Casey Friedman Musician, producer,
recording engineer and owner of Inner State Studio
Casey Friedman can’t quite put his finger on how he got involved in the
recording side of music. But perhaps, as Friedman points out, it’s in
his blood. “I’ve always been a musician and I’ve always made
music, and my father (Scott Friedman) owns a musical instrument store, so I’ve
always been exposed to music,” Friedman said. “... It might be one
of those things that was in me whether I knew it or not.” Whatever it
is, Friedman is gaining a reputation as one who “nurtures artistic development”
among those with whom he works, as one of his nominators wrote. His Inner State
Studio, 112 S. Western Ave., across from his father’s business, Horn Trader
Music, seems to have struck a chord with local musicians, and his growing list
of clients is a veritable who’s who among local artists. Friedman cut
his teeth on music recording at Boston’s Berklee College of Music —
former stomping grounds of artists such as Aimee Mann, Juliana Hatfield and
Frank Zappa/Sting drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. His skills were further honed at
a Boston studio and then for two more years at California’s Rekordio —
owned by the late John Herron, a former Okie and studio artist who had performed
with the Beach Boys, among others. “I didn’t want to be another
guy out in L.A., so I came home and started getting the equipment together to
start my own studio here,” Friedman said. Aside from music engineering
and production work, Friedman’s most recent project is associated with
the Farmers’ Market revitalization at 311 S. Klein, near the city’s
downtown, an attempt to make the area a popular venue for musical acts. The
Inner State Studio owner has been promoting/booking concerts at the market throughout
September and has November scheduled with plenty of local talent. “I kind
of feel like I’m shaking things up a little bit,” Friedman said,
while noting that he’s not the only one encouraging the scene. “...
I just kind of happen to be here like everybody else, but maybe I just get a
little more publicity than they do.”