EYE ON EVIT – EVIT Radio/Production Graduate is Hired at Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Studio
By Dave Juday
EVIT Radio/Audio Production instructor Dave Juday recently caught up with former
EVIT Radio/Audio Production student Gilbert “Matthew” Estrada to talk about Matt’s
new role at Dr. Dre’s Aftermath studio in Los Angeles. Matt graduated from EVIT in May
2022.
Dave: Congrats Matt! What is your official title & responsibilities with your new position?
Matt: I got hired on as a “runner” at Record One, which is technically the home of
Aftermath Entertainment after Dr. Dre bought the studio in 2015. And while I was hired
on as a runner, it’s awesome because they’re letting me do other stuff beyond just
running. A few weeks in, they started allowing me to assist with a few sessions and
even just a few days ago, I got to record somebody who came in, so I got to engineer a
full session. They’ve been great in giving me other opportunities which I really
appreciate.
Dave: What skills did you learn at EVIT that helped you to get where you are now?
Matt: I would say the biggest one would probably be how to apply myself. Recognizing
that you can have fun, but also the work needs to get done. I think that was one of the
biggest things that helped me. When I went to CRAS (Conservatory for Recording Arts
& Sciences), you have to apply yourself. You can’t just go in and fly by, and I think that
was the biggest takeaway for me from EVIT.
Dave: What advice would “current” Matt give “EVIT” Matt?
Matt: The one thing I’d tell myself would be to recognize why you’re there (at EVIT),
why I was in that class, learning what I was learning, and knowing that if I take this
information and really learn it and really use it, then it can get me to places that I want to
be.
Dave: What advice do you have for new students entering EVIT’s Radio/Audio
Production program?
Matt: I would say to learn everything. If you’re going into EVIT trying to learn one aspect
of the industry, but maybe you’re introduced to a few other aspects that you’re maybe
not as interested in, it definitely helps to learn everything regardless of whether you see
yourself using that information. All the stuff that I learned was important and good to
know.
Dave: Would you have done anything differently during your EVIT career?
Matt: I’ve always been a very reserved person most of the time, and when I was a
senior, we were still coming off COVID 19. But, if I would have done anything different, I
would say that I’d make a better effort to become friends with the people around me
because they were all interested in learning the same stuff as me, and from a
networking standpoint, you never know what your classmates could go on to do in the future. It’s good to have those friendships & connections. Look around at your
classmates and know that you can count on these people.
