Dale Shackleford started writing songs at age 15. Now, 12 years later, Shackleford works as a professional sound engineer and producer, and will be leading a songwriting workshop for the Chickasaw Nation this coming November.
When Shackleford first started playing guitar, he only knew one song — and he said his sister was getting tired of hearing him play it.
“She was like, ‘Don’t you know anything else?’ So, I started making stuff up, and at some point, I realized, ‘Wait a second … that’s songwriting!’” Shackleford said.
This seemingly mundane conversation with his sister began his music producing journey.
“As I continued to write, I found how much I loved writing, and it became a natural thing for me to want to produce things. Like, what if there was another guitar? What if there were drums? And working with other people to bring their songs to life. When I found out that was a career option, I was like, ‘That’s what I need to do.’”
Shackleford had a passion for music. He played guitar and drums, and dabbled in piano, trumpet and trombone. However, he was introduced to a different side of the arts at the Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy (CSAA) where he studied technical theater.
“I got my start there playing with consoles,” Shackleford said. “I did a lot of lighting. I actually loved lighting at the time more than I loved sound, but both were so much fun.
“It wasn’t until I was in college that it dawned on me that I could go work in recording studios, which is similar to live theater, but there are a lot of differences. They use a lot of the same tools, but the methods and the outcomes are different.”
During Shackleford’s last two years at CSAA, he studied music composition with Ben Finley and was introduced to a more classical approach to composition. He said this instruction was helpful, especially when he became a music major at Eastern Oklahoma State College (EOSC) in Wilburton.
In college, his primary instrument was drums, but he also had the chance to take songwriting lessons with Brandon Hendrix, who was the chair of the music department.
After college, things changed for Shackleford due to a friendship developed with Bob Blanks, a pawnshop owner.
“He was a great guy, and he owned a pawn shop in Norman that I loved to go to,” Shackleford said. “Eventually one day he asked me, ‘What are you wanting to do? You’re in here all the time looking at the guitars.’”
When Shackleford told him about his dreams of being a sound engineer and producer, Blanks informed him about a program at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. At the time, MTSU was the only state institution with a four-year degree in sound design.
Shackleford had been researching programs but said all the ones he had found were private universities and prohibitively expensive. Blanks had enlightened him about a better option.
“I was able to apply and get scholarships and eventually move out here to follow that dream,” Shackleford said from his home in Tennessee. “But I wouldn’t have known about it if it wasn’t for him.”
Shackleford acquired associate degrees in music, mass communication and general studies from EOSC, and a Bachelor of Science in audio production and Master’s of Fine Arts in recording arts and technology from MTSU.
After graduation, Shackleford started working in various cities, including Nashville, Tennessee, as an audio engineer and producer. Shackleford compares the two disciplines to a camera operator and a movie director. An audio engineer does the technical aspects of making a recording, while a producer facilitates the vision, guiding the process and acting as a creative influence for the final product.
While Shackleford loves engineering, he said he loves producing even more. However, his experience in engineering helped him meet people in Nashville, build community and gain trust from other musicians — which is necessary to be a producer.
Now, after three years working in Nashville as a full-time freelance engineer and producer, Shackleford and one of his friends have opened their own recording studio called The Meadow.
Though Shackleford lives in Tennessee, he has a heart for helping those at home. This is one reason he will be leading a workshop for the Chickasaw Nation Division of Performing and Visual Arts in November.
“First Light: Foundations of the Music Industry” will take place at the Chickasaw Cultural Center Nov. 13 -14 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is open to the public at no cost for Chickasaw citizens. The workshop is limited to 20 in-person participants and 10 online.
The workshop is a holistic look at artistry, of which songwriting is a major component. Shackleford said he aims to help participants improve their craft as a songwriter, musician or collaborator in the music industry. He will also show the best ways to produce basic recordings to have better demos, as well as music distribution, income streams and promotion. In addition to the skills being taught at the workshop, Shackleford said he wants to encourage more collaboration within the music community, which is something he has witnessed firsthand in Nashville.
“That’s something I’m hoping to encourage and foster through this workshop — getting creative people together and making everyone understand that there are other people doing these things and that they are not alone,” Shackleford said. “Realizing that they can call on these other people to help, collaborate, assist — to bounce ideas off.”
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