
When Linda
Sargent was 15 years
old, she was layering vocals on a borrowed old four-track recorder,
searching out things around her house to play “percussion
tracks” on her songs. With years of piano lessons already
behind her, Linda was slowly crafting an original sound that would
carry her into her first album project.
Just two years later she loaded up a box full of tapes of her own
music (scratch tracks), and some money (pre-sales from parents
at her all-girl Catholic high school), and headed to the Disney
Studios to record her first album, One Step From Home. She explains, “I
met up with the engineer from the Disney character voices studio
in Burbank, CA, who kindly let me record there on the weekends
and after work hours. It was exhilarating recording in professional
studios—like fireworks—I decided to pursue music as
my path in life.”
After the release of One Step From Home in 2000, Linda moved from
Phoenix to San Diego and enrolled in the brand new Computer Music
program at the University of California, San Diego. "I bought
my first legitimate computer and began to seriously study digital
recording, computer music, programming and multimedia arts. The
more I dug in, the more I was satisfied," she says with a
grin.
During college, musician Tom
Griesgraber introduced Linda to Spotted
Peccary Studios, a San Diego based ambient-electronic record label,
where she assisted in recording sessions. There Linda met Spotted
Peccary artist and film/TV composer David
Helpling, and they soon
began collaborating on corporate projects for Hewlett Packard,
Sempra Energy and Tony Robbins.
Linda graduated from UCSD in 2004 with a degree in Computer Music
and began concentrating on her second album, which she’s
constructing around themes of personal experience, love, loss and
relationships. The unique sound she’s developing, working
in the intersections of pop, electronica, classical and acoustic
styles, comes out of her diverse musical and engineering background.
The result is innovative, raw, and cutting-edge: "We hand
crafted almost all of the instruments on this record by sampling
various things: kitchen mixing bowls, hand-bells, antique reed
organ, my old music box, pitched wine glasses, etc." Linda
is working closely with Stephan Vankov who she
met at UCSD. Stephan is an extrodinarily skilled beat programmer
who breathes life into the rhythmic elements of each mix. Born
and raised in Bulgaria, his eastern-european roots heavily influence
his sound and infuse an eclectic blend of rhythms and bass lines
that artfully dance around Linda’s music.
Meanwhile, Spotted Peccary artists Jon
Jenkins and Howard
Givens invited Linda to perform vocals on a track
Jenkins wrote for the Behind the Scenes Trailer for the major motion
picture The New World (New Line Cinemas) which was released fall
2005. The trailer played internationally at all Regal Cinemas and
Ultra Star theaters and was also aired on Entertainment Tonight.
In addition, two songs from Linda's upcoming release will appear
in the thriller Cold Storage (Lion's Gate Films). The track "Moving
On" from
Linda's album One Step From Home also appears in the indie film
False Summit by director Chris Cummings (Art Director for Big Fish,
Cast Away, What Lies Beneath, Lady Killers) and two of her songs
are featured in the film The Devil and Saddamm by William Backer.
Recently, Linda was awarded the title of “Best Songwriter
of the Year” by the San Diego Songwriters Guild for
her song, Oxygen. Her award-winning track will be featured on 102.1
KPRI and is making quite a stir around San Diego. Linda was also
nominated as “Best Keyboardist in San Diego” by
the San Diego HAT Awards in 2006. Currently, Linda is
also Adjunct Professor at Palomar Community College where she is
able to share her knowledge of music production and multimedia
arts.
Though she has come a long way as a professional musician and engineer,
she maintains that this is just the beginning. "This album
is a benchmark on the first leg of a long journey; my next album
project is a big accomplishment for me both as a singer and composer.
I can't wait to unleash these new songs into the world."
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Throughout the month of July, Linda has been taking courses in
LA in order to become Logic Certified. She has officially passed
with flying colors! Linda is using Logic Studio to produce her
upcoming album and is also teaching courses in audio production
and engineering at several San Diego Community Colleges.

Two of Linda's songs are in a new thriller called Cold Storage. "Cathy
Adams (Joelle Carter, American Pie 2, Inconceivable) learns of her sister’s
disappearance. With the help of Daric (Matt Keeslar, Art School Confidential,
Scream 3), she goes to find her lost sibling. Her search leads her to a gut-wrenching
discovery and a massive battle between her and the deranged mountain man amidst
the pouring rain. A battle that only one will survive." watch
the trailer
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Linda's has recently been nominated for
the International Femtor Award by the E-Women Network. The word
Femtor is a registered trademark of eWomenNetwork. The term Femtor
means "a wise and trusted woman providing knowledge, inspiration
and practical information to other women." Femtor acknowledges
the mentoring work done from a female experience and knowledge
base. These experienced women seek out ways to teach, share their
wisdom and help other women find their wings.
Linda recently won "Songwriter of the Year"
contest for 2007 presented by the San Diego Songwriters Guild.
Along with the title of Best Songwriter of the Year, she
also received studio time at TrackStar Studios, new microphones
from ProSound and Music and her song, Oxygen, will be played
on KPRI 102.1 on their Homegrown hour. Tune in and make sure
to request her song!
Visit
the SDSG site
Linda was nominated for 2006 "Best
Keyboardist" award
by the San Diego HAT Awards.
Check
out the Official Site

Spotted
Peccary Music and Jon
Jenkins invited Linda to sing on a mix for the Behind the Scenes trailer
for the New Line Cinemas film The New World. WATCH
THE TRAILER
DHM Music Design contracted Linda
to sing on a production for the Computer Science Corporation. "Thunderous
drums kick off this 100 foot wide HD experience before spiraling into
inspired themes - featuring stunning vocals from Linda Sargent and
lush eclectic instrumentation." listen to a sample
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