Alum

Benny Grotto

Assistant Professor

Affiliated Departments

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Benny Grotto is an assistant professor at Berklee College of Music in the Music Production and Engineering Department. He's also a co-owner of Mad Oak Studios, one of the leading recording facilities in Boston, where he's worked most of his 15-year career as a music producer, mixer, and recording engineer, helping in the creation of hundreds of albums and thousands of songs. His experience as a touring musician has taken him around much of the United States and Europe with a variety of acts—from Americana to hardcore punk—playing clubs, festival stages, and arenas.

This diverse musical background gives Grotto fluency across a wide range of recording studio situations, leading to a busy schedule of audio work around the world with artists at every level and in virtually every genre, including such artists as Aerosmith, Big D and the Kids Table, Blood for Blood, Daughters, and Dipset, among many others.

Courses Taught (3)

Creative Production Skills

MP-318

Multitrack Recording Techniques

MP-340

Advanced Production Projects

MP-461

Career Highlights

Recording engineer on Weird Al Yankovic's Grammy-winning, No. 1 album Mandatory Fun
Former recording engineer for Aerosmith
Former touring drummer for Slapshot

Awards

Winner of 2010 Boston Music Award Producer of the Year, and 12-time nominee for the award

In Their Own Words

"I wish to prepare students for their careers not by teaching them techniques commonly used by successful producers and engineers in our field, but by teaching them how to think like successful producers and engineers, to empower them to solve any problem, common or uncommon."

"I was fortunate to begin my career just as analog recording was winding down (pun intended) and the proliferation of Pro Tools was beginning to explode. That afforded me the opportunity to learn traditional recording techniques from experienced career professionals with analog backgrounds, while also exploring the power and flexibility afforded by the newer digital tools. While most of my work is done these days in Pro Tools, those early experiences continue to inform my day-to-day work and have instilled in me this core tenant: Don't press record until it sounds right."