After graduation in Music and Sound Production: 'Be crazy!'

Alumni Portrait of Zimon Holmberg

Tell us about how your artistic journey began. What inspired you to take up music and sound production?

Like everyone else in this industry, I started out by playing music myself. I recorded my first EP with my old metal band when I was fourteen or fifteen, and I became so incredibly inspired and fascinated by the whole process of making and recording great sound. As a person, I get unhealthily passionate when I find something that feels truly unattainable, and that's when the rebellious kid inside me kicks in and says, “I’m going to learn how to do this too!”. I joined the music production programme at Rytmus upper secondary school in Gothenburg, and from there, it was just endless hours of learning and developing new skills in the studio. After that, I got into the Bachelor's programme in Music and Sound Production at the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg.

What have you been doing since you graduated?

I started by running my own studio while also working as a sound engineer at the Academy of Music and Drama. Eventually, after many years in the studio, I reached a point where I began to question what I was really doing. I spent so many hours alone, mixing and editing, and it eventually started to feel quite soul-crushing. I tried to reconnect with what I actually enjoy, and realized that it’s all about being with people and sharing the joy of music. So, I turned to live music and took a job at Qtech, a sound engineering company that handles live productions. I stayed there for about two years and worked my way up to a project manager role. It involved a lot of building and fast-paced gigs, and there wasn’t always space for creativity. I wanted to work more closely with bands and artists, so I made the decision to freelance and focus entirely on my own projects, which I’ve been doing for the past two years. I’ve been out touring and working with other music and sound companies. This world is high chaparral!

Looking back at my studies, I felt a bit like the black sheep.

Did you always have a clear vision of your future plans or what you wanted to do after graduation?

I’ve always been very certain about what I want to do, but the shift to live music was a bit of a surprise for me. At the same time, this is exactly what I want to be doing! I love the pressure and the people. The whole point of this industry is to get where you want to be. My approach has been to learn as much as I can and be as nice as I can, because if you do that, things will come with time. Now, a few years in and after having worked in this field for a while, I realize the importance of networking. At the same time, I’d rather have genuine relationships and collaborations. I want to be hired because someone has seen me work and perform.

How has your experience at the Academy of Music and Drama prepared you for what you are doing today?

I would split my time at the Academy of Music and Drama into two parts: the education and the workplace. Looking back at my studies, I felt a bit like the black sheep because the programme has such an artistic and technical profile. I wasn’t particularly interested in writing songs; instead, I wanted to learn everything about microphone techniques and how to measure acoustics – skills that make music sound good. I was very hardcore about the technical side. My classmates were quite different from each other, but that’s probably a positive thing, because people’s different approaches got mixed in a way. We still collaborate sometimes.

The programme gives you the tools to be crazy and do some wild things, and so you get to use them and come up with your own ideas. However, you really have to take charge yourself. You can’t put all the responsibility on the education. As for the workplace, I really appreciated it because they believed in me. They gave me the opportunity to burn off a few concerts at their venues and develop my live skills. They’re great at building trust.

If you could give one piece of advice to a student wanting to pursue a career in Music and Sound Production, what would it be?

Two tips:

1. Just people. You can always improve your technical skills by sitting at your computer, getting better, learning, and understanding. The social aspect, however, can determine whether your career will succeed or fail, depending on whether you can handle it or not. You have to be able to work with people.
2. Be crazy! If you get an idea, always try it and don’t give up. If it’s physically possible to make the idea happen, do it – don’t be afraid if it feels too crazy. The whole sound industry is built on uncharted territory, historically. Today’s standards have always been something that didn’t exist before, and that’s because some crazy person just tried it, and it worked, and then it became a standard that everyone follows. So, be crazy and try new things!

What are the most challenging aspects of being a sound producer?

I always come back to one thing that I can lay awake at night over. Even when it feels like you know everything, you’ll always encounter something that makes you look incredibly dumb. That’s because there are so many different terms people use for the same things, so much new technology or networks with their own names. You’re expected to keep up with all of it! Then, there’s the social aspect. That’s a general challenge in this industry – being able to handle all kinds of people. Without people, we don’t have jobs, so it should definitely be a top priority to be nice, leave a good impression, and make everyone feel calm and comfortable. It’s also a really important quality to have when you’re working, and something you need to actively think about.

What are some of the accomplishments you’re most proud of in your career thus far?

It’s gigs where I really feel like I’ve learned something new. That’s always my goal with each thing I do – to gain knowledge I can take with me to the next gig. You want to reach a point where you feel like you have all these experiences so you can handle all the different kinds of problems that arise. The coolest thing, though, was probably that I managed to reach my goal of working at Way Out West before I turned 30. Or the fact that we went to a big festival in Morocco this summer to provide staff and equipment for Burna Boy. That was one hell of an experience!

Do you have any exciting upcoming jobs or projects that you are looking forward to this autumn?

I’m going to be the technical manager at Sälens Högfjällshotell during the winter season. I’m really looking forward to it because it’s going to be a completely new kind of role for me. Up until now, I’ve only taken on gigs, executed them, and wrapped them up, but now I’ll have a lot more responsibility in gathering information, preparing, potentially hiring staff, and keeping everything in top shape. Things like that. So, I’m really excited about it!

Interview by Vendela Holmberg.