Today we’d like to introduce you to Gilbert Carrasco.
It’s an honor to speak with you today. Why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. How did you get to where you are today?
My name is Gilbert Carrasco, also known by my artist name “NOVA” and my online handle @dieresponsibly. I created a record label named Serenity Records Studios LLC after dropping out of college (Lehigh University) during my senior year and have been building up the business up one step at a time. Prior to this I had dabbled in music, recording songs in a couple of studios from my city (Allentown, PA), but it wasn’t until I got a refund check for $10,000 during my senior year that I decided to let go of any “Plan B” and go all in on the music. I used the money to build my studio and spent thousands of hours learning how to record, mix, and master my vocals. I even started charging other artists in my city to come record at my studio and to mix&master their vocals. I work with other artists and entrepreneurs who are co-owners of Serenity Records Studios, of which include an artist by the name of J03L (@j03lserenity), a model/film director Justin Hernandez (@justin_hernandez), and a model/online influencer Nachelle Polanco (@luuxury.xx). Other close associates include a videographer by the name of Radauris Hernandez (@radauris_hernandez) and a producer by the name of Armando Castillo (@JustBCas).
I’m sure your success has not come easily. What challenges have you had to overcome along the way?
My biggest challenge was building the guts to live life the way that I wanted to and to not let outside influences affect my decision. A lot of people called me crazy (and still do) for leaving school during my senior year to chase a dream that seemed impossible to most. In all honesty, I knew I would be considered crazy for it, especially by my parents. But I would rather live life in the unknown and be happy doing what I love than to follow societies standards. I can honestly say that I’ve been turning a lot of those doubters into full blown supporters nowadays. My parents, who were heavily opposed to me leaving school, have seen the progress I’ve made with music and are now my biggest believers. It’s been almost 3 years since I dropped out and built my studio and since then our quality has increased tenfold. We work with top artists and influencers around the world and are meeting more by the day.
Let’s talk about the work you do. What do you specialize in and why should someone work with you over the competition?
Aside from making my own music under the artist name “NOVA”, as I mentioned earlier, I also record, mix, and master vocals for any artist looking to take their music to the next level. Along with that, I’ve teamed up with other producers such as @justbcas to sell leases and exclusive rights to instrumentals. I’ve also bought camera equipment and have been shooting music videos for myself, my label, and other artists. We’ve recorded and edited promotional content for small (and big) businesses in my city as well. The biggest compliment we get when someone comes to our studio is “I love the vibe in here” and in my opinion, that is the biggest thing we have to offer. We love to spread positivity and knowledge and empower artists to record to the best of their ability. We have fast turnarounds because we know how important it is to release content consistently. We’re also perfectionists, so you can be sure that your song, instrumental, or video is going to be of the highest quality.
What’s your best piece of advice for readers who desire to find success in their life?
The best piece of advice I can give to someone trying to find “success” is to first figure out what that means to you. Does it mean living check to check… working at a job you don’t truly love… Or does it mean chasing financial freedom while doing something you enjoy and loving every step of the way? Even though I struggled heavily after dropping out, I don’t regret one thing because I was happy the entire time… even when I didn’t have enough money to buy a decent meal.. even when I saw all the other members of my class graduate while I was still in my hometown trying to make this happen… I always knew that the time I put in would not be in vain. Little by little I perfected my craft and focused on my vision.. what exactly did I want from life? All I had to do was ask and I knew I would receive. “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For anyone that asketh receiveth; he that seeketh findeth; and the hand that knocketh it shall be opened.”
Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?
To me, success is simply being happy with life. Whether or not I ever attained monetary success was not my focus when I made the decision to drop out. I simply wanted to be happy doing what I love to do. Every day I learned more about who I am and who I wanted to be. I became more energetic and had a way more positive outlook on life than when I was waking up to go do what I thought I “had to do” to “succeed” in this world. The crazy thing is that as I became more and more happy and grateful, life began to reflect that to me. I kept finding more and more reasons to be happy and grateful. Opportunities came to me constantly… it was like the universe was placing the next step in front of me every time. I would be in just the right place at the right time and have made the most amazing connections along the way.
What’s next for you?
Our next immediate goal is to move our studio from the attic of my mother’s house to a more professional location that is more easily accessible and also acoustically treated. We plan on continuing to release music and content consistently while working with other artists and entrepreneurs to do the same. We have a couple investors that are looking to invest in us, but we have always been big on retaining independence and not having to give away unfair percentages given that we do everything ourselves. However, we are still open to any investor/investment as long as it makes sense and benefits both parties.
Finally, how can people connect with you if they want to learn more?
My Instagram is @DieResponsibly and my YouTube channel is YouTube.com/c/dieresponsibly. We also have an Instagram page for our studio @SerenityRecordsStudios and a website as well (https://www.SerenityRecordsStudios.com) where you can see the equipment we use as well as buy merchandise and purchase instrumentals/services. If anybody has any business proposals or wants to reach out more personally, my email is nova@serenityrecordsstudios.com. If you’ve read this far, check out my social media and go watch my newest music video “NOVA – MIA (Official Music Video)” on YouTube!