Meet Levi Bradford: Music Educator, Publisher, and Recordist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Levi Bradford and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Levi, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
Getting out of my own way! We as creatives and entrepreneurs find many reasons to block our output, stunt our growth, and minimize our impact – even if our mission and purpose behind our existence begs for the opposite. I heard once that your business can’t be great unless it’s great without you. I also heard the voice of Zig Ziglar, saying “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I used to think that business and art were dichotomies – that the two could not exist in harmony. I was wrong. We have worked over the last decade to create a complete ecosystem within our scope of the music industry. A business community where everyone involved benefits – from the student, to the artist, to the staff, to the creators. We built an infrastructure that feeds into itself and sustains because of the community. This, to me, is art. It is not easy to create art. You have to dig deep, find meaning, and surface the ugly stuff. You have to come to grips with who you are and why you do what you do. Finding out your motives can replace a wondering spirit with focused output. This output can change the world.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Frisco, Tx is a blossoming city, quickly becoming a hub in the DFW metroplex. I’d bring them to the studio first.. sit them in front of the sweet spot in the monitors, and play down an array of beautifully recorded music over the last 7 decades. A few hours in the studio will change the way you hear music for a lifetime. Next, what do you want? Food? Culture? Shopping? We’ve got it all… minus some much needed natural beauty. Where’s the ocean and the mountains when you need it? =)

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As much as I’d like to pride myself for where I am, I’m humbled by the truth that I live and operate because of the sacrifice of those that came and served before me. I operate in a music school that was passed along to me by Matt Gaskins and Giovani Bassan. I can’t thank them enough for their belief in me as a steward of what they started. I work inside of a recording studio that was designed and built by Kevin Hughes and Leland Bennett. These two men are masters of their craft, and gave me the chance of a lifetime to build a proper recording environment. We now get to share the gift of music in both education and recording because of their guidance, mentorship, and sacrifice. This realization is both liberating and terrifying! It means that we are free to accept and receive what has been shared with us. We should bask in this gift! It is meant to soak in. And once we have been soaked… fully.. we must do something with it. We must be the new conduit of the gift. Believe in it. Cultivate it. Protect it. And eventually.. share it! I hope that we can all find ourselves as the recipient so that we can join in on the great gift of giving.

Website: www.namsfrisco.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noiseumbrella/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/namsfrisco

Image Credits
Zachary Taylor Lopez