Trevor Lawrence Jr.: What’s up everybody, welcome back to The TrevBeats Show. I’m incredibly excited about today’s guest — not only because of who he is professionally, but because of how long we’ve known each other. My guest today is one of the greatest mix engineers of modern music, and one of the people I’ve known the longest in my life. We met back in the mid-1980s, and nearly forty years later, we’re still here — still creating, still learning. Please welcome the one and only Manny Marroquin. Manny Marroquin: Man… time flies. I remember the day we met like it was yesterday. It’s been an unbelievable ride. What makes it special is that through everything — careers, success, ups and downs — the friendship stayed intact. Trevor: A lot of people don’t know this, but Manny started as a drummer. And I don’t mean casually — he had hands. Serious hands. We came up together, drumline days, NAMM trips, all of it. Manny: Watching you play recently brought me right back. Same feel, same sound. That’s what happens when you truly love the craft. You don’t outgrow it — you deepen it. Trevor: That love is what keeps you going. People don’t realize how many ups and downs there are in this business. It’s not one big break — it’s a series of small doors opening when you’re ready. Manny: Exactly. I always say the bus comes around. The question is: are you ready when it does? I put blinders on early in my career. I didn’t worry about competition. I focused on what I could control — my work, my preparation, my mindset. Trevor: That mindset clearly worked. But today the playing field is different. Everyone has the same tools now. Manny: In some ways, mixing is harder today. I’m not just competing with other studios — I’m competing with the world. Everyone has access to the same software, the same plugins. The difference isn’t tools anymore — it’s taste, perspective, and emotion. Trevor: That brings us to one of the most important ideas you’ve ever shared: chase emotion, not sound. Manny: Sound is subjective. Emotion is universal. I’ve heard technically perfect mixes that made me feel nothing — and imperfect records that still give me chills decades later. Our job isn’t to make things “better.” It’s to make people feel something. Trevor: You’ve stayed relevant across genres for decades. That doesn’t happen by accident. Manny: It was intentional. I never wanted to be pigeonholed. I’m a fan of music — all kinds of music. Limiting yourself creatively is dangerous. When clients come and go, you need range, curiosity, and adaptability. Trevor: Let’s talk about AI — the word everyone’s scared of. Manny: Every generation fears new technology. Tape to Pro Tools scared people. Drum machines scared drummers. AI is just another tool. It won’t replace great creatives — but it will replace complacency. Technology exists to get us from point A to point B faster, so we can spend more time creating. The danger isn’t AI — it’s refusing to adapt. Trevor: And ethically, there’s still a lot being figured out. Manny: Absolutely. We’re in the wild west right now. Eventually there will be structure, policing, and clarity. But fear has never been a good career strategy. Trevor: Let’s rewind — how did you actually break into the industry? Manny: I got a runner job at Enterprise Studios. Cleaning bathrooms. Making coffee. Taking out trash. I wanted to be in the room more than anyone else — and that mattered. One day, they needed someone to assist. I was ready — or at least confident enough to say yes. Desire gets noticed. Trevor: That lesson still applies. Manny: Every generation. Be on time. Say please and thank you. Don’t be difficult. You’d be shocked how far that takes you. Trevor: Eventually you moved into studio ownership — not an easy path. Manny: Probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Mixing and running a business require completely different mindsets. But it gave me a creative home — and eventually led to building Verse LA. Trevor: Verse isn’t just a studio. It’s community. Manny: That was the goal. LA needed a place where music, food, culture, and creativity could coexist authentically. It’s ambitious — but ambition is necessary if you want longevity. Trevor: What advice would you give the next generation? Manny: Don’t be one-dimensional. Think beyond the obvious path. Be brave. Take risks. And understand that fulfillment comes from building something meaningful — not just chasing credits. Trevor: Last question. One lesson that stands out across your entire career? Manny: Don’t get too high. Don’t get too low. Have short memory. Clear mind. That realization probably bought me another twenty years in this business. Trevor: That’s powerful. Manny, thank you for your honesty, your friendship, and your wisdom. Manny: Thank you, man. This was one of the most fun conversations I’ve had in a long time.