Sounds Exclusive Studios did not begin with an elaborate launch plan or months spent trying to find the perfect business name.

It started when a room became available.

For Kendallontheboards, that room represented an opportunity to turn years of engineering experience into something of his own. Kendall had been engineering at The Rechordium at EMP when changes in location and staff brought that chapter to an end. When a room became available at EMP's new location, he decided to take the leap.

That decision became Sounds Exclusive Studios, a Fort Worth recording studio specializing in modern vocal production, mixing and mastering.

For Kendall, opening the studio was not the beginning of his relationship with DFW music. He says he has spent nearly 15 years engineering and producing for artists throughout Dallas-Fort Worth.

The studio is simply the next stage of that work.

From Engineer to Owner

The difference between working independently and operating his own studio became clear quickly.

“As soon as I went from freelance engineering to running my own studio I knew it was time to get the business together.”

Sounds Exclusive gave Kendall's experience a permanent home and placed the responsibility for the room, the business and the experience artists receive directly in his hands.

Even the studio's name came together without much ceremony.

Kendall says Sounds Exclusive was the only name he originally came up with himself. He experimented with AI for alternatives, but none of the suggestions connected with him.

“I tried using AI to help come up with one and they were all terrible.”

Eventually, he stopped spending time trying to improve on it.

Sounds Exclusive Studios it was.

“Serious Ones.”

Ask Kendall who Sounds Exclusive is built for and his answer starts with two words.

“Serious ones.”

He works well with seasoned artists, but experience is not a requirement. Kendall still enjoys helping develop people who are just beginning to take music seriously.

The requirement is commitment.

“As long as you have a true passion and a will to learn I'm here for you.”

That distinction says a lot about the studio Kendall is building.

Sounds Exclusive is not simply meant to be a room where someone purchases time and leaves. Kendall wants artists to have the freedom to create while still respecting the work, time and money being invested into every session.

Comfortable, But Professional

There is a balance Kendall wants Sounds Exclusive to maintain.

Comfortable, but professional.

A recording environment has to give an artist enough freedom to experiment, miss, try again and create without feeling judged. Kendall does not believe that comfort should come at the expense of purpose.

He wants artists to feel free inside the studio while knowing the session is still about accomplishing something.

“I want this to be a place to feel free from judgment and to allow the ability to create but never a moment or dollar wasted.”

That philosophy comes from years of watching people approach music at very different levels of seriousness.

Kendall has been engineering and producing for DFW artists for almost 15 years, but he does not want longevity in the local scene to become the limit of what he can offer. The goal is to continue sharpening his craft while giving every artist who enters Sounds Exclusive a professional environment capable of supporting their own growth.

What People Don't See

Building around music has also tested Kendall's commitment to it.

He does not romanticize that part of the experience.

“There have been many moments I've thought about packing it up.”

Part of the difficulty comes from a disconnect he sees regularly. For many people, music is a hobby. Problems appear when expectations and effort do not match.

Some people want professional results without necessarily being willing to put professional effort behind them.

For someone whose life has been built around the craft, that can become frustrating.

What keeps Kendall working is his own passion and the artists who approach music with that same seriousness.

“What keeps me going is my own passion and the passion of the ones I work with who truly live and breathe this craft.”

It brings his definition of the ideal Sounds Exclusive client back into focus.

Serious ones.

Not necessarily famous ones. Not necessarily experienced ones.

People willing to work.

Progress Worth Documenting

When asked what made Sounds Exclusive begin to feel like it was working, Kendall did not point to a revenue number, follower count or a single major session.

He pointed to the reaction people have when they enter the studio.

“Every time a new client walks through the door and their eyes light up makes every moment worth it.”

For an independently built studio, that reaction matters.

Someone discovered the space. They decided to book. They arrived. Then they saw what had been built.

That is progress at the stage where Sounds Exclusive exists today. Not a declaration that the work is finished, but evidence that the work is being noticed.

What's Happening Now

Kendall says Sounds Exclusive is currently moving through project after project.

Recent studio work has involved artists including Lil 2z, Byri, Meshauwn, Marvin Bagley and CFN Lil Blitz, along with others Kendall admits he is probably leaving off the list.

The names matter, but the larger point is the activity itself.

The room is being used. Artists are coming through. Projects are moving.

Keep Building

There is no oversized five-year proclamation attached to Sounds Exclusive Studios.

Kendall's immediate direction is more practical.

Keep developing the studio.
Keep developing himself.

“I'm constantly working on my craft as well as making upgrades so what the future holds? Who knows.”

There is something fitting about that answer.

Sounds Exclusive itself came from an opportunity Kendall decided to take when a room became available. Years of freelance work became ownership. Years of experience became a space where another artist can walk through the door and begin working on something of their own.

The next opportunity may arrive the same way.

Until then, Kendall is still behind the boards.

And Sounds Exclusive is still building.

Book Sounds Exclusive Studios

Sounds Exclusive Studios is based in Fort Worth, Texas and specializes in modern vocal production, mixing and mastering.

First-time clients receive 20% off their first session using coupon code FIRSTSESH

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Instagram: @Kendallontheboards   /   @SoundsExclusiveStudios