Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Bridwell.
Hi Tom, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Abilene, TX and taught myself to play drums in high school. After college at the University of Kansas, I moved to Dallas for a job at the Studios Of Las Colinas, where I spent a year converting 500 analog 2-inch tape reels to digital format for the owner. In 1999, I started a band with best friend and guitarist Chris Holt and toured nationally until 2004. Our band, Olospo, recorded three albums during that time and my passion for the recording arts was beginning to forge. I enrolled at Dallas Sound Lab and subsequently got an internship at Last Beat Studio in Deep Ellum circa 2005. Meanwhile, recording technology was shifting to digital and becoming drastically less expensive. The studio I worked for closed a month after I bought a home in 2006, so I decided to covert my garage into a studio. The chief engineer and my mentor from Last Beat, Paul Williams, agreed to start using my place and the two of us kept it going for ten years. Eventually, we started families. My wife and I had a daughter in 2015 and built a new house in Perry Heights in 2016 with a back-house specifically for my studio. It’s where I continued to record everything from demos and albums to voiceovers and sound effects. Ocasionally, I run live sound on the weekends because I own a PA and use my gear to multi-track record shows, luring bands into mixing their sets back at the studio. In 2020, the pandemic forced me to pivot to producing podcasts and video live streams as well. I still get to play plenty of drums for recording clients, so I don’t miss being in a band. The work is extremely fun, but a constant hustle. I feel privileged to live in the center of Dallas and fortunate that 15 years of reinvesting into my business has kept me from having to get a real job.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first job I mentioned – converting tapes – well, that wasn’t easy. The tapes were very old. The process included having to design and build an oven, made from plywood and salon-quality blow dryers, used to literally “bake” each aging, brittle tape reel at 150 degrees for 12 hours – enabling one last quality playback for transfer. More common challenges include maintaining vintage equipment and staying current on recording software. But then there’s always having to caress the emotions of artists and bands who may sometimes have unsettled nerves and confidence issues when creating. Sound guys are part psychologist – maybe because we’re great listeners.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Between studio engineering, recording live sound, and being a stay-at-home dad, I’m very busy! However, it’s pretty ‘low stress’ because I own all of my equipment and operate out of my house, so it keeps overhead costs low and pricing competitive without compromising quality. Maybe its my background in drumming, but I’m a great manager of time. Also, it means a lot that my daughter is growing up in such a musical environment.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Artists will spend their last dime on their art. 2020 felt like it was in slow motion. While people were on social media, making literally everything political, my family took advantage of the “reset” and then focused even harder on what’s important. I just hope people get their vaccinations so things can get back to normal faster.
Contact Info:
- Email: tomcaststudio@mac.com
- Website: www.tomcastsound.com
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/tomcast-studio/sets/tomcast-recordings
Image Credits
JP Oglesby and Jeff Whitaker
