Good Neighbor Podcast: Pittsburgh
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of Pittsburgh. Good Neighbor Podcast hosted by Leila Carter helps residents discover and connect with your local business owners in and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Is your business serving the residents of Pittsburgh? Then, we need to talk! Visit gnpPittsburgh.com to schedule your free interview.
Good Neighbor Podcast: Pittsburgh
E13: Behind the Mic with Pittsburgh Producer Mike Hitt
What makes Mike Hitt with MCM Studios a good neighbor?
The world of professional music recording often seems inaccessible to everyday people, but Mike Hitt of MCM Studios is working to change that perception. On this eye-opening episode, we dive into the colorful world (orange, specifically!) of a Pittsburgh recording studio that's been helping musicians of all levels bring their creative visions to life for sixteen years.
Mike shares his remarkable journey from bedroom producer to professional studio owner working with major names like Netflix, Amazon, Jelly Roll, and Gabby Barrett. But what truly sets his story apart is his unwavering commitment to serving what he calls "pro hobbyists" – people who quietly create music as a personal passion without necessarily sharing it with the world. These individuals sense they have talent but don't know how to develop it further, and Mike offers them not just recording services but genuine mentorship.
Perhaps most inspiring is how Mike's own life challenges shaped his business philosophy. After a devastating car accident left him learning to walk again, he found clarity about pursuing his passion without delay. "It helped me overcome the 'when the time is right' mentality," he explains. "Any day could be your last day." This perspective infuses his work with authenticity and urgency that resonates with clients seeking to express themselves through music.
Whether you're nurturing a hidden musical talent, curious about the recording industry, or simply love stories of local businesses making an impact, this conversation offers valuable insights about creativity, perseverance, and finding your voice. Connect with Mike and MCM Studios and discover how your musical dreams might be closer to reality than you think.
To learn more about MCM Studios go to:
MCM Studios
(412)403-1086
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Lila Carter.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of a professional recording studio? One might be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, mike Hitt with MCM Studios. Mike, how's it going?
Speaker 3:It's going great. I really appreciate you having me on, and I was excited for this format as soon as you offered it, so I'm glad to be here.
Speaker 2:Awesome. We're excited to learn all about you and your business. So tell us about your company.
Speaker 3:So MCM Studios we're in the south side of Pittsburgh, really like Allentown south side. We're right on the cusp of all of that. We've been there 16 years I am the creative mind behind it and the lead producer engineer that's on site and we've worked with big name companies like Netflix and Amazon and artists like Jelly Roll and Gabby Barrett and rappers like Mad Child and Dipset. And then we work with a ton of small clients and we do audio books and you know it's whatever you need. Audio wise, we usually can handle.
Speaker 2:Sounds like such a fun industry to be in. How did you get in this business?
Speaker 3:So my, my shtick when people ask me that is, it chose me. I didn't choose it because I have been doing this since I was very young. So it started DJing and then making beats and then writing songs and you know, being in groups and doing shows, and one thing led to another over time and then you know, for about seven years or so I was recording people out of my house and every place I lived. I had a recording studio and everyone knew hey, you could call Mike and he'll record you. And that's when Pro Tools. You know, that's before they had iPhone recording or anything. I was just one of the first people with the pro software, quote, unquote. And you know, the most logical next step for me was to open a recording studio 16 years ago. And now here I am.
Speaker 2:Very cool. So what are some myths or misconceptions in your industry?
Speaker 3:A huge myth and misconception is that you need to be a big name artist or you need to have art in your spirit or a skill somehow in art to get into a recording studio. You know a lot of people say like well, you can't get in a studio unless you have the connections or the manager or the you know the record deal. And in reality that was something when we first opened that I really wanted to double down on was, you know, the guy who missed his dream and he still plays guitar and write songs can come and record, and the kid who never rapped a day in his life could come and figure out how to keep a rhythm and stay on beat. And so that's really the core of my clientele is the people who kind of just want the experience more than try to get the riches and the fame.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so who are your target customers then, and how do you attract them? So?
Speaker 3:I call them like pro hobbyists in a way, and these are people who have recorded themselves. Maybe they bought a mic, they bought some software, they're just, it's a. It's a quiet hobby that they don't tell any of their friends or family about, but they know that they, they feel, they feel like they have something. Maybe they wrote a great song, they feel like, or maybe they have a great voice or maybe they could play guitar well, and they kind of don't know how to develop from that point. And so I get a lot of clients who come to me and I'm able to give them that vision, record with them in the studio, give them direction, and now they kind of have a launch pad in order to go from like a pro hobbyist to more of you know they, just they know now they know like oh, that's what I have to do to get my song out, to be a better singer, to be a better guitar player. Because during the process it's not like, hey, I'm going to record, you give your song and you leave.
Speaker 3:Actually, the thing about me, because I had so much experience leading into the studio and now, so many years later that hands on experience with people, I've learned that people want more of the coaching and the guidance while they're in the studio than they do, just a place that they're. You know, hey, shut up and record me. And like once I learned that that there's more people who say teach me, rather than just do the work for me. Those are the people I really doubled down on and who I love to have as clients because they're sponges, they love to learn, they get me excited, I can teach them things that I know, and that exchange of energy is really why I got into just music in general.
Speaker 2:So if you love the educational aspect of it, have you ever thought about doing your own podcast?
Speaker 3:So everybody asked me this has been going on since, you know, the first three years that Joe Rogan had a podcast Like everyone's like you should do the first three years that Joe Rogan had a podcast Like everyone's like you should do that.
Speaker 3:Like you have some information and my issue, my one of my character flaws, is like I just, even if it's the newest, biggest trend, it's hard for me sometimes to hop on it because of everything else I have going on, and so I hate to start a podcast and say I wouldn't be able to commit to it or maybe it would eat more time and it wouldn't be the production value that I wanted it to be, because right now I coach one-on-one clients, so I have the monthly coaching, essentially, then I have my studio clients, then I have the mixing and mastering that I do, and so there's a lot of aspects to it. But you're not the first person to ask me that and you know, maybe I need to take the advice of like a hundred people and just start it tomorrow, even if it's just talking on my phone.
Speaker 2:Right, right. So outside of work, what else do you do for fun?
Speaker 3:Actually, I mean I'm dressed. I know I'm not in a recording studio. I'm actually dressed to go swimming when I'm not plugged in. I really like to disconnect. In a world where it's AI and computers and we're showing everything on our phones. I like to just get out and touch the grass and go swimming and go hiking and just reconnect my spirit to just the land, because I spend so much time just in a box by a computer just leading people. So when I can do that, it feeds my spirit, it feeds my mind, it keeps me energized.
Speaker 2:Other people are subscribed to Netflix. You're subscribed to Touching Grass Premium.
Speaker 3:You know what? I'll tell you what. I have some shows I like to watch, but if I can, the first thing I'm gonna do is be out in the sun excellent, so let's switch gears here for a little bit.
Speaker 2:Uh, can you describe a hardship or a life challenge that you overcame and how it made you stronger? What comes to mind?
Speaker 3:Absolutely so. The studio was a product of something making me stronger. Long story short, I got into a car accident and had to learn how to walk again right the year before I opened the studio and I didn't have much. I still recorded people at the house but I didn't really go all in on an avenue. I made money DJing and I had music streaming and I was doing YouTube, but it was more like a couple of steps above pro hobbyist. And one day I was coming home I got in a car accident, shattered my hip. I had to learn how to walk took me about six months and in that time that I was down I had a friend who said hey, man, I know you've been saying that you would love like a public studio.
Speaker 3:When you're walking again, I'll take you and I would love to just show you the space. I think it would be good for you. Uh, I always shout them out every podcast. My buddy Evan. I'm forever grateful. It's like God led him to me and I went and seen the space and it was a space that need a lot of work and a lot of help, but the car accident kind of helped me, uh, which maybe I don't want it to happen for a podcast. But it helped me overcome the um, it helped me overcome the when the time is right mentality and so I'm like. I'm like I could have just lost my life or not walked again. So I need to do what my passion is and that was recording music and opening that recording studio and that car accident just really propelled my thinking into any day could be your last day in a non-destructive way. That helped me really pursue my dreams, pursue my creative things and just try to get the most out of life.
Speaker 2:Right, and there's no better time than the present right.
Speaker 3:Yes, absolutely, there you go.
Speaker 2:So all right, Mike, please tell our listeners one thing that they should remember about MCM Studios.
Speaker 3:Oh, wow, the color orange, because orange is our company color and it's funny because everybody who is in my life that really knows me, always associates say we'll be out, we'll see a car or something. They'll be like, yeah, that's MCM orange. Or they'll see a shirt like that's MCM orange. And so if you can remember MCM and you can remember orange, you'll be able to find me if you want to do business.
Speaker 2:Awesome. So how can our listeners learn more about MCM studios?
Speaker 3:So, first off through the good neighbor podcast with you and then also through 412 MCM studioscom and then also myfirstandlastnamecom, mikehitswith2tscom, and that will really give you more in-depth background into my journey. It'll help you get the information you need to see if this is the avenue you want to take, help you book, help you get in contact with me and, yeah, just get you, get you started.
Speaker 2:Excellent. Well, Mike, I really appreciate you being on the show today. Thank you. I wish you and your business the best moving forward.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the good neighbor podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnppittsburghcom. That's gnppittsburghcom, or call 412-561-9956.