Alumni Spotlight: Joseph Palma aka Joepo

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A hobby turned to passion.

Joseph had always had an interest in music, but never really got into it until he had friends who went to Temple University and who often hung out there to make music with his friends. Joseph continued to make his pop music as a hobby with his friends, his ambition grew over time. Friends and family started encouraging Joseph to put more emphasis on music and to take it seriously. That's when Joseph came across Sound Academy and decided to see what it was all about.

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Challenges before Sound Academy

Joseph had the usual difficulties with creating music as do most self-taught artists. Noticing frequency issues in mixes, and how to master a track and maintain dynamics. These are common problems that a very practical training approach would solve. Joseph used to use Ableton for his music until he had the opportunity to learn ProTools. Joseph was looking for a way to take his music to the next level when he saw a commercial for Sound Academy. From there, he was able to take his sound to new heights thanks to his instructor Max Fusser at Rittenhouse Soundworks in Philadelphia.

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The Sound Academy experience

Joseph expressed satisfaction with Sound Academy and the advanced studio equipment that he was able to learn to use. “You're dealing with equipment that you won't have in a regular studio, that's the educational value you get with Sound Academy.” Meeting students who have the same motivation and love for music that he was able to connect with students in the classroom was also special because he was able to connect with students in the classroom. Joseph has made friends with several classmates and keeps in touch. The course made him want to immediately apply everything he had learned to his music. “It's really cool how much information they throw at you and it makes you want to go home and try it out. Every person in the class, after learning something new, said the same thing.” The instructors kept the course interesting and engaging for the needs of the students.

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Results and successes

Joe released a single called Pop Star which he released on his birthday, January 15, 2025. Joe had the opportunity to work on his EP, Life on all platforms. With the help of Rittenhouse Soundworks and Sound Academy, Joseph was able to release an EP of much better quality than he was used to. During the course, Joseph had plenty of time to work on his personal projects with advice from his instructor. This was a big step forward for Joseph as not only did he build valuable relationships at Rittenhouse Soundworks, but he also gained the practical skills needed to continue his musical journey.

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Thoughts and advice

Joseph's only advice to the people who get the phone call is, “Try it.” Joseph remembers when he got the call from one of our coordinators and was skeptical at first, but decided to give it a shot anyway. He says, “You never know what you don't know. When I was learning how microphones worked, at first I thought that all I had to do was plug it in and talk to it. Turns out there's a lot more.” Joe thinks this course really opens your eyes to the level of detail that goes into audio engineering and Sound Academy was able to help him capture that knowledge. Joseph also advises students to come in with an open mind and be ready to learn because there is so much to take in.

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What is the next step for Joseph?

Joseph has expressed his ease in asking Rittenhouse staff for letters of recommendation for potential internships and will continue to prepare for the Pro Tools certification. Joseph will also continue to work on his music and release new EPs. Check out Joepo on Instagram, Apple Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube below. For Joepo, his musical journey has only just begun and we will support him every step of the way. Sign up for Sound Academy and see how we can help you on your music journey!