Alumni Update: Erik Sist, Professional Sound

During his time at Metalworks, Erik Sist was enrolled in the two-year Professional Sound Program, in order to gain the training and understanding for both live sound and studio production. He was also able to make some early additions to his professional resumé, through several of the volunteer opportunities that arose during his time at MWI.

“I had the opportunity to do an extensive amount of volunteering at places such as the 2015 Juno Awards, the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, as well as endless different events at local pubs.”

Erik was also able to secure a live production gig at the 2015 version of Boots & Hearts, the annual country music festival taking place each summer in central Ontario.

While in his second year of studies at Metalworks, Erik worked part-time with Meridian Show Productions, gaining further experience in live sound at events such as Toronto Ice Fest, and for shows featuring popular Canadian artist Tyler Shaw.

But it was during his second year at Metalworks, when his studies delved further into studio engineering, that Erik realized his musical ambitions lay in the direction of the studio, rather than the side of the stage.

“As much as I enjoyed live sound and working shows, the more I learned about engineering in a studio and doing studio mixes, the more my passion and skill grew and the more I leaned towards wanting to be in the studio environment in my future.”

After graduating, Erik obtained an internship at Toronto’s Noble Street Studios. He was responsible for several tasks around the studio that involved setting up and striking various sessions for artists such as Shawn Mendes, D-Wayne, The Road Hammers, Sarah Slean and Pro Logic. Erik was fortunate to cross paths with and observe many notable engineers and producers during his time at Noble Street.

His work at Noble Street led to a position at SOTA Studios, the home studio of Drake’s OVO Productions and producer Noah ‘40’ Shebib. Erik’s days at SOTA are wide-ranging, sometimes involving handy-man duties and soldering cables, and sometimes using his engineering skills to help with a recording or mix session for one of OVO’s artists

“I believe the future has endless possibilities and as long as you keep your head high, stay motivated and try your best, great things can happen. I am thankful for Metalworks Institute to opening my eyes to this industry and giving me the tools to excel in my career. For now I get the privilege to work with such amazing talent while being able to continuously learning from some of the best in the industry.”