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WCA #607 with Dana Nielsen

WCA #607 with Dana Nielsen – Jazz School, System of a Down, SZA, and the Money Side of a Long Career

For episode 607, Matt talks with Dana Nielsen — Grammy-nominated producer, mixer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and founder of Mix Protégé in Los Angeles. Dana came up as a jazz saxophonist at Loyola University in New Orleans, where a Brian Blade album and a set of studio keys changed his direction. After chasing Daniel Lanois all the way to a phone call with Teatro and eventually moving to LA with no plan, he found his footing at Guitar Center on Sunset, caught a break on a System of a Down session with Dave Schiffman, and built a career in Rick Rubin’s camp alongside Andrew Scheps, Greg Fidelman, and Philip Broussard. Now with 450+ credits and 30B+ streams, they talk about the unspoken rules of the studio hierarchy, keeping cool when everything goes wrong, running six albums at once, and the financial discipline — SEP IRAs, 529s, and a high-yield savings habit that keeps a freelance life sustainable.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

  • Grammy Nomination, 450+ Credits, 30B+ Streams
  • Musician First: Jazz Saxophone at Loyola University
  • The Brian Blade Fellowship Album That Changed Everything
  • TA Keys to the Studio: His First Real Recording Access
  • Growing Up Outside Chicago and Reading the Credits
  • Chasing Daniel Lanois: The Phone Call to Teatro
  • How That Call Became the First Chapter of a Friendship With Philip Broussard
  • Moving to LA With No Job and Landing at Guitar Center on Sunset
  • The Film Lot Engineer Who Told Him to Say What He Wanted
  • Learning to Read the Room and Raise His Hand
  • Breaking In: Editing System of a Down With Dave Schiffman
  • Meeting Andrew Scheps and Moving From Assistant to Active Editor
  • How Rick Rubin’s Camp Became His World
  • Working With Greg Fidelman, Lindsay Chase, and the Trusted Team
  • The Unspoken Rules: Hierarchy, Knowing Your Role, and Keeping Notes
  • Passing Gems Up the Chain Without Stealing the Credit
  • How One Alliance Becomes the Next
  • Recording Justin Timberlake’s Vocals With a Green Screen and No Metering
  • Keeping Cool When Everything Goes South in the Studio
  • Six Albums at Once: Managing Multiple Projects With ClickUp
  • Mix Protégé: Community and Courses for Mixers and Producers
  • Client Management With Dubsado and Automating the Paperwork
  • Feast or Famine: How He Structures the Money
  • SEP IRAs, High-Yield Savings, and a 529 From Day One
  • Buying Gear as a Tax-Deductible Investment That Appreciates
  • The Financial Advisor Who Got Them Into Their Culver City Home
  • Telling People What You Want — From the Studio to the Rent Check

Matt’s RANT!: Taking Stock of Our Profession

Links and Show Notes:

Credits:

  • Guest: Dana Nielsen
  • Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
  • The Voice: Chuck Smith