Today we’d like to introduce you to Carl Michael McCullough.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Carl. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My name is Carl M. McCullough and I am the CEO/Executive Producer of the Carl Michael Music Group (CMMG). My story is one of tenacity and faithfulness. As a Little Rock native who grew up in a family of singers and musicians, it was inevitable that I, too, would develop a love of music. I was 15 years old when my mother bought a Yamaha keyboard PSR 225 on which I was first introduced to multi-track recording. My passion for music production was born, and my journey was set in motion. In my late teens, I started my career as a producer and songwriter for friends from my church congregation. Later, I had the opportunity to produce the soundtrack for a Little Rock-based stage play called Freedom by poet/playwright Jennifer ‘Coffee’ Davis.
This opportunity exposed me to a wide network of artists, which led to freelance producing and songwriting for other vocalists, musicians, and producers. Despite gaining momentum with my career, I struggled through strained family relationships after my parents’ divorce and experienced a combination of job and housing instability. There was a period of time when I felt like I hit rock-bottom. Prayers felt unanswered and I fell into depression. Eventually, I found my way back to music after a stint of homelessness living with close friends, first in Little Rock and then in Wisconsin, who shared a love for music. These early experiences and challenges were a blessing in disguise because during this tumultuous time I actually was able to strengthen my songwriting skills, production techniques, and I was forced to be very creative with minimal resources.
From 2010 to 2017, I worked as a producer for several startup multi-media production companies in Arkansas and Texas. In these positions, I strengthen my expertise in music production while also gaining skills in photography and videography. These were valuable experiences, but I eventually needed to forge my own path and work just as hard for myself as I did for others. Therefore, in 2018, I founded CMMG with a mission to provide high-quality, creative, and affordable professional music services to communities of artists, musicians, and other industry professionals (i.e., film, radio/podcast). Currently, I focus most of my energy on financial and talent acquisition, community engagement, and product development (e.g. instrumentals).
For example, I mentor and manage a team of producers from different states, collaborate with visual and music artists in the United States and abroad, and recently completed a contract to produce theme music for an animation adaptation of a comic called Element Ascension. My lived experience inspired my production style, which creates a signature sound that is atmospheric and eclectic–drawing on gospel, jazz, and hip hop influences. My journey has made me tenacious and faithful. I’ve learned through self-teaching and apprenticeships and navigated situations that have required me to be creative. More importantly, despite the challenges or roadblocks that I have encountered, I have learned to rely on my faith in God to lead me down the right path.
Has it been a smooth road?
I can say that it has not been an entirely smooth road. There were rough and smooth patches. I think the challenges that I currently face on this journey involves the balance of being both an artist and a businessman. I’ve had to engage in a lot of learning and professional development over the years. This balance is an ongoing struggle, but an exciting one that keeps the day-to-day different. Another challenge is fighting off the occasional fear of negative opinions from others and socially-constructed ideas of what it means to ‘make it’. Throughout my journey, I’ve had to remind myself that some people will like my work and others will not–making sure my clients are happy is what is key. Also, I have to be courageous enough to redefine for myself (and perhaps others who have similar stories) what it means to be successful. I’ve had to do the hard work of figuring out what is most meaningful and what impact do I want to have and on whom?
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
CMMG is a music production company focused on providing high-quality, creative, and affordable professional music services to vocalists, musicians, and other professionals in areas such as film and radio/podcast. Currently, my professional music services primarily include composing original short instrumentals (e.g. jingles, theme songs), composing feature-length instrumentals and songwriting services. I believe that my company stands out because of our versatile team of producers who can produce any sound or genre that a client is looking for. Also, my company is very intentional about taking a person-centered approach to the music production process. I’ve learned that if you take the time needed to learn as much as you can about your client–their passion, their likes, their dislikes, their fears–it promotes great synergy. In turn, this creates a great music product and a satisfied client.
My vision for my company’s future involves partnering with nonprofits that serve youth. My plan is to secure a large studio location where youth can gain hands-on music production experience and participate in youth-centered music entrepreneurship seminars hosted by my company. I want to be able to make a difference for youth, especially those who’ve encountered their own struggles in life. It is an outlet that I wish I would have had growing up.
I do currently have 2 instrumental projects out streaming on all platforms called The Groove Lounge V.1 and V.2. They can both be found in the links
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex is so large and I know that there are always going to be individuals or groups in need for affordable, high-quality music production to meet their respective needs–whether its for artistic or advertisement purposes. There is a strong history and culture that has been created by Dallas-based/internationally known producers and musicians. As someone who is not originally from Dallas, I’ve felt very welcome in this space. Because the city is so large, I did have to invest a lot of time to find and attend jam sessions, open-mic nights, and other events to learn what was happening in the city and to build meaningful relationships. I would definitely recommend Dallas to someone who is just starting out and advise them that they should expect to put in the work needed to learn the community and build meaningful relationships. It takes time and patience to really find the hidden gems of the Dallas music scene.
Contact Info:
- Email: suthurnfazemusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/carlmichaelmusic
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/suthurnfaze
- Other: https://linktr.ee/suthurnfaze
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