IUSB's Tony Pearson has 'music on his mind 24/7'

As vice president of Go Home Recording Studios, Pearson leads a second life writing, recording and producing music

IU South Bend's Tony Pearson leads a double life of which most people are unaware.

Tony Pearson at work in his studio

By day he works as a custodian on the South Bend campus--a job he's held for 18 years. But once Pearson goes home, he spends most of his hours writing, recording and producing music.

Pearson composes and performs jazz-fusion in his home studio. He considers his primary influences Herbie Hancock, Chick Correa and George Duke. But he said it was Stevie Wonder's 1972 album, Music of My Mind, that turned his interests to music.

"The one artist who really got me interested in electronic music was Stevie Wonder. When I graduated from Mishawaka High School in 1976, I started buying synthesizers," he said. "Back then, the technology was analog. I bought my first electric piano in '76 or '77."

Pearson started out with just an electric piano 21 years ago. Now the home studio is equipped with eight keyboards, 13 synthesizer modules, an 8-track digital multi-track recorder, a DAT mastering deck, a 16-channel mixer and various sampling and effects components. Pearson's next move is to go fully digital with a CD recorder.

Pearson's musical aspirations led him to a partnership with IUSB graduate Steve Kettering, whom he met on campus. Kettering was a student majoring in marketing while Pearson was working second shift. The two began speaking one evening and their mutual interest in music became evident.

"I met Steve out here at IUSB in late '91 or early '92. He and I got to talking and he told me that he was producing a CD of his music," Pearson said. "He always wanted to have his own recording label. So I invited Steve to my home studio and he brought a 4-track demo tape he recorded at Miami Street Studio.

"In 1995, Steve got his bachelor's degree from IUSB," he said. "Right after that, Steve was working on album material."

Pearson added keyboards to Kettering's songs and the partnership essentially was born.

Their mutual interest in producing music led to Kettering and Pearson's efforts in purchasing the former Acorn Studio on Portage Avenue in South Bend. They moved into the newly named Go Home Recording Studios last March. "Studio A" is at Go Home while Pearson's home studio is "Studio B." Kettering's Doron Enterprises owns the studio and Pearson serves as vice president.

Pearson spends most of his Saturdays at Studio A mixing and engineering during sessions. He also estimates spending time at least once a day after leaving IUSB catching up on paperwork for the business.

Tony Pearson was working a second shift on campus when he met marketing student Steve Kettering. A musical collaboration was born.

Kettering and Pearson also frequently work with local guitarist Rick Evans. He acts as a producer and arranger for musicians at the studio.

"Our clients have been local," Pearson said. "We haven't had any big-name artists yet. So we work with local music groups. We also have clients from Michigan City."

Pearson's goal is to see Doron Enterprises branch out and become a recording label serving Christian artists. But he also hopes "to set up separate sub-labels to handle the various different types of music--jazz, R & B, country and rock n' roll."

While Pearson continues to work at IUSB, he hopes to some day pursue his aspirations in music.

"People at IUSB just see me as a custodian," Pearson said. "They don't see my hopes, my dreams, my goals. They don't see the musician and the artist. That's who I am. Music is in me 24/7."

Return to Table of Contents