Meet Gudy Prada | Drummer & Mix Engineer

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

Hi Gudy, how do you think about risk?
I strongly believe that taking challenges is vital for personal development. Growth rarely occurs when we remain within our comfort zones. This principle has had a profound impact on my professional journey. Since the early stages of my career as a musician, I actively pursued opportunities to collaborate with musicians who exceeded my skill level. At times, I found myself unprepared for the challenges I pursued, but pushing beyond my limits enabled me to discover what I was able to do, and most importantly to continuously learn and improve. This journey of exploration also revealed my passion for various facets of the music industry, allowing me to dive into roles as both a performer and a sound engineer within recording studios. By doing this I started to work on a wide variety of projects and being able to handle multiple situations. This expanded my multitask ability, which I consider essential these days. Taking risks can often be challenging and may feel uncomfortable. I’ve come to understand and learn that those uneasy feelings are often a sign of growth and improvement, which is what I aim for in the end.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a drummer, mix engineer, and producer, working on collaboration with fellow artists to shape their music. Sometimes this is playing the drums, sometimes mixing/mastering, or even running recording sessions. I really enjoy being part of the creative process and helping others bring their music to life.

My musical journey began at 12 with my first drum lesson, leading me through a lot of different projects. Graduating from “Escuela de Música Contemporánea” in Buenos Aires in 2016 and later from CEARTEC in Music Production & Engineering in 2018, forced me to learn and deal with busy schedules while fine tuning my skills. Now I just graduated from Berklee College of Music.

Transitioning into professional work, I immersed myself in solo artist collaborations and recording sessions. This hands-on experience taught me a lot of industry insights beyond music theory. I realized that proficiency in an instrument is just half of the job. Being a top notch player doesn’t make you a professional musician; professionalism is about adaptability, punctuality, knowing how to read the environments in which you are working, and interpersonal skills. Sometimes these may sound like basic skills, but when you go out there and start working you don’t find it every day.

I really enjoy collaborating with artists and trying to get the most out of every song and project I work on. I’m driven by delivering the best the results I can with a very organized and practical method, which I still develop these days.

Today, I find myself working in many roles such as playing, mixing, mastering, editing, recording remotely, running sessions, and teaching. I think my strongest point lies in versatility, being able to fill in diverse positions, and solve challenges as they arise. For me, having the ability to multitask across varied domains, is a prized asset these days.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We’ll definitely go out for a walk! Boston is such a beautiful city, and every corner seems like a photo opportunity. I really like the Cambridge area, especially checking out MIT and Harvard. We will be probably stopping by Tatte Bakery for a coffee break, it’s one of my go-to spots in Boston. Another place I love is Lo Presti Park in East Boston, which offers fantastic views of the city. As the sun sets, the city lights up, I think is a great place for a nice dinner out.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many people that contributed to my career path and who I am today.

First and foremost, I owe an immense debt of gratitude to my mother. Without her unwavering support and encouragement, I wouldn’t have pursued a career in music. Despite it being an unconventional choice for my family, she recognized my passion and dedication, and always helped me through my journey. Her belief in me pushed me forward and enabled me to achieve the things that I have these days.

Following with many of my mentors I have to shout out for Rubén Lopez who was my first drum instructor. In the city called Saladillo in Buenos Aires, he taught me all the basics from holding a stick to playing a variety of rhythms. Definitely something I will always remember, and that I’m grateful for nowadays.

During my high school years, I crossed paths with Pablo Velazquez, the dean, who recognized how passionate I was about music. He not only gave me my first work opportunities related to live sound and engineering, but also was a big support for me. He followed my steps really closely, and always pushed me to do what I do nowadays as professionally as I can. Pablo knows how inspirational he was and still is for me. He showed me that I was in the right direction, and that I should work hard to keep learning.

During my time at “Escuela de Música Contemporánea” I met my first professional and long time instructor Fernando Martínez. Fernando is one of the greatest drummers and educators I’ve known. He really inspired me and introduced me to new styles of music I’ve never heard before. He also shaped my musicality while developing all the tools that a professional musician needs to go out and work. I’ll be forever grateful to Fernando for all the opportunities he gave me, and that still gives me to these days.

On the recording and mixing side, I had the chance to meet my long time friend, Santiago Iezzi. Santiago stands out for his incredible ability to listen critically and his musical sensibility. I can’t say enough about the help I have received from him. He taught me how to listen, how to run recording sessions, how to relate to musicians, and the list goes on and on. He would always take the time to help me and listen carefully to every mix I send asking for feedback. All of my skills referred to the audio field are shaped by him. Wouldn’t listen the way I listen today if it wasn’t for him.

When I arrived in the U.S. and started studying at Berklee College of Music I had the chance to study with Dave DiCenso. He was my private instructor during my time at Berklee, and really shaped my musicality. His friendship and care for my success with the drums was really impressive. Besides his incredible ability to play, I thank Dave for how carefully he listened and how sensible he was with details that I thought no one would ever notice. I’m going out being a different drummer and person after Dave’s guidance.

Website: https://www.gudyprada.com.ar

Instagram: @gudyprada

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gudy.prada/

Youtube: https://youtube.com/gudy657

Image Credits
Gonzalo Cadahia, Juli Garcia and Fer Garcia.