Big dreams can be born in small spaces. Less than three years ago, Taylor Heath ’19, a multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer and arranger, renovated his Seattle home’s 1.5-car garage into a music production studio. Since then, he has transitioned into full-time touring and recording, seizing some amazing opportunities.
Within the last year, Heath has been on tour playing with artists opening for Bleachers, The Fray and Young The Giant and shared the stage with Noah Kahan during a feature at his festival in Mexico. In January, he played keys in an NPR Tiny Desk performance with Seattle artist Ollella (https://bit.ly/4uTtS3p). This summer, he is on tour with Allen Stone, working as an audio engineer.
Following, the Whitworth grad with music degrees in instrumental performance (percussion) and jazz studies shares about his career and his advice for recent grads.
Q. Why did you decide to start your music production studio?
A. The idea for the studio really came out of necessity after moving to the Seattle area. When my spouse and I decided we needed to move out of our two-bedroom apartment, my work in music was really starting to pick up. We decided to buy a home, and have the freedom to create a studio space wherever we ended up living. After buying a home in early 2023, I immediately began planning the studio build inside a completely bare 1.5-car garage.
My vision from the start was for it to be my musical “home base” and an inviting option for other collaborators in the area to come work, and that’s exactly what it’s become. It is primarily my office and musical production space, but any given week, I’m hosting rehearsals and having other musicians over for writing or tracking sessions. We even hosted an album listening party in the space.
Q. What do you enjoy most about having a varied music career where you get to perform and work behind the scenes?
A. What I enjoy most about working in these different facets of music creation and performance is that each day can be very different. In any given month, I could have some tour dates around the country, a couple of local shows, a couple studio sessions around town, and time spent at home working in my own studio. While bouncing around between different roles and work environments might not be appealing to everyone, the constant change is something that keeps me inspired and motivates me to always be learning.
Q. What has been a career highlight for you?
A. Playing NPR’s Tiny Desk has definitely been a career highlight for me. Even during my time at Whitworth, I remember pulling up Tiny Desk videos now and again to see really excellent acoustic performances from well-known artists, but I don’t think I ever seriously thought I would have the opportunity to play there. What made the experience really meaningful was how “normal” the NPR team made everything feel. Many musicians see Tiny Desk as a career highlight, and their team knows how to make that space feel very low-pressure. Their care, attention and genuine interest in the music made it a joy to (quietly) perform in their office, and made the whole day feel easy.
Q. How did your experiences or relationships at Whitworth help prepare you for your career?
A. At Whitworth, [Professor of Music] Brent Edstrom was an immense encouragement in exploring new skills, specifically in music technology and audio. He was the first example I ever saw of someone with such a multifaceted career in music, who was able to “do it all,” so to speak. His Survey of the Music Industry course exposed me to the many career options available, and connected the dots from what I was learning in my undergraduate program to possible career paths after Whitworth.
Q. What is your top advice for current Whitworth music students?
A. Theory and ear training, while maybe not as stimulating or immediately rewarding as practice or ensemble work, will be some of the most valuable skills for anyone looking to do music long-term as a career.
Q. What advice would you give to grads just starting their music careers?
A. Don’t say no for yourself; it’s never too late to learn something new. If there’s an opportunity that looks interesting or connects with you, chase it. A lot of working in music has been on-the-job training, of sorts. I have peers from Whitworth who are just now getting into studio recording or session work, and are discovering they really enjoy it. Sometimes simply saying “yes” to something new can unlock a new passion or career opportunity.
Q. What are your career goals or dreams?
A. The biggest goal I have is to remain consistent with the artists I work with. Something I see a lot is musicians or engineers looking for the next thing, and I don’t want to be that way. I have a deep conviction that relationship is a core piece of art and music-making when working with others. My dream is that I would stay with these incredible people, keep working on their teams, and see them continue to grow.
Worth a Look 