Sam Sparks
BIO
The studio hosted producers from LA and NY, and many of Nashville's finest session players enjoyed recording there. Before finishing school Sam completed a week long Production Workshop with Michael Wagener at WireWorld Studios. There he learned and gained first hand experience on the secrets of recording hard rock and metal music from "The Guitar Tones God".
Sam had his first internship at Playground Recording Studios in Berry Hill, where he learned a great deal about recording professional Christian print music for Lifeway. Also at Playground, Sam met Eric Copeland, founder of Creative Soul Records and Creative Soul Productions while running a session for him. Eric seeing the drive and passion Sam had for recording and the future of music, he asked Sam to work part-time and intern as his producers' assistant. At Creative Soul, Sam helped out with recording, photography, workshops and writing sessions at Word Entertainment and Warner Music on Music Row, and many more studios in town.
In the fall of 2014 he interned at Paragon Studios, one of the biggest recording facilities in Nashville. There he worked predominantly on sound for film and TV. Getting to participate on sessions for GAC, Veggie Tales, and Lifeway allowed Sam to push his knowledge in every aspect of audio for video, while still recording music and live bands.
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When not in the big studios or volunteering at church on the audio team, Sam is engaged in outdoor activites of all sorts with his giant husky malamute dog. Disc golf beeing a favorite, he is also a major fan of hiking, swimming, running, and binge watching entire TV series on netflix.
From a young age, Sams' interests were shaped toward music and then audio production. Growing up in school and church band, he learned percussion and all forms of drumming. During school he competed in Arkansas All-Region and All-state Band/Orchestra, ranking 19th in the
State in 2007(as a junior).
Soon after, he realized that classical music wasn’t his passion, and he began honing his talents on the drum set and learning guitar. Songwriting came easily for him and after graduating from high school with high honors; he decided it was time to pursue his dream of music, while simultaneously learning how to record.
Upon enrolling in the audio production program at The Art Institute of TN Nashville, he had never recorded music. Eager to play drums in the studios and learn the art and business of recording music he immediatley booked sessions at school playing drums.
Sam continued to make career advances as a drummer with his metal band THEY SHAKE THE EARTH, and in 2011 won 4th place in the Worlds Fastest Drumming Competition for fastest feet.
Then was asked to be the featured artist/band for a Mapex photo shoot featuring a limited edition 8-piece Voyager Sparkle kit, advertised in 3 professional drum magazines and throughout US music stores in Fall of 2011. Never stopping his relentless hard work, he designed and built a studio and is now owner and head engineer of Against The Grain Productions.