Up the grand staircase of a commercially renovated house and past the offices of workaday business-types, you can sometimes hear the pounding of drummer/recording engineer Bradford Dawson wailing away in his ultra-comfortably furnished, Pro Tools HD-equipped mixing studio.

"I'm really impressed with the talent out here, especially in Jazz," Dawson said.

A working musician himself, this Grand Rapids native - recently transplanted back from the west coast music scene - is trying to set himself up as the go-to mix engineer for singer-songwriters who have done their own tracking, a recordist for the jazz community and a helpful hand to the local music scene in general.

His current local client list - which includes songwriter Jessie MacIntosh, who Dawson says is "an overlooked chameleon of a songwriter and a hell of a bagpiper," and Groove Merchant's Paul Lesinski - is growing quickly.

Suport (Sean Powell) Hip-Hop Artist myspace.com/suportlifeskillz Bradford Dawson / SoundMindsMusic Recording Engineer / Local Music Facilitator This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Recently, another supporter of the local music scene, specifically the hip-hop variety, has joined the ranks. Emcee Sean Powell, also known as Suport, is recording the follow-up to his debut CD, as well as another project with Dawson.

"I go by Suport, because at the end of the day, I support hip-hop music - the artists, the community, and the listeners," Powell said.

Dawson and Powell have known each other for 15 years, which has made it easy for Powell to get comfortable with the new recording relationship.

"I'm still learning how these guys work," said Dawson about the hip-hop recording process, which involves someone making a backing track, or "beat," and then sending it to the lyricist who, with the help of an engineer, edits it into a form suitable for a vocal part.
Powell doesn't even tend to edit the beats he's given, but writes his part to what's already there - an unusual approach, but one that makes the recording process that much easier.

"I feel like my job's 95% done when I come in the studio," said Powell. "I don't personally [make beats]. I have in the past, secretly, but I have a list of people that are providing production that are so beyond what I would try to do that it would be slow of me to try and top them."

Lend your support to the local hip hop scene by checking out Powell's music at myspace.com/suportlifeskillz, and be sure see his upcoming annual hip hop revue, "4/20" event at the Intersection on April 20. If you're on the lookout for a seasoned mix engineer, send an email to Bradford Dawson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it