From roofer to sound engineer: graduate Patrick fulfills his dream of owning his own recording studio
Patrick Rose is actually a landscape gardener and roofer. Now he has opened his recording studio "Prorecords" in Wingeshausen near Bad Berleburg and fulfilled a dream. At the age of 15, the POP graduate stood in a recording studio with his band for the first time and knew that he wanted to have one himself at some point. In the end, it was a diagnosis of all things that set the ball rolling. Patrick tells us how this unusual career change came about and what plans he has for his studio in an exclusive short interview.
POP: When did you first realize that sound engineering was your thing?
Patrick: I discovered the world of music as a bass player at a young age. I quickly realized that I was also very interested in the technical side of it, i.e. what happens "behind the microphone". Through my first band, I got involved with recording technology and tried my hand at multitrack recording with a simple interface and an iPad. I realized that I have a certain talent for it!
POP: What did you do before you became a sound engineer?
Patrick: Originally I was a roofer and landscape gardener. These professions required a lot of physical work and left little time for creative hobbies. I always worked a lot but always had the feeling that I hadn't yet found my calling in these jobs. After several career changes, I wanted to take a new path and simply applied to Deutsche POP in Cologne. As I had already completed my training, I was able to retrain and received a training voucher from the Federal Employment Agency.
POP: Tell us about your time at Deutsche POP.
Patrick: Deutsche POP was a real stepping stone towards professionalism for me. I learned skills that I wouldn't have learned anywhere else, and my lecturers gave me a lot of knowledge in a short space of time. Training to become a sound engineer has given me the feeling that I am now on the right track.
POP: How did your recording studio come about?
Patrick: After my apprenticeship, I got a job in tree care. Due to a lack of time, my studio idea fell by the wayside again. Then I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in my spine, which effectively "forbade" me from working in the trade. That was the moment for me when I thought "now I'm finally going to do it". With the money I had saved over three years of hard work, I bought the necessary equipment for a recording studio. At first it was a home studio, but I quickly realized that I needed more space for larger projects - you can't record an eight-piece band in your living room. This year I finally found a suitable property and now I can really get going!
POP: What are your current plans for the recording studio, what's next?
Patrick: At the moment I'm still on sick leave and have to go to rehab first. After that, the studio will officially open at the end of the year. At the moment, you can still think of it as a project studio where I can work on smaller jobs. In order to be able to record instruments such as drums or amplified guitars, a soundproof booth will be installed in October so that I can also make louder recordings. I'm using the time until the end of the year to expand my recording studio and attract more customers. There is an acute shortage of sound engineers in my region and demand from the surrounding area is increasing. We have a lot of young people who make music, but no studio in the immediate vicinity. This is ideal for both sides - artists have a recording studio and I get customers!
Patrick has years of experience playing bass and percussion, and in addition to recording and mixing, he also offers support with arranging and composing for all kinds of genres. Although he currently plays in a band from time to time, he prefers to invest his time in the recording studio. He already has a solid plan, we wish Patrick all the best with the official opening of his studio!
Click here to visit the Prorecords website.