Alumni News – December 2020

Metalworks Institute graduates have been doing some amazing work this year, and with 2021 just around the corner, it's inspiring to see our graduates' work featured among Billboard's 2020 Staff Picks, Spotify's most-streamed albums of the year, and more! There has also been some great new music from Metalworks Institute's Alumni Community this month so be sure to scroll down and listen.

We're inspired to see that two graduates of Metalworks Institute's Audio Production & Engineering Diploma Program helped create five of the songs featured on the Billboard Staff Picks list for the 100 Best Songs of 2020!

Grammy Award-nominated recording engineer Noel Cadastre is credited on Drake's global hit "Laugh Now Cry Later" Feat. Lil Durk and Future's RIAA 7x Platinum-certified song "Life Is Good" Feat. Drake.

Multi-platinum-certified audio engineer Shin Kamiyama has recording engineering credits on "Blinding Lights", the No. 2 track on the list, and "In Your Eyes" off of The Weeknd's smash hit album 'After Hours', as well as the internationally acclaimed Spanish collaboration "Hawái" (Remix)" by Maluma and The Weeknd.

Congratulations!

Billboard has announced their staff picks for the 50 Best Albums of 2020 and it's fantastic to see that three Metalworks Institute graduates have credits on four of the top albums of the year!

Juno Award-winning recording engineer Riley Bell, a graduate of Metalworks Institute's Professional Sound & Business (Studio Production Major) Diploma Program, has mixing credits on two of the top albums - Jessie Reyez's critically acclaimed 'Before Love Came To Kill Us' and Brandy's latest studio album 'B7', which includes Brandy and Daniel Caesar's Grammy-nominated collaboration "Love Again" which Riley Bell mixed and mastered.

Platinum-certified recording engineer Shin Kamiyama, a graduate of Metalworks Institute's Audio Production & Engineering Diploma Program, has recording engineering credits on all songs on The Weeknd's highly successful album 'After Hours'.

Last but certainly not least, diamond-certified recording engineer Noel Cadastre, a graduate of Metalworks Institute's Audio Production & Engineering Diploma Program, has a recording engineering credit on "Mr. Right Now" Feat. Drake off of 21 Savage and Metro Boomin's hit album Savage Mode II.

Congratulations to all!

The Weeknd's 'After Hours' has been named Album Of The Year by Complex! Amazing to know that Shin Kamiyama, a graduate of Metalworks Institute's Audio Production & Engineering Diploma Program, has multiple recording engineering credits on the album, including the top-rank smash hit song 'Save Your Tears' took the No. 1 spot in three Yangaroo DDMS categories in the same week - Top Downloads, Top CanCon Downloads, and Most Active Indies. Congratulations!

Amazing to see that two graduates of Metalworks Institute's Audio Production & Engineering Diploma Program contributed to two of Spotify's Most Streamed Albums of 2020 in the United States! Accomplished audio engineer Shin Kamiyama has multiple credits on The Weeknd's acclaimed album 'After Hours', and platinum-certified rapper Nav is a featured artist on Lil Uzi Vert's 'Eternal Atake (Deluxe) Luv vs. The World 2'. Congratulations!

Award-winning songwriter and audio engineer David Mohacsi, a graduate of Metalworks Institute's Audio Production & Engineering Diploma Program, recorded CARYS' vocal which is featured on 'Catch Myself Some Rays' by Shaggy Feat. CARYS. The track is off Shaggy's new Christmas Album 'Christmas In the Islands'. Be sure to stream the new tune this holiday season!

Together Rainer Millar-Blanchaer and Jeff Crake AKA Grimm, both graduates of Metalworks Institute's Audio Production & Engineering Diploma Program, are the acclaimed songwriting and production duo Rainer & Grimm, and they have just released some new music! Rainer & Grimm co-wrote and produced Mark Clennon's brand new single 'Don't Start A Fire'. Be sure to listen.

Songwriter and artist development professional Alexandra Soumalias aka Ally Sou, a graduate of Metalworks Institute's Audio Production & Engineering Diploma Program, co-wrote Ryland James' new holiday tune 'A Little Christmas'. Get into the Christmas spirit by listening to the new tune on your favourite streaming platform and don't forget to watch the official music video!

Award-winning singer Abhishek Venkatachalam, known by his artist name Abby V, a Slaight Scholar and graduate of Metalworks Institute's Music Performance & Technology (Vocal Major) Diploma Program, was recently featured in The Times Of India for his almost entirely acapella collaboration with Antara Nandy. Read the full article here.

Singer, songwriter, and music producer Denice Badua, a graduate of Metalworks Institute's Audio Production & Engineering Diploma Program, has just released a new EP 'Waves'. Be sure to listen on Spotify.