Welcome to "PlugMEin's" Blog
A chance to share our experiences, knowledge and good ole stories. So sit back, relax and enjoy!
Marc: The beginning, there was DJing & dancing
Marc: In the beginning before I knew there were writers, producers, mixers etc. I was all about dancing and DJing. I had 2 technic 100’s turntables (I couldn’t offered the 1200’s) and a Numark mixer. I built a DJ case out of wood to hold the turntables and mixer and held all my records in a used milk carton that I borrowed (LOL) from the local grocery store. I would buy records from the local record store that was about 12 blocks away and sometimes, a good friend “Dwayne” would buy records for me because he wanted me to do mixes on tape from all the songs he loved as well. So, I guess you can say these were original mixtapes. This was way before “Mixtapes” were a thing. I also danced. I was breakdancing back then, spinning on my head and back and pop locking and loved it. I would carry around a white round boombox with me. Listening to music all day and night. Walking around my hometown of Maywood. Going to see friends, other dancers, or anyone to spark up conversation about music and dancing. I would play the local radio station in Chicago ala WBMX or WGCI and they would be playing everything from Zapp, Funkadelic, Chaka Khan to New Edition, Kurtis Blow, Run DMC. This was me learning the songs, knowing how to dance to them, knowing how to feel them and understand them on another level. By DJing, that was me learning how to sync different tempoed songs to be the same tempo, me learning about breaks, me understanding the intro, verse, chorus and bridge. Me learning how to edit tape and recording songs correctly down to tape. Me learning how to record to tape and how not to hit tape too hard or it would distort or what it meant to hit tape too soft or you would hear more hiss than the actual song. I was being primed for everything I do now way back in the 80’s. I didn’t even know it until I just wrote this. Go figure!
Sylvia: It Was Always Music
Sylvia. Piano was my first love. I was about 9 years old. My mom would sing in the kitchen making amazing soul food and I would peck on the keys on the other side of the partition in the living room until I figured out how to put chords to accompany her, finding my own soul’s purpose. Funny, today, I love making music and making soul food.
My parents were pastors. I played for the church growing up. Congregational songs taught me how to improvise and the basics of different instruments. Choir directing taught me how to arrange vocals and work with putting it all together. Those experiences laid the groundwork for songwriting and music production.
I became interested in all things music; gear, recording, engineering, gigging, writing and music theory. I wasn’t rich. I wasn’t bold and as a young adult I knew I had to leave Kansas City, Missouri where all my friends and family lived to find what was calling me – a career in songwriting and producing. I learned a valuable lesson; when passion outweighs your fear, you will go. And that I did
In 1993, I moved to California with a group of friends/producers, (who I met at a music event in Chicago). We became roommates, shared an apartment in Santa Monica, CA and our journeys in music. My family thought I was crazy as I knew nothing about LA. But by far, it was the best decision I ever made. There I met my best friend, now husband, Marc who was the brother of one of my roommates (Deconzo Smith). Funny how that all worked out.
There, I landed my first publishing deal with Sony and worked with many artists, songwriters and producers. I worked with many record labels and traveled abroad working with so many wonderful people around the world and learned lessons in life that have enriched me greatly.
Marc and I built a home, a studio and a family. We have two lovely children who share a passion for music as well. I now enter a new phase, of my journey and I’m not tired yet.
Marc: Imagine meeting your brother at the age of 11 years old and he changes everything you thought you knew About what you wanted to do in life.
Marc: At the tender age of 11 years old I was playing baseball, basketball, football and was getting into video games through my good friend Terrence who owned all the games back then. Atari, Colecovision, Nintendo etc as I just owned Pong. We could play all day and not break a sweat. One day, I’m getting ready to go over my friends house and we get a knock on the door. It was my brother. This was different though, I didn’t know I had a brother or sister. I grew up living with my great grandmother and great aunt. My father was barely around and I never knew my mom. So to hear I have a brother and he’s at the door, I was overly excited and confused. After we began talking, it was perfect. He answered some of the questions I had about my family and told me that he was going to come around all the time as he wanted to build a relationship. He told me he played instruments and he was in a band. That I had a sister as well. I couldn’t wait to meet her. He then came over and took me to his apartment and that’s when I met the Oberheim DX drum machine. This would change my life forever. He showed me what it did and my eyes got huge. I was like, “Man, Run DMC uses this”. He laughed and said “You try it”. Showed me how to work it and make beats, and I was there all day and night. I couldn’t believe I was making beats like Run DMC and most of the music I was hearing was from that machine. As my brother took me home, I remembered how to get back to his apartment. He dropped me off and said, if you ever want to come over, let me know or just come by. I came by so much, and spent so much time over there that I’m sure, my brother was like “Dam, this dude is over here everyday all day” but he never let on that I was annoying him or bothering him. He would just tell me, it’s set up for you, go have fun. This changed the course of my young life forever. He took me to record stores and other home studios. I remembered everywhere he took me and how to get there. I then started going to the record stores and buying records that I liked. I then asked great grandma for turntables and a mixer and speakers. I knew then, I was in love with music!
Sylvia: Experiences I'm always asked about...
Sylvia: I was signed to Sony Music Publishing at the time. Jim Vellutato, my point person at Sony and Randy Jackson (Columbia Records at the time) loved the work I’d done with Wild Orchid (of which Fergie was a member). I was about seven months pregnant with my son, when they sent me to work with another girl’s group; Destiny’s Child. I enjoyed the experience, but I was especially captivated by Beyonce’s voice. She was only 16 at the time. I was able to share my knowledge of vocal production with her. We also got a chance to experiment with several different songs; a Babyface co-write and a song that ultimately made it to the album that I co-wrote with Reed Vertelney, “My Time Has Come.” There was a moment when she was in the vocal booth singing and she teared up, and I did as well. She shared her passion for music had overwhelmed her. I remember going back to LA feeling there was something special about Beyonce and I could feel that the world was in for something unique. Everyone always asks, so I’ll just tell; Beyonce was the most down-to-earth, charming and sweet young lady to work with. Success could not have happened to a better person.
Marc: Right Place, Right Time
Marc: All through my life, I have always been at the right place to be blessed with the right things happen for me in my life. At a particular club (Riviera Nightclub-Chicago) on this date a new artist named Mr. Lee (Hip House Artist on Jive Records) see’s me dancing and wants to use me in a video, which then turns out to be a #1 Dance song “Get Busy” & “Pump That Body” which I was used for putting routines together and touring twice around the world with Mr. Lee. Next instance, I had a 909 drum machine that wasn’t working right, I told my friend Tanya and she said, oh, I know someone who can help you with that. Calls Byron Burke of Ten City, we talk on the phone and he comes over the next day, we bond and I end up dancing for them and going to places I hadn’t been yet around the world and producing with them in their studio. Well, with Destiny’s child, it was one of those moments. My wife was working with Ron Fair who was VP of A&R at RCA at the time for a new group called Wild Orchid and then Randy Jackson calls Sylvia and says that they need that Destiny’s record complete ASAP. At the time they were just called Destiny. So since we were at Music Grinder studio already in LA all week, she booked another studio at Music Grinder, finished off the perc’s and some minor drums and turned to me and said “Can you please mix this record for me?” How can I turn down those adorable eyes. I said sure. We knocked out the mix, Randy approved it and just like that, I’m on the Destiny’s Child record as a mixer. I was mixing all of her demo song before this and she loved the way they sounded so that’s why she had total faith in me and trusted me to get the job done. Moments like these would always pop up and it’s really up to you to either disregard them or step up to the plate and take it on. Don’t miss your opportunity!
Areas Of Expertise
- Writing
- Recording
- Engineering
- Editing
- Mixing
- Pre-Mastering/Mastering