Alumni Spotlight: Kaliyah Escoffery-Fullwood aka Sapio

From Aspiring Engineer to Industry-Ready Professional

At Sound Academy, we take pride in shaping the next generation of audio professionals. One of our recent graduates, Kaliyah Escoffery-Fullwood, has made incredible strides in her journey toward a successful career in audio engineering. From discovering the program on Instagram to gaining hands-on experience that transformed her sound, Kaliyah’s story is one of passion, persistence, and growth.

Finding the Right Opportunity

Kaliyah first heard about Sound Academy through social media but had forgotten about her application until she got the life-changing call. “I was happy to hear from you guys. I was glad to get information because I was worried my application didn’t go through. I was already familiar with Quad, so that made me excited.” Before joining Sound Academy, Kaliyah was interning at various studios but felt something was missing. While her recordings were good, she knew they lacked the professional polish that makes tracks stand out. “I felt like my recordings and my sound were just good enough but not good enough to really hear and feel the sound. Now, after taking the course, I feel my tracks have way more clarity. I believe my tracks are radio-ready.”

“First day, we dove straight into things. Every week we worked the patch bay, set up mics, and worked with the gear. I felt like I got a complete college experience. I went to LIU Brooklyn for audio engineering, and I did not learn everything I needed to learn there and Sound Academy really helped me.”

She credits the hands-on approach and expert instruction for her newfound confidence and technical skills. “Lucho made sure we learned exactly what we needed. He was always able to answer questions.” Lucho has received praise from all students regarding his teaching style and his industry expertise. The environment is a safe one for all creatives to unite under the common interest of enhancing their sound. Lucho only made their goals more attainable being attentive and detail oriented.

“Everybody in the course was a creative in their own right, and I feel I made a lot of connections there. My class got to mix certain artists' unreleased music. The opportunity to mix unreleased Sexy Redd was such an experience.”

Overcoming Challenges & Pushing Forward

One of the biggest challenges for Kaliyah was learning how to record professionally under pressure. “Focusing on timing and speed every time was tough, but I will keep practicing on my own time to get better.” She also credits instructor feedback for refining her mixing skills. “I got to mix my own music and let Lucho listen and give me feedback. That really helped improve my mixes to perfection—the outside perspective helped a lot.” Learning Audio Engineering is not always simple it does come with setbacks and challenges, however professional guidance can make all the difference.

Advice for Future Students

Kaliyah encourages incoming students to stay committed and attend every class. The fast pace course with substantial studio time is invaluable to a students growth. Attending every class is an essential part of your success here. The best method to learn is to actually be presenta nd paying attention, if it was easy everyone would do it. “It is worth it. Show up to every class because missing one is a lot of information to miss.”

What's Next for Kaliyah?

With her newly sharpened skills and a resume filled with real-world experience, Kaliyah is ready to take the industry by storm. “I plan to work in a studio as soon as possible. As my resume grows, I am shooting for the stars.” We are incredibly proud of Kaliyah and can’t wait to see where her journey takes her next!

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