Meet David Cook | Record Producer & Mixer

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

Hi David, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Cultivating a healthy work-life balance has become somewhat of an endless pursuit. In a society that applauses hustle culture, you don’t have to look hard to find burnout and anxiety. When I first started my own business I would work around the clock, I had horrible boundaries, working until two or three in the morning at times. I eventually developed an unhealthy relationship with my work and began resenting it. Through my personal experience I’ve found that saying “no”, even when it’s hard to do so, is usually very rewarding. The fear of missing out on potentially big opportunities can drive us to saying “yes” to too much, when we do that we miss out on the important things in life – friends, family, experiences, personal growth, etc. As I continue to grow I try to say “no” more and “yes” less, creating a healthier lifestyle for myself where I can focus more on my personal health. In turn I find that opportunities and successes continue to grow and by taking that risk I reap the long-term benefit of creating that balance.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When people ask me what I do I like to say that I’m a “music maker”. I’ve been in this industry so long that I’ve learned the importance of diversifying, which is essential to survival. I suppose you could say I’m a Jack of all trades, master of a few. Nowadays I mainly mix records and produce vocals. For those that are unfamiliar – a mixer takes tracks from a song and finalizes them for the final release of a record, and a vocal producer works with the artist/vocalist to record and coach the vocals on a record.

I got my start in the music industry as an artist when I was nineteen years old. I dropped out of college to pursue music, eventually signing a record deal with Virgin and Capitol Records, which lead me into the world of songwriting, production, and mix engineering. The journey has not been easy, but I’m fortunate to have had a great team surrounding me over the years and several friends within the industry who have supported me over the years. It’s those relationships that have continually brought opportunities to my doorstep. All ships rise with the tide and I’m very blessed to have been surrounded by great ships and rising tides.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in the mountains of Summit County, Colorado, and to be completely honest, I don’t enjoy cities or crowds. When I want to enjoy a nice dinner and a cocktail my favorite spot is Rootstalk in Breckenridge, I’d say it’s probably one of my favorite restaurants in the country. I enjoy the outdoors, specifically backcountry snowmobiling – during the winter I snowmobile about three times a week. My favorite places to ride are Rabbit Ears and Vail Pass. For anyone visiting here during the winter months I would highly recommend skipping the lines and crowds at the ski resorts – find an outfitter and rent a snowmobile for the day, it will be the best thing you ever did!

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?
The music industry can be extremely competitive, and as with most sectors of the world of entertainment is very cut-throat. I’m fortunate to have had great mentors and peers to support me along my 17 year journey in this industry. Specifically my dear friend and mixer, Jeff Juliano, and creative counterpart – producer/composer, Ross Lara.

Website: www.splashofsoda.com

Instagram: @splashofsoda