Thomas Dulin's Breakdown
"I ended up kind of running the place as a 19 year old which was wild."
Thomas Dulin can – and does – do it all. Small-town-born and now Nashville-based, Thomas has been running recording studios since age 19; and, in doing so, has established himself as an accomplished music producer and audio engineer. With a passion for materializing the most high-concept visions into sonic reality, Thomas has worked on songs for artists such as Ingrid Andress, Hunter Hayes, and Kris Allen at his studio, The Planetarium. In addition, Thomas lends his expertise and time live-mixing large-scale productions from the likes of Mat Kearney, Drew Holcomb, Ben Rector, and more. A master of many, Thomas Dulin has a unique perspective on what it takes to be a vital asset in any music industry setting.
How would you describe what you do in the entertainment industry? Not just your title, but your actual day-to-day.
I'm a music producer and an audio engineer. I work with artists at my studio who have a sound in their head they're trying to get out. I see myself as a tour guide for my clients through the process of recording their project. That means I hire the musicians, I set up the microphones, I coach them through the vocal sessions, and oftentimes I'm mixing the song to deliver a finished project. Basically, I help artists take intangible songs that maybe only exist in their head or on a voice memo and turn them into professional, release-ready songs.
Describe your first paying job in the industry. How did it help to advance your goals or define your trajectory? Would you choose this entry point again?
Right out of college, actually my last semester in college, I started working at this recording studio in the small town I'm from. The owner of the studio had a lot of businesses and so he wasn't able to be around that much. I ended up kind of running the place as a 19-year-old which was wild. But it was definitely a crash course in how to treat clients, how to work on deadlines, and how to get good sounds fast. I feel really fortunate that I was able to come up that way.
Describe the moment you felt you "made it". What did it look like and how did you arrive there?
I still struggle to feel that I've made it sometimes, but I do remember the first time someone wanted to work with me because they were a fan of something else I did. That was huge for me. In that moment, I was thinking "Wait, this person actually likes something I recorded at my studio? And they don't even know me?" That was wild for me. A lot of times, producing music feels like you're working in an isolated cave. The fact that people will eventually hear the stuff you make is kind of crazy and amazing and I forget that a lot.
What do you wish you knew before you took your first step into the industry? What essential advice could have informed your expectations, timeline, approach, etc…
I wish someone would have told me that the feeling of "impostor syndrome" is incredibly normal. Almost every creative person I know experiences this feeling of "I am actually faking it / Everyone else is truly talented." Once I figured out that the people I look up to feel the same way, it allowed me to let go of what others were thinking of my work and just enjoy it for myself.
What still excites you about the industry? If you had 48 hours in the day where else would you be exploring in the industry?
After so many years in music, the thing that still excites me is how a song – again, something intangible that is floating around in someone's head – can come not only to exist but to make an emotional impact in another person's life. I don't think I'll ever get over that. If I had extra time, I'd like to think I'd spend more time writing.
Where can we follow along with you?
I write an article (about a 3 minute read) every week for artists and producers and send it out via email. You can sign up for that at newsletter.thomasdulin.com. I also share a ton of producing and engineering tips on Instagram @thomasdulin.