're going to inspire and spark an interest with.

4. The only goal I have as a producer/songwriter/engineer is to make the best music I possibly can, so I don't really see myself making it to any specific level, rather just making it to wherever my music takes me. Although I have idols and influences, like Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Shellback, etc., I don't really have any competitive desire to get on their level. It would be awesome, don't get me wrong, but as long as I can make good music, I'll be cool. As far as capitalizing on business ventures, I think that the entertainment industry is so packed with people trying to make money, that if you want to capitalize, you'll need a lot of know how, and a lot more luck. But then again, if you have a vision and are willing to take the risk, I'd say it's an awesome way to capitalize on business ventures, because when people hit that payoff, it's usually pretty good.

5. I would just tell them to keep producing, no matter what. As long as you like your own music, that's all that matters. One thing that always grinds my gears is when people say that you shouldn't produce for money, and should only produce for the love of music. That's like saying that a computer engineer shouldn't work for IBM for the money, but instead, should only work for their love of engineering. We all have to make money somehow, so there's nothing wrong with producing for money, but just remember to like the music that you make. Also, network. Get to know people, and get them to know you.

6. I love pretty much all kinds of music, and I always try to produce music that I love, so as far as versatility, I think I'm about as versatile as you can get. At the same time though, that kind of made things tough as a producer, because my instinct was to put every single kind of sound into a song, but in doing so, I always ended up creating just this huge wall of sound. Luckily though, that's pushed me to create simpler songs that still sound huge sonically, and I think that's what set's me apart from other producers.