My Musical Life Partner By Ragan Whiteside The day I rang that doorbell, my life changed forever. It was a warm evening in June and I was going to my first post-conservatory recording session. I was meeting Bob Baldwin at the studio, hoping he would take me under his wing and help me make the transition from classical to jazz. Flute in hand, I walked up to the front door, willing myself to appear cool, and rang the bell. I heard footsteps, then the door opened. Standing there was Dennis Johnson, producer, engineer, songwriter, studio owner, and the man who, 11 years later, would become my husband.
All my cool went out the window. After my brilliant opening line of “Umm,� Dennis introduced himself with his deep voice and edgy, Yonkers, NY, swagger. He led me upstairs to the studio. Twelve hours later, I left the studio with a tape of the radio jingle I played on and a new passion. I vowed to become a studio rat and learn everything I could from Dennis and Bob. That was 20 years ago. That session sparked a partnership that spans the professional and the personal. Quietly, Dennis and I focused on our craft, composing songs, woodshedding our respective skills - his mixing, mine flute - releasing albums, and learning everything we could about the ever-changing music business. For a time, we were ships in the night, working multiple day jobs and saving for costs related to recording, manufacturing, marketing, and a house where we could make as much
Spring 2019 - 24
