When Corey Pavlosky dropped out of college, he didn’t know what would happen—-all he knew is he wanted to follow a dream.
“A lot of support came from friends because I said ‘I shouldn’t be doing this, I’m not making money, it’s a mistake,’” he said. “But people gathered around me and encouraged me [to follow music] on a daily basis.”
Pavlosky, who graduated from Lafayette High School, had always been interested in music, from percussion to other instruments, and when he started school at Southeastern University, which has an extension campus at the Crosswalk Church in Lightfoot, he discovered the joy of writing and sharing music with others.
In school, Pavlosky was studying to be a worship pastor but his mind kept focusing on music creation.
One Christmas, a family member gave him a small recording studio where he could create music with his friends. But the more time Pavlosky spent in the studio, the more he realized his current path wasn’t what he wanted.
“I’m an emotional and passionate person and the trajectory to be a worship pastor or work in a church didn’t make me look forward to going to school,” he said. “I remember my parents telling me…if it’s not something that you don’t have a desire to do, then don’t do it.”
So, Pavlosky dropped out of college and spent a year learning his way around the music studio and producing music.
Pavlosky said he could have gone to school to be an audio engineer instead, but he didn’t want to spend time doing internships at “cutthroat and soulless” studios, especially because he wanted to be able to work for himself.
After a year of practicing, Pavlosky started bringing musicians from across the East Coast, from New York to Nashville, to record in Williamsburg. This is an experience he said he never would’ve had in school because he gets to work intimately with the musicians and be a part of their dream.
“I think there’s something incredibly unique when someone comes to you with a vision but no the resources to make it come to life in a nice package,” he said. “After a few sessions, they come out with something that’s a part of who they are and you get to be a part of that.”
From the past year of professionally recording artists in Williamsburg, Pavlosky said he has learned who to trust and learn from in the business.
“Who you align yourself with professionally [will] emotionally set the tone for the trajectory of your life,” he said.
Through that experience, Pavlosky said he has also grown to appreciate Williamsburg more.
“Honestly, it’s a tight-knit community,” he said. “There is something unique about the connection between the people. I’ll go to a friend’s show and see a bunch of the artists who I work with and everyone is supporting each other.”
Despite living in Williamsburg his entire life, he said he never really felt a strong connection to the area. But now that he has had the chance to interact with people in the area, he has learned there is a strong and unique music in the community.
“There’s a sense of community across ages and generations and influences and outlets that’s really unique.”
Pavlosky said he doesn’t necessarily have the intention of keeping his studio local in the long-run, but he has learned that maintaining a “home-grown” feel is something that will make his work shine in the future.
Moving forward, he said he wants to move into a new space, potentially in Richmond, and to form a bigger team that brings people into the local area. But most importantly he feels lucky to be doing something that makes him happy to wake up in the morning.
“I’m only 24, I don’t have anything figured out comparatively,” he said. “But I think there’s something unique about pinpointing what you love and just going after it, whatever that is. It’s like seeing in color for the first time.”
