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Where it all began for William Ahiahonu (will.aO)...
BEGINNINGS | 2005-2014
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Born and raised in Saskatoon, CA to a Ghanaian musical family, I had an interest in music from a young age. I began attending piano lessons at the beginning of elementary school, initially getting introduced to the classical genre. Not long after, I took on the clarinet in my elementary school band and also had the chance to play the piano and djembe drums (a traditional African instrument) in my local church and community.
​These opportunities allowed me to scratch the surface of my musical identity. Still, it wasn't until my later years of elementary school, when I discovered Jazz for the first time, that I felt completely immersed and at peace. Listening to the likes of Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, George Gershwin, John Coltrane and many others, I was captivated by the rich and free spirit of improvisation that sat within the genre's core.
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EXPERIENCES | 2014-2018
As the first year of high school rolled around, I began to take an interest in the drums. Switching from the clarinet, I joined my high school junior band as a percussionist. Through this opportunity I became a self-taught drummer, using the school's drum set for practice and later getting one to practice on at home.
A few weeks into my first year, I met Keith Mah, a keyboardist and trumpeter that introduced me to an even wider world of music. Being an enthusiast of Funk & Soul music from the late 1960s and early 1970s, Keith shared with me a broad array of old Motown and Stax classics from the likes of Marvin Gay, Tammi Terrell, Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5, Sam & Dave, Booker T & the M.G.'s and many more. It was also through him that I discovered other Jazz Fusion/Rock and Funk artists such as Chicago and James Brown.
Keith and I later went on to form a Funk & Soul high school band and met bassist Abir Hashem in the process, completing the group for essential instrumentation to our sound: keyboard, bass, and drums. Many other musicians in the school (with a wide variety of instruments) played along with us from time to time as we primarily performed in school concerts and Saskatoon Cafés. Keith and I also participated twice in an annual Jazz Intensive program led by Dean McNeill, Head of the music department at the University of Saskatchewan. This program accepted young musicians looking to build on their craft by working with professionals, and participants were also given a chance to perform in Saskatoon's annual Jazz Festival in front of a larger audience. I personally developed my musical maturity greatly during this time period, and my appreciation for old school Funk & Soul, coupled with bebop and rag-time jazz (discovered years earlier) grew immensely.
Since the end of high school and despite the band's breaking up, Keith and I continue to stay in touch. He is essentially one of the major reasons why my craft is heavily influenced by the golden, old-school sound.
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COMPOSING & MIXING | 2017
During my second last year of high school, I began to explore music composition. My attempts to create original music date back earlier, however, it was not until this time period that I began to progress beyond unfinished ideas and onto full projects. I spent a lot of time playing around on my piano, utilizing the structural and improvisational skills I developed in the years prior. I constantly looked for ways to dabble in the different styles of old-school soul music and was determined to stick to this musical style while adding an original twist. Looking for something to record with, I turned to a family camcorder gathering dust on the shelf and it became my first recording device as I began developing my first full compositions.
After creating a few piano recordings, my focus turned to the recording of the drums. The camcorder didn't seem to fully cut it when attempting to record the drum set as it excelled in recording the higher frequencies of the cymbals but lacked the ability to adequately capture the lows of the drums themselves. Out of curiosity, I turned to my iPhone 6 at the time to see if it would fill in the gap that the camcorder left. Sure enough, it captured the lows very well and by adding the camcorder for the cymbals, I was able to get a fairly immersive recorded drum sound. Talk about using whatever you have lying around!
The next step now was to find a way to mix drum and piano recordings together. I eventually came across GarageBand for this purpose. Over time, I began to learn the basics of music mixing. I went through a lot of trial and error phases, exploring the purpose of many basic functions/effects within GarageBand while also learning to harness them in a meaningful, creative way. I also invested in a MIDI keyboard which enabled me to utilize some of GarageBand's in-built instruments, such as the bass guitar, electric piano, and a wide array of other melodic and rhythmic instruments. Finally, with free software and some makeshift recording methods developed, I set out to create what would become my first full audio mix.
After the completion of the first mix, I wasn't quite satisfied with the final result. There were some choppy edges, unbalanced volume automation, background noise from the squeaking of my drum seat, internal hissing noises from the camcorder and other unpleasant shortcomings. So in my next audio mix and beyond, I made a variety of changes (such as modifying mic positions relative to the recorded instrument) and continued to expand my knowledge of some of GarageBand's functions (including functions to balance frequencies, compression, reverb, etc.). My recording equipment has improved as well (Fifine K670 recording mic) but still remains affordable. After all, I have always believed that I don't need highly expensive tools to create good-quality recordings. Bearing in mind that I'm still learning as I go, I have noticed the hard work paying off immensely through progressively nicer-sounding mixes, despite my limited physical hardware.
This journey of learning the ropes of composition and mixing has proven key in building my confidence. Some days earlier on were tougher than others but it was the work ethic of those around me that allowed me to appreciate (and even cherish) the process as much as the final product. To this day, my experience compels me to continue pushing the limits of what I can achieve musically, both on my own and with other musicians.
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RESOLUTION | 2017-present
By late December 2017, I decided to make music and the art of recording music a lifelong hobby. I realized a newfound joy within myself as I explored (and continue to explore) all the capabilities of GarageBand and how to harness basic recording equipment in new and innovative ways. Out of this realization, will.aO Records was born. Being my own independently created record label, I hope to utilize will.aO Records as a way to recreate the golden sound of recorded music that once ruled the scenes in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I also intend to express my Ghanaian heritage through this label, implementing a variety of African musical styles that heavily influenced the upbringing of Western world Jazz, Funk & Soul music so many years ago.
Ultimately, my musical goals have remained unchanged since I encountered Funk and soul music back in high school—that is, to learn from the greats of this type of music and keep its spirit strong in an ever-changing modernized world. With this and my own unique take on the classic sound at the forefront, I hope to contribute to a community of collaboration, support, and ambition to keep the golden sound alive.
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