IRIZE INTERNATIONAL irizeinternational.com

Because Failure Is Not an Option: With credits that range from Michael Jackson to up-and-coming U.S. and international artists in country, R&B, dance and other genres, Jay Will brings years of insight and multi-faceted experience to his role as Founder and President of iRize International. Driven by its founding philosophy, “Failure is not an option,” iRize is a full-service artist development and management company that uses digital platforms to help singers all over the world reach their goal of musical stardom.

Mixing Outside the Box: Credited on eight of Billboard’s Top 300 selling records of all time, veteran producer, mixer and engineer Skip Saylor launched his career working on classic projects with the likes of Tom Petty and Blood, Sweat & Tears (under Jimmy Iovine and Roy Halee) and later engineered for everything from famed R&B artists The Whispers to TV and radio commercials. His first studio on Larchmont hosted many classic sessions, including Grammy winning k.d. lang’s Ingenue, Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion I & II, Ice Cube’s The Predator, Santana’s Supernatural, Boyz II Men’s II and Foo Fighters’ The Colour and the Shape.

Having helped hundreds of singers turn their musical dreams into viable careers, iRize bills itself as the alternative for artists who are tired of passively waiting around to be discovered.

“iRize will help create an artist’s style and image,” Will says. “We provide artists with original commercial songs, and if they are songwriters, we work with them to develop their craft. With connections to music business, film industry and studio personnel all over the world, we can help our clients record music, shoot high-end music videos and promote their recordings. Depending on where artists are on their journey, we can have their first single released in as little as 30 days.”

Since 2006, Saylor has worked his magic in a studio he built out of a two-story barn with natural acoustics on his ranch property near the Van Nuys, CA airport. Developing a pitch perfect old school meets new school approach, he loves when young indie artists come in and are blown away by the sound achieved by his analog gear, often saying they can’t go back to “in the box.” Working frequently with his young, contemporary “wrecking crew” of fellow producer-mixers Courtney Travis and Alan Pohl, and still using his 100 input SSL from the ‘90s, Saylor likes to say he “promotes the marriage of analog and digital.” He also sets himself apart from some of today’s mixers by “never mixing completely in the box” and using real equipment along with plug-ins

Artist Development Program: iRize’s artist development program is designed to maximize an artist’s education in the areas geared towards launching a career immediately. The company concentrates on perfecting each artist in the areas of songwriting, vocal technique, vocal styling, image styling, performance, interviewing and music business. Will says, “We don't focus on the history of the music industry, but the future of the music industry with you in it! We also don’t stretch out what you can learn in two weeks to a 6-12 month course.”

Key Elements: iRize creates tailored, high-quality songs for their clients while also focusing on helping them develop their ability to write quality songs—adding an important tool to their musical arsenal. They help art-

Multi-Genre Clientele: In recent years, Saylor and his team have mixed tracks for Billy Ray Cyrus, DDG, French Montana, Flo Rida featuring Intl Nephew and Oya Baby, actor-singer Cody Christian, Glasses Malone, Kendrick Lamar, Dave East, Fridayy, Mack 10 and singer-actress Dizzy Harris. Whether marquee names or upstart independent artists or bands, they sometimes begin the recording process at home, then come to Saylor’s place (which he sometimes dubs “The Compound”) for finishing and mixing, taking the tracks to the next level. “One of the best compliments I ever got,” Saylor says, “was from an artist who said I completely changed the mix in less than three minutes, making it jump out of the speakers at him. That’s what I’m always aiming for.”

Quote from Skip: “My studio was built around the idea of being an engineer-producer with my own space, but I have a lot of friends who book the studio to do their projects. My job is mostly helping artists and producers realize their vision. Everyone has a dream of what their record will sound like before they start it. The challenge is, can we meet that vision or maybe exceed it? I like to say that the job of a producer, co-producer or mixer is to guard the castle (meaning the artist), and are we helping make that artist all that he, she or they can be. Is the castle we’ve created Buckingham Palace or are we turning the artist into a rental house in Winnetka? We would like to think that we are better than most at what we do.” ists develop their ability to hit, hold, texture and color notes, and show them how to maintain vocal longevity during lengthy shows. Another important factor is helping artists develop a unique vocal style that separates them from others and makes them commercially viable on Top 40 radio. In addition to working on image styling and performance skills, iRize’s roster of contracted professionals will teach artists how to “do interviews without sticking your foot in your mouth.” Artists will also learn how to manage an interview so that the questions and subject matter are under their control. Overall music business skills are also vitally important, and iRize teaches artists how to create and execute strategies that can help them win in the music game. “You’ll learn how to become a master at career promotion,” Will says. “We’ll show you how to get the radio play you need. Also show you how to get songs in major movies and TV shows. This education and know-how will make you a strong competitor, even to the major artists you hear on the radio every day.”

Contact Skip Saylor, 818-300-0400

To audition for iRize International, go to irizeinternational.com