C.A.S. in the News – Press of Atlantic City

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“My Happy Place” is a weekly series in which local notables take us on a tour of a favorite spot in their home.

VINELAND — Writer and humorist Mark Twain once said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

Chris Orazi has lived Twain’s philosophy.

Orazi is the founder and owner of C.A.S. Music Productions, and his “Happy Places” are the home recording studio and his living room where his piano is.

“More music than I can remember has been created and developed in the recording studio. While it’s my vocation, it’s also my hobby. I am fortunate for that,” Orazi said. “So many creatives of all types have come here to develop their dreams and creative projects over the years.”

The studio has seen and heard a myriad of ideas turn to sound and gone to the airwaves or the stage, Orazi said, since this studio produce great music, and Paris Music provides professional backing tracks for singers and bands in studios.

“I have loved sharing that part of people’s lives. We don’t only make memories. We make representative tangible recordings that last a lifetime. Then, when I am alone in the studio, writing and recording on a Sunday, my wife, Michelle, might have a dinner cooking. That aroma wafting into the studio is a recipe for a pretty perfect afternoon,” Orazi said.

Many of Orazi’s musical ideas come to him while he sits and improvises on his piano in the living room. Also, his day-to-day thoughts seem to be sorted out there. As soon as he starts playing, his dog, Coda, comes running in, jumps on the couch and keeps him company.

“I like to think that he likes what he hears. If not, I love that he’s a quiet critic,” Orazi said.

“The living room is also the sunniest room in the house with cathedral ceilings. It’s where I bring other instruments to play, because the room sounds great. It’s the perfect room to escape the TV. It’s also the room we all end up in during a good party.”

Orazi has always decorated his recording studio in a combination of muted tones and colors.

“I like a calming atmosphere, but not too sleepy,” Orazi said.

“I recently installed these very cool LED colored lights we can control with a remote. We set the mood or let the guests change the entire feel of the room with one click. The equipment is typically black, so it’s easy to nest into any color combination. I even have two 4-foot black lights. Why not?”

Electronic drum kit buying advice and top picks for all levels of drummer, including models from Roland, Yamaha, Alesis and more.

What’s more, the best e-kits – and particularly the ones in this guide – feature sounds and expression technology that’s better than we’ve ever heard before. Because e-kits are so good now, and they make fantastic kits for quiet home practice and even recording, they’re experiencing a big boost in popularity.

Over the last decade or so, electronic drums (sometimes mistakenly called ‘electric drums’) have improved dramatically, getting ever closer to the experience of playing an acoustic electric drums set. Between the physical hardware – including sturdy racks and responsive rubber or mesh pads – and the formidable trigger technology that kicks in when you strike a pad, playing an electronic drum set has never felt better.