12 Bar Productions US Page - St Louis Recording Studio

ABOUT US

All photos on this page taken by Angie Knost of Angie Knost Photography, the official photographer for 12 Bar Productions, LLC




Greg, Chad, Kevin, Larry & Travis

We are proud of the fact that we have some of the best trained, experienced, musician/engineers in the Midwest working at 12 Bar. We also have some exceptionally talented promotions and marketing talent! Below, you can read a little bit about each of us and send us an email.

picture of Larry Cowsert - 12 Bar Productions Larry Cowsert

Member - National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (The Grammys®) and the Audio Engineers Society

President/Executive Producer

Larry is the Founder of 12 Bar Productions, LLC. Larry has been performing since he was five years of age and has been involved in recording music "on both sides of the glass" for many of those years.

Larry serves as the Chief A&R person, overseeing the operation of the record label, the studio, and the publishing company. However, he has been involved in the delivery of virtually every project created through 12 Bar, whether serving as a technician, recording engineer, mix engineer, or Producer.

Larry has a B.S.B.A. in Entrepreneurship and an MBA in Management, and is completing studies for his Master's in Music Production and Technology with Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Email Larry here.

picture of Travis King - 12 Bar Productions Travis King

Member - Audio Engineers Society

Chief Recording/Mix Engineer and Partner

Travis got his formal music education at Webster University, where he received his degree in Audio Engineering. He then served an Internship at Smith-Lee, a successful local recording studio. Travis has exceptional skills in mic'ing up acoustic and amplified instruments. His tracking technique is unique and effective and his mixes are vibrant and solid.

Travis has also developed the black art of the mastering engineer! His mastering skills have been applied to projects for Drew Mantia, Pam Greene, Andy Whitten, Lil' Ty, John Nikos, and Borean Dusk. His mastering provides the volume artists are looking for without the squashed sense that so many songs seem to have these days.

Travis has recorded and/or mixed projects for Borean Dusk, John Nikos, Javier Mendoza, Lil' Ty, Brad Fox, Andy Whitten, Pam Green, Celldom, Tre'Von Griffith, The Gloaming, Chris Aytes, Drew Mantia, The Relation Band, John Shields, Frank's Creation/Inner City Blues Band, and dozens of others .... as well as engineering several sessions here at 12 Bar for multi-platinum LA Engineer and Producer Skip Saylor.

Travis is a member of the Audio Engineers Society

Email Travis here.

Picture of Chad Killion - 12 Bar Productions Chad Killion

Member - Audio Engineers Society

Recording/Mix Engineer and Partner

Chad has been working with 12 Bar Productions since January 2007. He has done work for multiple artists who have come through our door whether it be blues or hip hop, and has a passion for working with metal bands.

Aside from working at 12 Bar, Chad has also done live sound all around town working shows for local favorites such as Joe Dirt and The Dirty Boys, Wyld Stallyns, and the world famous Dr. Zhivegas just to name a few. He has also worked with national sensation comedians including Steven Wright, Patton Oswalt, and the fabulous Joan Rivers.

Chad is a certified Pro Tools operator and a graduate of The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Tempe, Arizona.

Email Chad here.

picture of Greg Wilhelm - 12 Bar Productions Greg Wilhelm

Member - Audio Engineers Society

Assistant Engineer

Greg received his degree in Recording Arts from Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. He's the resident drummer for the 12 Bar House Band and is an excellent engineer, handling editing, recording and mixing tasks.

Greg came to work with 12 Bar in August of 2009 and quickly became a valued asset to the team, working on projects for Borean Dusk, Celldom, Tre'Von Griffith, Brad Fox, Sam West, 8Up, Firebrew and others.

You can email Greg here.

picture of Kevin O'Leary - 12 Bar Productions Kevin O'Leary

Assistant Engineer

Kevin began working with 12 Bar in June, 2008, after graduating Quincy University with a degree in Communications and Music Production.

Kevin assists in recording and mixing sessions as a technician and editing engineer. His field of expertise is Hip-Hop and Rap, but, interestingly enough, he has great skills in working with Contemporary Country acts, as well.

Email Kevin here.

Katie Annis - 12 Bar Records Promotions

Katie Annis

Member - Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association (MEISA) and the International Association of Assembly Managers (IAAM)

Promotions Manager (and token BABE!)

Katie is currently a student at Missouri State University attaining a Bachelors Degree in Entertainment Management with an emphasis in Music and Events. She is also a member of MEISA and IAAM. She has been assisting at 12 Bar since the summer of 2009 and is now serving as a full-time intern in promotions.

Katie is a St. Louis native with a high passion for local music, specializing in promotions and booking musicians across Missouri. Working as a freelance music enthusiast of all fields, she has worked with numerous bands across the country including Lorien (TN), Nick Flora (TN), MIGGS (MA), Parramon (UK), Ocean Is Theory (GA), Cropdusters (MO), and others. Her goals include becoming an artist manager, owning a venue, and working events related to the music industry.

Email Katie here.

Alex Harris

Intern

Alex is a native of Sikeston, Missouri and is attending Umiversity of Missouri - St. Louis, studying Marketing. However, his real love lies in music.

Alex began working with 12 Bar in January of 2010, with the intent of learning all about the recording business. Not just how to record talent, but how to market them, book them, promote them, and manage them. A very big order to which he has quickly adapted.

Alex is a classically trained violinist, and has been playing guitar for eleven years. So, like everyone who works here at 12 Bar .... he's a musician at heart!

Jerry Frischer - Partner

Native St. Louisans know of a fantastic "Grateful Dead" tribute band called "Jake's Leg". Jerry was the bassist for Jake's Leg for several years and still plays in a top-notch cover band in St. Louis.

Jerry's history within the St. Louis music scene includes serving on the Board of the St. Louis Blues Society during the period that the "Big Muddy Blues Festival" was rated as one of the 10 biggest blues festivals in the country.

Jerry knows talent when he sees/hears it. He also understands the music business and what it takes to make it in such a fickle, hard-to-break-in industry.

Email Jerry here.

Michael Parsons - Partner

Mike is not only an investment partner of 12 Bar, but a great musician who has a database of music in his head that rivals Billboard!! Name the song and he can tell you the year it came out, who the artist was, who wrote it, what format it was recorded in and even what brand of strings they used on the guitars!! Okay, a little bit of that is exaggerated. But he does have an amazing recall of the great music that has been recorded over the years.

Mike is also an extremely proficient guitar player, even having written his own book that helps guitar players find the name of the chord that goes with that "unique, really weird finger position" that we all discover but don't know what to call it.

Besides being the great guitar player and musical database that he is, he's also a great guy and our "stabilizer". You see, Mike is an Industrial Engineer by profession. And we all know the old adage about Engineers. "Paralysis by Analysis". He analyses the things we do but, unlike the paralytic counterparts, quickly reaches conclusions that will help us move forward and be the best we can be.

Email here.