Recording engineer
Education: Kevin Fitzgerald has a degree in management from Southern Nazarene
University. "I strongly believe a degree will help you as a person," he
said. He also is certified as a project management professional.
Experience: Fitzgerald has interned at recording studios
and the U.S. Postal Service TV network. He also has done
freelance recording work for the 2004 Norman Music Sampler
compilation CD, an Oklahoma State University marching band
album and for his church, New Life Bible Church in Norman.
Salary: An owner of a small studio who bills his clients
three-quarters of the year can earn up to $90,000, Fitzgerald
said.
Kevin Fitzgerald is shown Thursday in his
recording studio, First Reflection Studios, at 115 Hal Muldrow
in Norman. Photo by Nate Billings
By Ashley Romano
Business Writer
Kevin Fitzgerald has made his part-time hobby
into a full-time passion.
By day, he's head of project management for the information
technology department at the University of Oklahoma's Health
Sciences Center. By night, he's a recording engineer, mixing
the latest sounds.
Fitzgerald, 42, has more than 25 years of recording experience
and opened his first recording studio, First Reflection Studios,
on Saturday in Norman.
"I look at it as my future retirement job," Fitzgerald said
with a laugh.
As a child, Fitzgerald said he dreamed of being a rock star,
always toying with cassette recorders. He played in the band
in junior high and high school. He started studying radio,
TV and film in college, doing freelance recording work along
the way. But Fitzgerald said he felt more secure in a management
job.
Then, in 2004 his band, "Soaked," released its first and only album "13
Drops."
"People were saying, 'The production on this is excellent,'" he
said, adding that most people were not impressed with the album's
modern hard rock music.
Fitzgerald said the record was produced in a garage and edited
in a bedroom.
Also in 2004, Charlie Rayl, owner of Charlie Rayl Music Lessons
in Norman, with the help of Fitzgerald, produced the Norman
Music Sampler, a compilation CD of various Norman bands. Rayl
recruited Fitzgerald to do the engineering and mastering on
the CD.
"Kevin has as good an ear as anyone in town," Rayl said.
Rayl also is the man who leased Fitzgerald the space for his
new studio. He said he wanted extra rehearsal space for his
younger clients and asked Fitzgerald to take it over.
Fitzgerald's studio is all digital. Some of the "old school" equipment
includes tube-based microphone preamplifiers.
Fitzgerald and his wife, Delinda, also are professional narrators.
His narration work includes recording professional training
videos and commercials.
Ultimately, Fitzgerald said he wants to record bands and songwriters
for people who wouldn't necessarily have the opportunity otherwise.
He also said he's not concerned with profits and wants to
focus his efforts on making "high-quality recordings."
"We don't care about the money, we just care about the art," he
said.
The best part of the job is "when you have a good mix and
the artist is sitting on the couch ... and you bring up the
volume and they're just jumping up and down," Fitzgerald said.
The worst part is "stopping a recording," he said.
Other than learning to play a variety of instruments, Fitzgerald
said one of the best pieces of advice he can give others pursuing
a similar career is to "acknowledge that you will never know
it all."
First Reflection Studios is east of Main Street and 24th Street
W at 115 Hal Muldrow.
