Reel to Real: Where the Stories Behind the Board Go on Record

Recorded in the Melrose Center Audio Studio at the Orlando Public Library, Reel to Real is hosted by Grammy Award-winning audio engineer Bruce Hensal and members of the Melrose Center Audio team. With over four decades working with some of the music industry’s biggest names, Bruce is able to call on national guests as well as Central Florida music luminaries to appear on the show. Episodes feature guests sharing behind-the scenes stories about their music and notable recording sessions, as well as highlights about new releases and projects.

Episode 24 with Beth McKee and Davey Jay 09/11/2023

Episode 24 with Beth McKee and Davey Jay Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Jim Myers from the Melrose Center in welcoming back guests Beth McKee and Davey Jay. Beth is a critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, keyboardist who sprung from the New Orleans music scene a few decades ago, and also the founder and driving force of the Swamp Sistas, a non-profit force for good in Central Florida. Davey is a leading entertainment attorney who has worked with numerous artist in Central Florida and beyond. Beth talks with Bruce and Jim about current projects. Davey discusses some of the ramifications of A.I. and other topics. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/27997920

Episode 23 with Rick Morris and Chris Jay 07/17/2023

Episode 23 with Rick Morris and Chris Jay Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Jim Myers from the Melrose Center in welcoming guests Rick Morris and Chris Jay. Rick is Director of Sound at Falcon’s Creative Group and has led sound design teams for television (Law & Order among his credits) and theme parks. Chris has enjoyed a long career as a recording, mixing and mastering engineer, with gold records to prove it. Chris has also worked extensively in the video game industry producing audio content. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/27489267

Episode 22 with Mark Mason, Darren Carter and Sean Shannon 06/30/2023

Episode 22 with Mark Mason, Darren Carter and Sean Shannon Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Ryan Mulcahy from the Melrose Center in welcoming guests Mark Mason and Darren Carter to discuss live sound production. Sean Shannon also appears via a guest clip. Mason is the founder of Metrosound Productions. Carter is the production manager at The Conduit. Shannon is head audio engineer at the Dr. Phillips Center. Ryan, who also has extensive show production experience, Mark and Darren shares stories and best practices. Sean talks about his background and live sound engineering process. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/27337887

Episode 21 with Joe Galdo and Juan Perez 05/31/2023

Episode 21 with Joe Galdo and Juan Perez Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Drigo Garcia-Salas from the Melrose Center in welcoming guests Joe Galdo and Juan Perez. Galdo is a percussionist, arranger, composer, producer and co-founder of South Beach Studios. He is credited as an early pioneer of the Linn Drum. Perez is a drummer/percussionist with numerous credits dating back to the 1970s, currently performing and recording with his wife, singer-songwriter-keyboardist Beth McKee. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/27000780

Episode 20 with Ed Krout, Matt Kamm and Aaron Gandi 04/24/2023

Episode 20 with Ed Krout, Matt Kamm and Aaron Gandi Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Drigo Garcia-Salas from the Melrose Center in welcoming guests Ed Krout, Matt Kamm, Aaron Gandia from Phat Planet Studios in Orlando. Ed talks about the origins of the studio, which has been around since 1996, and all three guests share thoughts on recording techniques and some of the memorable sessions they’ve been part of over the years. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/26637627

Episode 19 with John Kurzweg 03/20/2023

Episode 19 with John Kurzweg Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Isra Batista from the Melrose Center in welcoming guest John Kurzweg. John is a multi-platinum record producer and multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter who first became known for his work producing and mixing albums by Creed, three of which went multi-platinum. John talks about that experience, recording in houses and more. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/26268420

Episode 18 with David Spero 09/26/2022

Episode 18 with David Spero Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Isra Batista from the Melrose Center in welcoming guest David Spero. David has enjoyed a long career in the music industry, working as a DJ, talent manager and executive. He served as Senior Director of Programming for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and eventually served as a member of their Board of Trustees. David talks with Bruce and Isra about his recent memoir A Life in the Wings and the many lifelong friendships he’s established with music luminaries. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/24494181

Episode 17 with Joe Vitale and Michael Braunstein 08/08/2022

Episode 17 with Joe Vitale and Michael Braunstein Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Drigo Garcia-Salas from the Melrose Center in welcoming guests drummer/singer/songwriter Joe Vitale and producer/engineer Michael Braunstein. Joe and Michael talk about their career paths and particular moments in music history when those paths crossed, while working with Joe Walsh, Stephen Stills and many others. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/23993631

Episode 16 with David Brown, Maggie Finley and Isra Batista 06/13/2022

Episode 16 with David Brown, Maggie Finley and Isra Batista Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Drigo Garcia-Salas from the Melrose Center in welcoming guests David Brown, Maggie Finley and Isra Batista. David owns and operates Easter Sky Studios and talks about his work engineering audio books, doing sound design and much more throughout his 30-year career. Maggie discusses being the DJ for her WPRK radio show Punk Rock in Your PJs for more than 20 years. Isra, who owns River Bear Studios, talks about producing entrance theme music for professional wrestlers. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/23392325

Episode 15 with Jeff Nolan and Richard Bowden 05/09/2022

Episode 15 with Jeff Nolan and Richard Bowden Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Chase Steele from the Melrose Center in welcoming guests Jeff Nolan and Richard Bowden. Jeff talks about his rock & roll experiences playing guitar in bands like I Love You and The Ludes, as well as his role as Music & Memorabilia Historian for Hard Rock International. Richard talks about his career playing with Linda Ronstadt and other luminaries, his famous parody duo Pinkard & Bowden and his B-Bender guitar string benders invention. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/23049779

Episode 14 with Beth McKee and Davey Jay 04/25/2022

Episode 14 with Beth McKee and Davey Jay Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Jonathan Coutrier-Owens from the Melrose Center in welcoming guests Beth McKee and Davey Jay. Beth talks about her latest single Cosmic Traveler and upcoming projects. Davey Jay discusses the new world of NFTs and other topics related to entertainment law. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/22899470

Episode 13 with Brad Sundberg and Chris LeBrane 03/14/2022

Episode 13 with Brad Sundberg and Chris LeBrane Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Drigo Garcia-Salas from the Melrose Center in welcoming guests Brad Sundberg and Chris LeBrane in this Season 3 premiere episode. Brad talks with Bruce, Drigo and Chris about his career, specifically working in the studio with Michael Jackson on some of his most iconic albums. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/22421741

Episode 12 with Chris Butler, Beth McKee, David Schweizer and Deborah Smith 06/18/2021

Episode 12 with Chris Butler, Beth McKee, David Schweizer and Deborah Smith Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Jim Myers from the Melrose Center in welcoming back guests Chris Butler, Beth McKee, David Schweizer and Deborah Smith. In this season 2 finale, the conversation covers latest projects, staying creative during the pandemic, the future of physical media and the need for live music to return. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/19518491

Episode 11 with E-Turn and Swamburger 05/10/2021

Episode 11 with E-Turn and Swamburger Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Drigo Garcia-Salas from the Melrose Center in welcoming guests E-Turn and Swamburger. E-Turn shares the first single from her latest album “Young World” released on Fake Four, and the emotions she was working through while recording the songSwamburger talks about the origin of his name and his career with Solillaquists of Sound. The two talk about their longtime musical collaboration and hint at what they’re focusing on moving forward. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/19046204

Episode 10 with Paige Coley and Marc With a C 04/12/2021

Episode 10 with Paige Coley and Marc With a C Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Jim Myers from the Melrose Center in welcoming guests Paige Coley and Marc With a C. Paige talks about her band Kinder Than Wolves, how they’ve delayed releasing an album during the pandemic, and shares one of their new songs. Marc talks about his 20-plus year career, how he got his stage name, and his most recent release “lo fidelity (or how I spent the nervous breakdown)”. Marc also performs a couple songs live. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/18691043

Episode 9 with Rick Roberts 03/08/2021

Episode 9 with Rick Roberts Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Chase Steele from the Melrose Center in welcoming special guest Rick Roberts, singer-songwriter and founding member/lead singer for the band Firefall. Rick talks about getting his start in the business, playing in The Flying Burrito Brothers, the formation of Firefall, his time working with Bruce in the 1970s and his success as an author. Bruce asks Rick how he feels about Firefall being termed “yacht rock.” /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/18232517

Episode 8 with Jim Abbott and Bill "Sauce Boss" Wharton 02/08/2021

Episode 8 with Jim Abbott and Bill "Sauce Boss" Wharton Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Chase Steele from the Melrose Center in welcoming special guests Jim Abbott and Bill Wharton. Abbott discusses his career as the long-time music critic for the Orlando Sentinel, and his string band Simple Cavemen. Wharton, known as The Sauce Boss, talks about his amazing non-profit foundation Planet Gumbo which sees him play soup kitchens and homeless shelters across the country, and his most popular song “Let the Big Dog Eat”. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/17864624

Episode 7 with Bob Katz 01/11/2021

Episode 7 with Bob Katz Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-hosts Jonathan Coutrier-Owens and Chase Steele from the Melrose Center in welcoming special guest Bob Katz to the Reel to Real podcast. A highly-acclaimed engineer, Bob has mastered three Grammy Award-winning albums and is the author of Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science, widely considered a must-read for audio professionals. He talks to Bruce, Jon and Chase about a range of topics related to his long career in mastering audio. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/17499377

Episode 6 with Bruce Hensal 09/14/2020

Episode 6 with Bruce Hensal Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal has more than four decades of experience in the music business, working in the studio with a who's who list of legendary performers. In 2018, he offered a Melrose Center workshop recreating a session from the recording of Hotel California. Since then, Bruce and the Audio Team created and co-host the Reel to Real Podcast, featuring an array of guests from the audio recording industry. For this episode, the Melrose Audio Team interview Bruce himself. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/16002038

Episode 5 with Joe Foglia 08/10/2020

Episode 5 with Joe Foglia Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Chase Steele from the Melrose Center in welcoming special guest Joe Foglia to the Reel to Real podcast. Joe is an Emmy Award-winning sound mixer noted for his work on television shows Scrubs and Miami Vice, as well as the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon. Joe talks his transition from studio work to sound production for film and TV, and how he applied the skills learned in the studio to pioneering work in field production. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/15554861

Episode 4 with Chris Butler 07/15/2020

Episode 4 with Chris Butler Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Jim Myers from the Melrose Center in welcoming special guest Chris Butler to the Reel to Real podcast. Chris is a multi-talented songwriter and musician best known for creating and leading 1980s band The Waitresses. His most notable songs include "I Know What Boys Like", "Christmas Wrapping" and the theme song for the TV show Square Pegs. Chris talks writing songs for fake bands, his album Easy Life, and his continued ties to the Akron music scene. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/15222191

Episode 3 with David Schweizer and Howard Albert 05/25/2020

Episode 3 with David Schweizer and Howard Albert Grammy Award-winning engineer Bruce Hensal joins co-host Drigo Garcia-Salas from the Melrose Center audio team in welcoming guests David Schweizer and Howard Albert to the Reel to Real podcast. David is an Orlando songwriter, engineer and producer with a number of credits, including his kids music project Davey Rocker and the Barnyard Jam. He also owns and operates Richter Records. Howard is a producer, engineer and keyboard player. He teamed with his brother Ron to form Fat Albert Productions in the 1970s. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/14557202

Episode 2 with Debbie Smith and Beth McKee 04/22/2020

Episode 2 with Debbie Smith and Beth McKee Reel to Real features Grammy Award-winning audio engineer Bruce Hensal providing an inside look at the music industry. Recorded in the Melrose Center Audio Studio at the Orlando Public Library, Bruce co-hosts the podcast with Melrose Audio team members and interviews two guest each show. The second episode features Debbie Smith and Beth McKee. Leo Linares co-hosts with Bruce. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/14091476

Episode 1 with Joe Vitale and Buster Cousins 03/09/2020

Episode 1 with Joe Vitale and Buster Cousins Reel to Real features Grammy Award-winning audio engineer Bruce Hensal providing an inside look at the music industry. Recorded in the Melrose Center Audio Studio at the Orlando Public Library, Bruce co-hosts the podcast with Melrose Audio team members and interviews two guest each show. The first episode features drummer Joe Vitale, who has worked with Crosby Stills & Nash, Joe Walsh and others. Also featured is Orlando musician Buster Cousins. Melrose Audio Engineer Leo Linares co-hosts the episode. /episode/index/show/reeltoreal/id/13476302

Reel to Real: Where the Stories Behind the Board Go on Record

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