The Beat Goes On

THE SLEEPY TOWN of Pompton Plains may not seem like the place you’d find a successful recording studio, but peeking through the trees and green hills of town is the quaint red barn that houses Portrait Recording Studios, owned by Chris Badami. As chief producer, engineer and mixer for the studio, Badami’s talents and expertise have brought him from humble beginnings in his parent’s garage studio to working in his own profession space with artists that span the globe.

A PTHS graduate (class of 1995), Chris always played music. Whether it be in school bands or in his own rock bands as a drummer, Badami has natural talent. “When I was in eighth grade, I got my first taste of studio recording in Parsippany and knew I wanted to get into recording music,” he says. He received a four-track recorder for eighth grade graduation as a gift from his parents and knew he’d been bitten by the recording bug.

After high school, Badami studied at New York University earning a Bachelor of Music in music technology and percussion (with a minor in piano) and Master of Music and Music Technology from Southern Utah University. While a commuting undergraduate college student, he started a music studio in his parent’s garage in town.

“My dad and uncles helped me build it, and friends started to come play music,” he recalls. Badami recorded his own music, which he performed with bands as a drummer, too, and word of mouth traveled fast.

AN IDEAL SPACE

At the same time, Chris was offered an internship at Showplace Studios in Dover through the recommendation of a professor. “I’m thankful for the mentors in that studio like Andy Wallace, who’s done records for a variety of artists [including] Nirvana, Rollins Band, Slayer, Jeff Buckley and Kelly Clarkson,” says Badami. After a 10-month internship, he was hired by Showplace Studios as an assistant through college.

All the while, Badami was recording bands in his garage studio, offering a cost-effective option for friends. All the money he made went back into the business to improve equipment. As his business grew, his personal life was changing as well. On a trip into New York City in 1998, he ran into a high school friend, Carolyn (nee Tilli) who would in time, become his bride.

Badami graduated NYU in 1999 while running the studio full-time. “The studio was outgrowing the garage; I needed to rent commercial space,” he says, which he did in 2000 in neighboring town Lincoln Park. Once again, Badami’s dad and uncles helped with constructing the inside of the studio.

In 2004, Chris and Carolyn married and, while looking to find a home in the Pequannock and Pompton Plains area, Badami found an option where he could house Portrait Recording Studios in 2007. The rustic red barn that would serve as the studio was on the same piece of land as their new home. The commute was ideal!

The red barn is unique. Previously an art studio, the building dates back to the late 1800s and was once part of the old DeBow estate. The barn has special zoning for businesses in the arts, making it extra special. Clients love the space and quiet location.

RENOWNED ARTISTS

Badami’s work has featured many genres of music, including pop punk, rock, emo, metal, alternative, jazz, country and singer-songwriters. He takes great pride in producing records and developing local New Jersey bands and watching them succeed, signing with both independent and major record labels.

A pivotal moment for Badami arose when labels started asking him to produce their artists. The owner of Pinball Records, Jay Turon, sent all his records to Badami, which garnered great success and led to work with major label Drive-Thru/ Universal Records.

“This was my big break,” says Badami. His first Gold Record was awarded in 2003 for bands he produced on the Vans Warped Tour, leading to subsequent Gold Records in 2004, 2005 and 2006, as well as multiple Billboard No. 1 awards and numerous Grammy considerations.

Badami’s work on producing, engineering, mixing, mastering and performing has earned him over 290,000 streams across all major platforms. He has worked with international artists from Europe, Japan, China and Australia as well as an impressive list of well-known artists. These include Madonna; The Early November; Adam Melchor; Jennifer Rostock; Janina Gavankar; The Starting Line; Mark Hoppus from Blink 182; The Dillinger Escape Plan; Mike Patton from Faith No More; Wakey! Wakey!; Lenny White (Miles Davis, Stanley Clark, Chick Corea); and Mary Wilson (The Supremes). Quite a list!

Today, Badami focuses more on mixing records in person and remotely. He stresses the value of a studio that has the knowledge to make a great recording. “Knowing the best room to record drums, guitar or vocals and how to mix it correctly is invaluable,” he says.

MUSIC MAN

In addition to recording other artists, Badami loves to perform. He plays drums on records for friends and clients as well as piano. He enjoys freelancing with various artists and playing gigs whenever he can.

He’s also an assistant professor of music at Lafayette College and directs the music technology program. He started teaching in higher education at CCM from 1999-2007 and, after a break, has been at Lafayette for the last eight years. “I love the hands-on teaching experience and showing students how to use the equipment in real-life applications,” he says.

In addition to all his work, he records for the Northern Jersey School of Music Association honor bands, orchestras and choirs, including All-North Jersey Region Band, Choir and Orchestra on location. His daughter Claire has been a performer in such honor ensembles—an added source of pride for Badami. Portrait Recording Studios has also hosted local school singing groups like the PTHS Nocktaves (a group his daughter also belongs to) for recording sessions.

LOOKING BACK—AND AHEAD

In his free time, Badami enjoys spending time with his beautiful family. His wife Carolyn, daughter Claire (14), son Cole (10) and pup Chewy enjoy taking many adventures in their RV. The family loves exploring amusement parks and notes favorite trips to Disney, Pigeon Forge, Lake George and visits to Badami’s parents, who live on an 80-acre farm in Ohio.

A ride on his Harley Davidson softail is another favorite pastime for Badami and, of course, he plays the drums whenever he can. Whether he’s practicing or a spectator for his children, music is always present. Claire is often seen on stage for musicals and concert band/choir and on the field for marching band. Cole is drummer in a Bach to Rock band, just like dad.

Now that Portrait Recording Studios is celebrating 30 years in business, Badami can’t help but reflect. “I never planned to own my own business,” he says. “I imagined working at a studio in the city, but word of mouth spread and my client list grew. To think it’s 30 years since I started in my parent’s garage is unreal.”

He now services artists all over the world who come to small-town Pompton Plains to make records. “You don’t have to be in NYC, Nashville or LA,” he says; “you just need to do great work, and if great artists like your work, they will come to you.” And the beat goes on.

To learn more or schedule a session, visit portraitrecordingstudios.com or call 973-835-0663.

BY ANTONIETTA HENRY