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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Thursday, 22 February 2007 |
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Heidi Muller | for NEXTnc
Chris Kennison sits near a microphone at his Fort Collins recording studio.
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Through his headphones, Chris Kennison hears his passion loud and clear.
The 55-year-old owns Seldom Fed Productions in Fort Collins where he helps local artists with recordings.
“I get to see a lot of really creative people at their best,” he said. “They walk in here excited about what they are doing, are passionate about it, are well rehearsed and want to be here.”
Kennison was tuned into music at an early age. His parents bought him his first guitar when he was 8 years old. Soon after that, he was busy making recordings on a reel-to-reel tape recorder.
His recording studio started as a hobby 16 years ago. For the last two years he has been able to focus his efforts full-time. Most of his clients are local college and high school bands.
“I haven’t worked with any major stars or anything,” he said. “This is Fort Collins. ... This is Colorado. It’s not the music center we like to think it is. It is getting better though.”
Kennison is amazed with the number of good bands in the area. He said a lot of talent is out there with a variety of sound and style.
“We do need more venues and more audiences,” he said. “I think we have more great music than we have people to appreciate it.”
Seldom Fed offers a variety of services including multi-track digital recording, editing, mixing and mastering, music production, demos, albums, format conversion and more.
While the focus is on music, Kennison does several non-music projects as well. People will bring in tapes of relatives reminiscing about their lives.
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“Preserving history for others feels good,” he said. “Usually it sounds terrible when they bring it in. I can remove the noise, pops and scratches so it can sound good and they can here it again.”
Kennison also teaches lessons and plays professionally in three bands.
“I can sympathize,” he said. “It’s a good experience if you can have someone on the other side of the glass who is a musician and has been there before.”
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VITAL STATS
Name: Chris Kennison, 55, of Fort Collins
Company: Seldom Fed Productions
Title: Owner
How long have you worked there? 16 years (14 years part time, 2 full time)
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IN HIS WORDS
What impresses you?
Natural phenomena (thunder storms and hurricanes, comets, eclipses, galaxies), honest and sincere people, great leaders, people with creative solutions or great passion and commitment, people who succeed and persist in situations of great adversity, fine craftsmanship, great musicians and lateral thinking.
What doesn’t?
24-hour news, media driven popular culture, commercial sports, people that walk around with a Bluetooth receiver in their ear, American cars, Harleys and most celebrities.
Did you ever think in a million years you’d work here?
Yup, I planned this.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you do?
Figure out a way to do this in Hawaii!
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever done to make money?
One summer I was a bell boy at the Strater Hotel in Durango. We kept the trunks of our cars stocked with booze and cigarettes for tourists and businessmen who needed a ‘fix’ after stores were closed. Our mark-up was profitable! Durango used to be a small town.
What do you do when you’re not at work?
I play pedal steel professionally and teach music. I’m in three bands. I play for Doug Kershaw, and for ROUNDER, and I play in Book ‘em Danno (Hawaiian).
Pets? Family?
No kids, no pets (cats died), no wife (divorced). My brother and sister and step-mom live in the Denver area. My family has been in Colorado since about 1880.
Favorite TV shows. Movies. Books.
I love “SpongeBob,” “The Daily Show,” BBC shows and the Science Channel. The rest of TV sucks. But I do love movies on TV or in theaters. I usually read business-oriented material and business books, but do enjoy good science fiction, and the Sunday papers.
What Web sites do you have bookmarked?
A few forums I participate in, my financial institutions, and the Fort Collins Movie Page. With Google and other search engines, it’s not really necessary to bookmark much anymore. Things change so fast, it’s a good idea to refresh your research often.
Where do you play?
Riding motorcycles is great fun. I like to take early morning rides to Estes Park in the Summer, and have a latte by the river. Or take long weekend rides. I go during the week while the rest of the world is sitting in a cubicle. But most of my play is work, and my work is play. I run the studio, teach pedal steel and lap steel, travel and play at steel guitar shows, do a radio show weekly, and play music professionally. It’s all fun.
Go out to eat?
I love oriental food so you can find me at the local sushi bars, or getting take out.
Favorite spot?
Hawaii. Two places: The ‘House Without A Key’ at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki, at sunset, listening to steel guitar, and Kauai.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done while at work?
While working for Boise-Cascade during a Summer in college— I was driving a forklift— I carried a ton of rebar, (30’ bundle of large steel rods) up and over the bosses car, so I could load it on a truck. Glad I didn’t drop it.
What is it about this job that makes it challenging? Makes you get out of bed in the morning?
I love music, and technology. My work lets me combine those things in a creative way. I think audio engineers are constantly looking for ways to make better recordings. We’re always looking for better equipment (that we can afford!), better sound, better mixes, and learning how to help people do their best in the studio.
How do young/new employees get ahead?
Understand your objectives and do the best you can to meet them, understand the companies objectives and look for ways to meet them even if it’s not your job, help others meet their goals, don’t go to the boss with a problem unless you can suggest a solution, admit mistakes and take responsibility for them, treat everyone with respect— your peers may be your employees, or, they may be your boss someday, and learn how to communicate effectively.
Smartest?
Hire good people.
Any interesting anecdotes?
Thinking of the Strater Hotel… I met Louis L’Amour there. (Famous writer of Western stories.) He used to stay in the same room every year. He came to Durango to write. His room was on an upper floor and faced Main Street. His wife and kids traveled with a Native-American nanny. The kids, wife and nanny would leave during the day and explore or ride the Narrow Gauge train. Louis would write on a typewriter in his room. He always asked for me and tipped well. I did errands for him as well as room service etc.— nice fellow. The boss (owner) said it was unusual for him to ask for the same bell boy all the time.
What’s the one thing you wish you could do on the job that you can’t right now?
Look out the window.
What do you do during your breaks?
Play music, walk out side, ride my motorcycle or bicycle.
What’s one thing about your job you would do, even if you weren’t paid to do it?
In a small business, there are things you do every day that you don’t get paid for.
Name one thing in your life that really prepared you for your job.
My folks got me a guitar when I was 8. I was recording things on a reel-to-real tape recorder when I was 10. I still have both of those things.
What’s the biggest payoff in your job?
When the client likes the work, and we both know it’s good, and I hear it a year later and it still sound good.
Are you the boss? Do you think you should be?
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