I’m incredibly excited and humbled to share that my longtime friend, mentor, and one of my favorite people in the music industry, Staveley “Cheek” Andrews best known as Patti LaBelle’s mix engineer is mixing and mastering my very first professional album.

Not only is this album special because it represents years of growth, perseverance, and faith, but it is also the very first release under my record label,

Total Difference Music Group©️ (TDMG™).

As TDMG™️ continues to grow and develop new artists, new music, and new opportunities in the years ahead, having access to a renowned engineer like Cheek is a reminder of how intentional God truly is. Nothing happens by accident. Every connection, every lesson, every season has a purpose.

God has always been and will always be he center of everything I do. Every blessing, every opportunity, and every achievement points back to Him.

This moment is especially meaningful because it brings me back to when I was just 16 years old.

When I was a teenager, Cheek took me in as an intern alongside students from Full Sail University. During that time, he opened my eyes to the professional side of music production and recording. He taught me things that many aspiring engineers spend years trying to learn.

Some of the lessons he shared included:

• Patch bay operation and studio routing
• Professional gain staging techniques
• Signal flow and signal routing
• EQ and compression fundamentals
• Effects chains and processing
• Cable and connector types
• Microphone selection and application, including cardioid, ribbon, and condenser microphones
• Basic music theory
• Equipment troubleshooting and repair techniques

And that’s only scratching the surface.

I was blessed because while Cheek was teaching me these skills in the studio, my father was also teaching me many of the same principles at home. Looking back, I realize how fortunate I was to have two men investing knowledge, wisdom, and experience into my life during those formative years.

But what made their impact truly special wasn’t just the technical knowledge.

They taught me life.

They taught me loyalty.

They taught me respect.

They taught me honor.

They taught me hard work.

They taught me excellence.

They taught me the importance of finishing what you start.

Those lessons have stayed with me throughout my life and continue to guide me today.

Now, years later, to have Cheek mixing and mastering my first professional album feels like a full-circle moment. It’s a reminder that God often uses people to prepare us long before we understand why.

I am deeply grateful for the influence both my father and Cheek have had on my life. Their investment helped shape not only the musician and engineer I became, but also the man I strive to be every day.

As this album moves toward release, my heart is full of gratitude. Gratitude for the journey. Gratitude for the lessons. Gratitude for the people God placed in my life.

And most of all, gratitude for a God whose plans are always greater than our own.

Here’s to the beginning of a new chapter for Total Difference Music Group™.

The best is yet to come.