Issue date: 3/12/09 Section: MULTIMEDIA

The methodical booming coming from room 734B thunderously rattles the framework of Kerr Hall's seventh floor.
This typical occurrence is the sound of Bryson "Big B" Price carving another notch into his beat-making belt.
Price, a kinesiology junior, started making his musical patterns in 2005 after a friend introduced him to the process, and he hasn't stopped since.
"Sometimes I'll look up and realize that I'm late for class because I lose track of time," Price said, explaining that for him, it's the equivalent of someone who watches TV a lot.
Play-N-Skillz, Danja and Shawty Redd are the aliases of three producers, among many, whose "skillz" he admires.
Musically, Price said he basically likes anything that sounds good. To him, that includes rock, techno and even a little Taylor Swift.
He wanted to make it clear, though, that his inspirations don't compromise his originality.
"I don't think my beats sound like anybody right now," he said.
Overall, he said he has about 10 industry-quality beats out of everything he's done.
Price has successfully sold a handful of those beats to clients whom, he said, he's either met in person or through MySpace.
Recently, he sold one of his beats to the NT dancers for their nationals competition. They were looking for something original, and he was able to tailor it to their liking, he said. The NT dancers declined to comment on the collaboration.
The going rate for one of his creations has ranged anywhere from $100 to $400, he said. Hesitant to reveal all of his secrets, Price said he uses the programs Ableton and Reason along with virtual instruments like Native Instruments, Spectrasonics and countless others.
He broke down the process of creating a beat into three phases. First is the idea phase, where he lays the melody. Second is the song arrangement phase, which entails the constructing of an intro, verse and hook. The third, and most involved, he said, is the mixing and mastering phase where he perfects the sound.
The process in its entirety takes about 12 hours on average, Price said. Depending on the circumstances, though, it could take up to 24 hours.
Price doesn't have a roommate, and his suitemates and neighbors said they don't mind the noise.
Biochemistry freshman Baffour Boahen is a fellow resident of Kerr Hall who makes frequent trips to Price's room to check out his latest work.
"He really knows what he's doing," Boahen said. "He can make something for anybody."
Studying to become a physical therapist, Price maintains a strong sense of reality about a career in music.
"The music industry is really saturated right now," he said. "It doesn't matter how good your beats are - it's who you know."
The bottomless pit of knowledge needed to make beats has left him admitting that he still has a lot to learn.

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