Meet Warren Pettey | Pianist & Engineer

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

Hi Warren, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I grew up an hour south of Boston in a small town. Due to the lack of musicians in this area, I had to rely on playing solo piano. With the help of my parents and a few key educators in the area, I managed to secure a few weekly gigs which helped me improve my technical skills. However, I was still lacking some of the fundamental skills that are important to playing in a band. It wasn’t until I met musicians from Providence and Boston that I began to become more well-rounded in my playing.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My musical career consists of two very contrasting paths within the industry.

First, I’m a pianist and a sideman. I’ve spent years honing my technical skills to be able to play such a wide variety of genres. Additionally, I’ve been studying the art of keyboards including synths, organ, and sound design. My goal as a keyboardist was to be able to play anything that was put in front of me and not be thought of as solely a jazz pianist. It takes a lot of work to break into other niches within the industry and sometimes that requires turning down gigs, intentionally putting yourself in uncomfortable musical positions, and hanging out with a new group of musicians.

Second and more recently, I’ve been working as a mix engineer. During my time at Berklee College of Music, I decided to double major in Performance and Engineering. In my opinion, mixing is one of the most difficult tasks within the music industry. It takes years to master and requires fairly expensive resources. Balancing these two very different aspects within my musical career takes time management and an equal love for both fields.

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?
I’ve been really into espresso these days. A friend gifted me a nice little Gaggia machine and I love spending mornings trying to perfect my shot and my grinds. I would certainly take my friend to a cafe – I have a number of favorites throughout the city. Ultimately, we would end up seeing some great music. I’m blessed to have so many talented friends that I met at Berklee. They are playing all over LA, Boston, and most other major cities across the world. I’d be sure to catch a local show with one of these friends and hopefully meet the band and maybe even sit in.

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?
I owe my career to the sacrifices of many, but there is one that has gone above and beyond. Since the very beginning of my journey in music, my father has been there to support, encourage and instruct me. He created an inspiring environment to grow up in with plenty of instruments and artists around at all times. I started on drums at age 2 and he taught me piano when I was 5 and has been motivating me ever since.

Website: www.warrenpettey.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warrenpettey/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086041515050

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmPlQIo-Fd6BTVbb3z9vvTw

Image Credits
Headtrip Photography Sassa Photography