Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Goldsmith.
Hi Joseph, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have always been a gearhead and outdoorsy. Growing up on the peninsula of Southern Maryland, I was surrounded by farm life, coastal life, and… military bases. I was always either outdoors or soaking up what I could from my mother on base. I was, and still am, fascinated with technological innovation, especially its impact on the natural world. Well, as it goes, life through a curveball at me, and along came music.
In high school as a freshman, I was part of a chamber choir called the Peace Pipers, directed by the late Patricia Kuzmick. Steeped in tradition and service to the community, I was a squirrely freshman who went from being in middle school chorus to singing the Messiah on day one of high school. I was surrounded by upperclassmen and petrified by music I was “supposed” to be reading. After a few weeks, we had our first performance, and I was hooked. With a swan dive, I landed into choral music and the arts soaking in as much as I could all the while not forgetting my love of equipment. After being exposed to live sound gear, the rock-star phase entered my life and the collection of mixers, amplifiers, drums, etc. followed; of course, while still singing Rennaissance, Jazz, and other a cappella genres with the Peace Pipers.
Onward to undergrad. In 2004, I entered Frostburg State University as a Music Education Vocal Performance major and met one of my best friends, Jonathan Beattie, and Dr. Karen Soderberg. They quickly adapted me to collegiate life and, before we knew it, Jon and I were running the stage crew at FSU. Constantly bombarded with various types of music and performances, Jon and I honed our live venue skills and took it into the real world when we became music teachers and entered the studio life.
After 12 years of teaching, three Grammy nominations for teaching, a Master’s Degree, “Modern Ministry Records” which was my successful Christian record label, and a few other related jobs, I officially struck out on my own. I enlisted in the South Carolina State Guard and run my production company “Persimmon Lane Studios”. Blending my love of the creative industry and my MOS in the Guard as the Public Affairs NCOIC and Combat Camera Specialist for our Battalion keeps me in the creative spectrum nearly 24/7. My daily focuses are my health and family, tinkering with my location sound cart and studio, gardening, and setting up camping excursions with my family and reenactment troupe, “Eikarvik”.
All of the experiences in my 35 years have led me to be successful in my current ventures. I have had opportunities to sing in beautiful venues, work in film, and video games, and with some of the most influential people and organizations in the United States and the world. None of that would have been possible without God watching over and guiding the path, my family supporting me growing up, my wife Cassandra, our two kids, and my best friends.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
At times… I did not even think there was a road; just being honest. There have been three moments in my adult life when I felt as if every professional thing was crumbling. The one graphic that floats around social media from time to time showing the expectation of “Life” as a diagonal line and then “Life” as a super crazy squiggle drawn by a sleepy toddler about sums it up! Even still today, there are professional struggles but that is where experience comes into play. There was one point during the record label days when there was this one band who just “Had It”! You know. the look, the sound, the flare. everything and was solid on the regional charts for months. But, for many reasons they, and most others, didn’t work out. I was downtrodden with the immense amount of work that was put into them and a bunch of woe-is-me whimpering. Then, I had to go back to teaching. Years’ worth of work, building the brand, and so forth to then go back to teaching. But, I did it because it had to be done.
That is where I learned about film. Two weeks before school started, I get a phone call and the vice principal says to me “by the way, we know you agreed to direct choir all day but we actually need you to teach multimedia for half of your day”… I felt furious, confused, belittled, and more. I didn’t know what teaching multimedia meant, but I found out. After a few years, the once “dumping ground” class of multimedia with Goldsmith became a hub for teenagers to learn about film and production. I even had some of my chamber choir singers taking it as their final elective their senior year.
Yes, it is a success story, but that first semester was a dumpster fire and I could write a novel on it but I’ll spare you on that. I tell you that story because I want you to remember that your life situations can, and usually do, prepare you for what is coming. There is a good chance that it is not the next thing because you may still have more to learn to prepare you for it. As I said earlier, I had three major professional life changes that occurred and they were all horrible in their own way in their own time. However, there is absolutely no way that I could be living the life I was hoping for had those events and life experiences not happened in the way it did and, thusly, the specific order. I do not call it fate by any means. I call it being a self-aware, critical, consistent reflection, striving to do better the next day, and having faith in what is to come.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Persimmon Lane Studios is my production company based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We create audio and video content for all current media platforms and also provide support to other companies needing to fill roles for their productions. We are known for our customer service, attention to detail, and high-quality content. Our clients range from local schools, weddings, and businesses through Ivy league colleges and national brands. Though, they are all the same to us. A $1000 job will receive the same treatment as a $10,000 job. Why should they be treated different? They both have a brand, a service or product to sell, and goals to meet! Our motto is “Your Brand. Your Sound. Your Look.” because we want to become an expert and long-term content creator for your brand. If someone asks us about your business, we will be a solid representation of what your company is and does, or else we have failed at creating quality content for you.
For my part, I focus on project management when it is related to the company at large. On the daily with “Joseph Goldsmith Music”, I handle audio production ranging from location sound, music composition, audio editing, and SFX production.
Between all of our folks at Persimmon Lane Studios, we have an extensive resume that I love to dote on. So, find me on Instagram or Facebook and I’ll chat with you more about it! The thing I am most proud of is that our clients stay with us year after year and that our brand is synonymous with quality and integrity.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I go in short waves with podcasts, books, and such but when I do I gravitate toward the following, in no particular order:
Professional
YouTube – Curtis Judd, URSA Straps, Spitfire Audio, Deity Microphones, Andrew Masters, Reaper Mania, The Reaper Blog
“Entrepreneur on Fire” podcast by John Lee Dumas
Aurora Eclipse “The Inner Circle” on Discord by Michael W. Bell
Personal
I have a small library of Biblical, classical, and fantasy/science fiction literature
Author, Podcaster, and retired Navy Seal Jocko Willink
Douglas Talks on YouTube with my kids
My own podcast “GuardCast” only on YouTube
There are dozens upon dozens more but those are a few of the biggies.
Contact Info:
- Email: Joseph@PersimmonLaneStudios.com
- Website: https://www.joegoldsmithmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Josephgoldsmithmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephGoldsmithMusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/josephgoldsmithtv/videos
- Other: https://www.persimmonlanestudios.com/
