ALEXIS SEBRING
Life Assistant
What do you get if you put passion, dedication and a Pepperdine alumnus all together? The answer is Robert Shahnazarian, Jr., the producer of Feudal Records in Burbank, Calif.
Shahnazarian moved from Palm Springs to Southern California when he got accepted to Pepperdine University. After graduating, his experience with the music business was enough to enable him to launch his own record label. Although his major at Pepperdine was International Studies, he just looked at it as a way to balance out his education and career plans.
Since producing the company, he has worked with artists such as Incubus, Plain White T’s, Kelly Clarkson and The Killers, as well as many more. Shahnazarian describes Feudal Records as having an Indie genre.
“I like all types of music as long as it’s great,” he said. “I could go from listening to music from Kelly Clarkson to Radiohead. If there’s a good voice and a good song it doesn’t matter what genre it is.”
If there is potential, Shahnazarian notices and works with the artists as much as he can.
But to get to this point took work and experience. He did not simply land in a recording studio working with John Legend without some sort of effort.
“My freshman semester I saw that the Career Center had a poster for an internship at Capital Records,” Shahnazarian said. “So I called the Human Resource department and went for an internship. They thought I would be too immature. But after begging them and pleading with the woman she gave me two weeks.”
Shahnazarian ended up at Sony BMG right out of college. Taking advantage of the Inhouse Temp program, in which they paid him $15 an hour to fill in wherever they needed him, he gained more experience than he would have with any other typical position.
“I got to learn about the company from the ground up,” Shahnazarian said. “I spent time in the mail room, in the music licensing department, in A&R listening to different bands trying to get signed. It gave me the perspective of all the different facets of the company.”
After the Inhouse Temp job, an attorney asked Shahnazarian to work in the legal part of the music business. He ultimately wanted to work as the A&R where the most musical contact is, but the legal job was “a complete 180 from A&R.” However, he agreed and worked with the legal business for two years.
This was a key part in pursuing what he wanted to do because, without it, success would have been more difficult to achieve.
“To get to that point it was crucial to know what everyone does in the music business,” he said.
Now that he produced his own company, Shahnazarian works directly with the musicians. Currently he is helping a band called The Library. Originally it was an eight-piece ensemble, but he cut it down to six. He also found it necessary to cut out the Hop-Hop sound and maintain an “80’s new wave, R&B vocals” type.
“When you come out with a song it has to be initially defined,” Shahnazarian said.
His explicit knowledge about every factor of working a record label keeps the business going. He overcame many obstacles to get to the point he is right now – but something more motivates him.
“My dad has multiple sclerosis,” he said. “Through him I saw how quickly your life ambitions could disappear. You can have poor health, and die or whatever happens. We’re not here forever so we might as well make the most of it. I don’t chase the dollar. I work with people I like and I do what I love.”
Shahnazarian will continue to do the work that he loves while recording more albums. Keep on the lookout for The Library’s CD being released soon. And until then, remember that putting together hard work and dedication will result in success much like Shahnazarian’s life.
04-10-2008
