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

Hi Corey, why did you pursue a creative career?
Mainly because it gives me the freedom to make anything, and with the many genres upon sub-genres out there and as many other art forms, there are no limitations to what you can make in the process. As my professor once told me, “In the end, the achievement is a bi-product of the process.”

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As an aspiring music producer and engineer, it isn’t a regular job. So navigating how to get paid regularly and still having fun at the same time once I started taking it seriously was pretty difficult, and it truly still is. However, my main issue was balancing everything. Making beats and learning theory on top of trying to make a solid practice regimen for piano and guitar ALL by myself is not easy, but when I started to see that I wasn’t alone, it gave me some comfort. In college, meeting people who can rip at guitar/bass but don’t know how to mix their own records. Amazing singers who can belt but don’t know how to record themselves. Fellow music producers who can make anything they image, but the quality and song structure of the was not yet ready for commercial use, and so on. Meeting other people in the same field as me taught me that everyone has their own weaknesses too and that my limitations were not really limitations, as long as I did the “bare maximum.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, if I were still in San Francisco, I would say any bar in Downtown that has live music playing, but I just moved back home in LA, where I was born and raised. There’s a lot to do out here too, but honestly, I’m a homebody; I save a lot more money that way. If I did have to though, I think I would for sure take them to a sports game one day. Then maybe go try some new food someplace in LA on another. That’s all I could think though, lol.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
To You, Nye. The strongest person I know. I Love You Loser. 🙂

Website: https://readymag.website/u737205587/4726566/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/rayrozan?igshid=MmIzYWVlNDQ5Yg==

Linkedin: https://linktr.ee/rayrozan

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@RayRoZaN

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.