Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Brooks.
Hi Michael, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My father got me interested in the entertainment business. He played the guitar with several gospel quartet groups in the area & I took lessons & learned how to play the piano & organ at the age of eight. I played in piano recitals & in church sometimes but I always loved different genres of music. I grew up in the early days of hip hop so my father bought me my first cassette tape & it was a rap group by the name of The Fat Boys & my mom went & bought me a boom box. Every Saturday night I would record the mixes that played on the radio & take them to school & sell mixtapes to my friends. When I turned seventeen I got me a job & was able to buy me some turntables. I got with some friends from school & one of them showed me how to use a DJ mixer & we started DJ’ing local parties & events. By the time I graduated high school & college I was writing, and creating R&B, Hip Hop, classical & jazz. When I turned twenty I hooked up with some more local musicians in the area and was lucky enough to be apart of their R&B group as the DJ. The group later on got a record deal with a label out of New York & from that a single was created that got added to the soundtrack for a movie called New Jersey Drive. The soundtrack ended up going gold & from there is when I started my journey into learning how the music business work. I began working in different recording studios up & down both east and west coast & started mastering the creation with some major and local talent. By the mid 2000’s I started getting more involved in tv and film. I began scoring & structuring music that could work in that field & landed my first placement on the second season of America’s Next Top Model. The shows creator Tyra Banks liked the music I was sending in to the point where she decided to keep adding my music to the show for the next eight seasons. As time went on I landed numerous other placements on several other major television shows & from there I decided to form my own company. Currently I own & operate a media production company called FWM Group. A music production company called Fi-Water Music Group & an internet radio station called DAT FI FM that airs a weekly television show called DAT FI FM TV on Access 21 tv in Charlotte NC.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think anyone who decides to go into the entertainment industry and make a career has a smooth road ahead of them. There are a lot of challenges & the best way to over come them is to stay the course & focus on what it is you want to achieve. Life is hard & anything you decide to do is going to have it’s ups & downs but the struggle is what makes you stronger. It builds character & determination. It’s a numbers game. You will get a lot more No’s but you will also get some Yes’s so you got to make them count.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a music producer, composer, recording engineer & music publisher. Most people know me as a music producer & recording engineer. I’ve created & produced music with a lot of artist from my area. I’m most proud of being able to still do what I love. I’ve always been a go getter. Opportunities don’t come to you so you have to seek them out & in some cases even create them.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Be patient & have faith. Everything we do is a matter of God’s Timing. When it’s your time it will be very obvious to see.
Pricing:
- Consultations – $200 hr
- Marketing Campaigns – starting at $500
- Recording Studio – $75 hr
- Photo Studio Space – $60 hr
- Publishing Administration – requires budget
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fiwatermusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiwatermusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fwmgroupllc
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/brookz101
- Other: https://fiwaterrecords.wixsite.com/brookz101
