The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business has named Joe Baldridge as Director of Studio Operations at Ocean Way Nashville, replacing Pat McMakin, who retired in September. A Belmont alumnus, Baldridge most recently served as Instructor of Audio Engineering Technology while maintaining a noteworthy professional career.
In addition to teaching, Baldridge has a storied audio engineering career of 35 years stacked with multiple number-one hits. He boasts nearly 600 credits on All Music, earned a Dove Award for his work with TobyMac, and a Grammy nomination for his work on Taylor Swift’s album “Red.”
“Joe has a fantastic balance of vast commercial and teaching experience and is a highly respected faculty member in our field,” said Michael Janas, Audio Engineering Program Chair and Instructor of Audio Engineering Technology. “With a combination of 35 years of professional experience and more than 13 years in the classroom, he understands the highest level of skill needed to succeed in the industry as well as what it takes for students to reach that level.”
Ocean Way Nashville, designed by award-winning recording engineer Allen Sides and purchased by Belmont in 2001, is the number one tracking room in Nashville and a world-class teaching facility that also serves an impressive client roster. Housed in a 100-year-old Gothic revival gray stone church, Ocean Way Nashville provides an exceptional acoustical space, all in the rich visual beauty of a sanctuary. The studio serves a diverse list of clients spanning various styles from pop/rock to country to classical. Besides being a sought-after space for full band tracking, Ocean Way Nashville has become an internationally favored destination for orchestral recording and scoring for today’s most popular films and video games.
“Ocean Way isn’t just a world-renowned studio; it’s also a space for students to learn and hone their crafts,” said Dr. Sarita Stewart, who is the interim dean of Curb College “We’re excited for Joe to continue leveraging the Ocean Way name to bring more eyes to Belmont. After a national search, it was clear he was the best person to fill the role.”
Baldridge will still be in the classroom through an adjunct role teaching master mixing techniques, a course he designed that meets at Ocean Way.
“We have an excellent team here built on a solid reputation created by those who came before us,” said Baldridge. “We are excited to continue to serve recording arts and grow Ocean Way Nashville to a home for creatives from all over the world to do their best work.”
In addition to Baldridge, Ocean Way recently hired Austin Atwood, a 2012 music business alumnus, to serve as studio manager and promoted Jamie Warden to business manager.
