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Living in Los Angeles since 2002, Muhic has had his hands in numerous projects. His current work with up-and-coming artists like Justin Figueroa and Andre Pitre finds him shaping not only people’s music, but their careers as well. Whether it’s in a recording studio or a business meeting, Muhic says his job is to look at the “big picture” for an artist. “I need to find out where they want to go and how to get them there,” he says.
The creative focus centers on the music, where Muhic does everything from co-write or submit his own songs for an artist to record, coax the best performances from them when recording or help them find their “true” voice. “Artists always have a certain image of themselves, but a lot of times, they’ll be telling me one thing about their music while I see something different,” he offers. He points to his work with actor and singer Andre Pitre: “When I met him, everyone was telling me he was a classic rhythm and blues guy, and it was true. But at the same time, we were listening to the latest Jay Z album, and everything about his vibe said he loved hip-hop.”
Before entering the studio, Muhic took Pitre’s strongest songs and revamped them to reflect the influence. Once there, his task was to get the best performances on record – something he says takes more than just technical know-how. “For me, so much of this business comes down to personalities,” he says. “Sometimes getting a job isn’t about who has the most experience, but more about who you can tolerate being around for 12 hours at a time.”
According to Muhic, those relationships play a key role in the creative process. “Very rarely do you just go in and start recording,” he continues. “You usually spend an hour just talking and getting comfortable.” Sometimes, he says, there’s only a small window in which someone can find the emotional core of a song: “I need to be aware of what’s going on in an artist’s life so we can work on the music that best reflects that.”
But for Muhic, music is only part of his job. He’s also responsible for cultivating opportunities and finding the right venues to showcase his artists. Taking on the role of Pitre’s manager, Muhic landed the performer a spot on “The Mo’Nique Show” earlier this year. The appearance paved the way for recent talks with industry titan Cory Rooney – who’s written, produced and developed stars like Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez and Destiny’s Child – to work with Muhic and Pitre on a full-length release.
Still, at the core of it all, says Muhic, is the symbiotic passion between him and a burgeoning artist. It’s what connected him, he explains, with singer-songwriter Justin Figueroa. “I met Justin [Figueroa] at an open mic,” he says. “He only had two original songs at the time, and they were still pretty rough. But he had a great voice and was the right age to work with a producer. I find when people get older, they’re more jaded and set in their ways.”
But what sealed the deal was what happened after the performance. Figueroa was so eager to work with Muhic that he held a private concert for him on the street on a rainy November night. “He didn’t even have any more songs, so he just improvised one on the spot,” Muhic says. “He was hungry, excited and willing to take advantage of the opportunity.”
Before even being released, Muhic and Figueroa’s collaboration attracted a small but important audience. “I was working on the vocal tracks in my home studio, when someone knocked on the door,” recalls Muhic, revealing it was one of his neighbors, who happened to be the manager of Smokey Robinson. “He said he’d been listening to what we’d been working on for weeks and was so happy to hear ‘real music’ with such a talented vocalist.” The two struck up a friendship and began working together with Figueroa. Next came a call from Jackie Jackson, a founding member of the Jackson 5, who was also impressed with Figueroa’s work. “Justin went from playing at an open mic to performing at the Montreal Jazz Festival for over two million people,” says Muhic, proudly.
Even with an impressive, ever-growing resume, Muhic says success is relative. “As much as you’re grateful for whatever success you have, it’s important to keep working and looking for the next big thing,” he says. “Just yesterday, I was working on a song, and I knew I could write a better melody. I was literally falling asleep with the guitar in my hands, but I could see what I was reaching for in that misty haze. I couldn’t stop until I got it. Without being overly spiritual, it’s something all music lovers tap into. I’m lucky enough to have a job where people come to me to tap into it.”
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