If you’ve tuned into NBC’s hit show The Voice, you’ve probably seen indie singer and SAE Institute alumnus David Vogel rock the stage on Team Arianna. If you haven’t, don’t worry, we’ll catch you up!
During the fourth night of blind auditions, David, hailing from upstate New York, took the stage to perform a rendition of Ariana Grande’s hit song, “Breathin.” As she sang along to her own lyrics, it wasn’t long before her chair turned and he officially became a member of her team.
While he continues to compete in the show’s battle performances, we got the chance to catch up with David, who is a proud graduate of our New York campus. Keep reading to learn more about who his biggest inspirations are, life at SAE Institute, and what he’s excited for next!
Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music?
My two biggest inspirations in music are my mom and grandma. My mom is an incredible singer and actress. She grew up doing theater and performing in wedding bands. She taught me my first guitar chords, how to sing and harmonize, and the rest is history. My grandma was a jazz pianist. She was actually one of the first women to attend the Manhattan School of Music in New York City in the 50’s. She was a piano performance major, and taught me everything about jazz.
Tell us about your time at SAE Institute New York.
I learned so much from my time at SAE Institute. The teachers were incredibly proficient, helpful, and overall good people. I made some great friends in class and we all became very close. We would help each other on school projects, personal music, and spent countless hours together in the studios recording and learning the SSL and Neve consoles.
What’s one of the biggest misconceptions about the industry that you’ve learned so far?
The biggest misconception I’ve learned is that in order to make good music you need the newest, most expensive gear, plugins, equipment, computer etc. Having plenty of plugins is great, and a nice microphone and preamp will never hurt, but at the end of the day it’s all about the song, recording technique, and a good mixing engineer. Some of the biggest songs of all time were recorded using $100 microphones.
What are you most excited about as you continue your career?
I’m most excited to collaborate and continue working with amazing engineers, producers, and musicians who I can learn from and become a better creative myself. I’m equally as passionate about performing and pursuing my career as an artist and songwriter.
What’s some advice you could give to current students thinking about following your path?
My advice would be to put in the time. Take full advantage of the facility at SAE Institute. Spend hours in the studios working on music, learning the consoles, growing as an engineer, producer — whatever it is you do. Read the books and manuals, sift through the forums, and watch tons of YouTube videos on microphone placement, recording techniques, mixing tutorials etc. I promise you won’t regret it. And most of all, enjoy the experience. The friends you meet along the way just might be the ones you work with professionally one day. Make the connections, get people’s numbers, have fun, and make good music.
To keep up with David, follow him on Instagram and Twitter, @davidlvogel, and tune in to The Voice, Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. If you’re interested in learning more about our Audio programs, or our New York campus, explore our site.