Ketsia Gustave has committed an impressive 16 years to the field of education, embarking on her academic journey at the University of Miami, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Immunology in 2007. Initially pursuing a career in science, Ketsia’s experience as a substitute teacher revealed to her the transformative power of education, igniting a profound passion for teaching. This passion led her to obtain a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Phoenix.
Since earning her degree, Ketsia has become a dynamic advocate for educational equity, firmly believing that every student deserves access to quality education. She has made her mark as a science teacher in both private and public schools throughout South Florida and Huntsville, Alabama, where she has inspired countless students to cultivate a love for the sciences. Her dedication to enhancing educational outcomes has also propelled her into roles such as Instructional Coach and Instructional Coordinator in the EdTech space. In these influential positions, Ketsia has empowered educators to effectively leverage technology, ensuring high-quality education reaches every learner, no matter their zip code.
Ketsia Gustave’s journey is not just one of personal achievement; it exemplifies an unwavering commitment to fostering a more equitable educational landscape.
For almost 30 years, the Amazing journey of Entertainment Production and Sound Engineering has been my Focus and Passion. Throughout that time, I have had the opportunity to grow into an Industry DJ, playing events for various Industry Record Labels and Affiliates at their Concert Productions, Television Productions and Corporate Events. This progress inspired the opportunity to attain my AS in Recording Arts and BS in Entertainment Business. For the past 10+ Years I have also been a FOH and Monitor Engineer at Universal Studios, Mixing live events and working on recording projects for various Universal Projects. More recently, further development has occurred as I have expanded into being and Instructor at F.I.R.S.T Institute within their Recording Arts Program. This opportunity gives me the opportunity to share, enlighten and educate future Engineers and Technicians into the industry allowing for the Dreams and Art to be expressed for future generations!
I kicked off my music adventure in 2011, rockin' out as a musician with my band. Little did I know, a recording session for our EP would change everything, sparking my love for Audio Engineering and Music Production.
In 2015, I established my own studio, becoming a dedicated music producer and audio engineer. Over nearly a decade, I've had the honor of recording and producing a lot of talented Brazilian bands and artists, some of whom were released by industry giants like Universal Music Group and Warner Chappel.
As a Latin Grammy voting member since 2019 and a two-time Latin Grammy Producer of the Year nominee in 2020 and 2021, I bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. Additionally, I had the privilege of working with a major Brazilian radio station and orchestrating a live stream that captivated over 1 million viewers.
Joining the esteemed faculty at F.I.R.S.T Institute is a dream come true, and I am committed to empowering students in their pursuit of success within the realm of sound and show production. I am dedicated to giving my 200% to guide and inspire the next generation of audio professionals.
Miguel is a professional performing musician and live sound audio engineer.
His journey started in 2008 at the age of 16 playing bass at church for worship bands in different campuses.
As his music career was growing, he started working as a session musician and recorded instruments in his home studio creating musical content for bands and jingles for radio shows and podcasts. During that time he pursued a BS in music in his home country Ecuador.
Miguel moved to Florida in 2013 and continued his career performing on live shows and also teaching one one music lessons to individuals of every age.
A few years later in 2018 he graduated from F.I.R.S.T. Institute where he reinforced his audio skills. Then he started working at churches as a Music-Tech Director fulfilling and overviewing multiple roles as band coach, FOH audio engineer, monitors and stagehand.
Miguel is very passionate about teaching and sharing every experience he’s learned and lived in his career in order to inspire other young artists to get there and beyond.
Tony Castillo, better known by his stage name "Gorilla Tek," He’s an American record producer/engineer/composer and vinyl Dj. He co founded the production company Drum Majorz. His work includes contributions to the group “Iconz,” known for the track “Get Fucked Up.” also produced “I’m So High” for the group Grindmode. Tony also contributed to film scores for productions such as ”Bloodline”, distributed by Codeblack/Universal. He also have gold & platinum certifications from PitBull, FloRida, Trick Daddy, Trina, 8Ball & MJG.
In 1985, Castillo co-founded the Miami-based production team”The Committee” He has also collaborated with DJ Uncle Al and Uncle Luke. By 1999, ”The Committee” had expanded into artist management under the name Iconz Music Group. Between 1998 and 2002, Castillo formed a production duo with Trak53, producing for Slip-n-Side Records artists such as Trick Daddy, J-Shin, and Trina. The Miami based rap group Iconz, under their management, released “Get Fucked Up” in 2000, which entered the Billboard Hot 100. Tony “Gorilla Tek” Castillo is known to be the pioneer of the Miami “Jook n Vibe” sound. This sound is a mixture of uptempo 808 driven beats with chill/r&b chords & melodies.
Dakari is an Orlando native, he started in the music industry sitting in on a friend's sessions while in school in Atlanta. What began as a down time hobby developed into what would become his career after returning home to attend F.I.R.S.T. and graduating in 2018. Since then he has been able to use the skills obtained in school to work as a recording and mix engineer at Real Feel Recording, as well as live sound engineering at Xperience Live working with artist such as Rob49, Gucci Mane, Jeezy, MoneybaggYo and more. He continues to learn and grow in the many facets of the profession while passing on as much knowledge as possible in the process.
Drew’s first experience in the studio was as an artist, when he was singing and playing guitar in his band. The process of recording an EP was such a significant and ear-opening experience that resonated with Drew and made him want to produce songs and albums in the studio beyond his own musical material. He pursued a degree in Sound and Music Technology at Valencia College and began an internship at Plush Studios immediately after graduating. Since then he has freelanced at a variety of studios and venues around Orlando as a recording and live sound engineer. Among his passion for audio, Drew’s also holds a passion for teaching and passing on the knowledge he has gathered over the years. Before coming to F.I.R.S.T., he has spent time teaching mathematics for elementary school through college level students, instructing athletes new to the sport of lacrosse as a Junior Varsity head coach, teaching music lessons for guitar and drum-set, and coaching esports for competitive and casual players.
An inspirational and ambitious instructor at the renowned F.I.R.S.T., Luis Fernandez has earned a solid reputation within the music industry through 11 years of expertise in audio engineering, music production, and show production. His exceptional skills and talents are duly recognized through the acquisition of two gold plaques and one platinum plaque; all earned for his outstanding work with a diverse range of artists as an audio engineer. This has garnered him an impressive roster of notable clients, including DJ Khaled, Acehood, Future, Chris Brown, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, and more. Luis also owns Just Be Great Studios - a business he co-founded with Indie Jamz Radio, providing resources and professional opportunities to help creatives reach their highest potential. In his talented career, his show production clients have also included Orlando Magic, Disney, PSAV/Encore, and most recently, the Beyonce Renaissance World Tour.
Sebastian entered the industry as an assistant engineer and quickly rose to a full-time senior engineer, working with new artists signed to the Universal Music Group pop/hip-hop roster. He has worked on projects with several Grammy-award winning artists, including T-Pain, Gucci Mane, Lil Wayne, and Yelawolf. Seeking to be useful in whatever session he walks into, Sebastian works as a producer, mixer, mastering engineer, or often a combination of all 3. He also operates a successful freelance business with clients from Capital Records and Republic Records. While his professional focus is pop, hip-hop and R&B, he has had his hands in many genres, from jazz, rock, metal, electronic, musical theater, and world music. Drawing from his day-to-day experiences, Sebastian enjoys sharpening students minds and preparing them for the music industry.
Chris Jay has been a professional audio engineer for over two decades. He got his start in the entertainment industry in 1995 working with Sublime on the first Warped Tour as their merchandise representative and stagehand. After the tour, Lee ”Scratch” Perry invited him to work as an assistant in the studio on the album “Lee Perry vs Sly & Robbie.” That time in the studio was what drove him to dedicate his career to audio engineering. Since then, he has worked on many albums ranging in genre from blues, punk, hardcore, and reggae. In various capacities, he has worked with a wide array of popular artists such as Outkast, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, LL Cool J, Trick Daddy, Cash Money, and The Beach Boys. He also works for Electronic Arts as an Audio Artist handling commentary and sound design for Madden and NBA Live.
I started in sound recording in a small 4-track studio after playing keyboards with a touring band before working for the Record Plant in Los Angeles. At RPLA I worked on the 24 track mobile recording trucks as an EIC. I received a platinum album from Bill Szymczyk for the "Eagles Live" album. I also recorded, produced and mixed several in-studio albums for various artists with record deals
After 10 years in music recording, I worked at Compact Sound Services post-production film sound, and TV audio sweeting for 10 years. Then I transitioned to my own company as a consultant for the Disney Channel, Technicolor, Playboy TV & DirecTV, and helped engineer several cable TV channels. Later, after 15 years of consulting, I worked for Verizon to help launch their streaming TV services and soon after I started teaching electronics and computer programming at ITT-Tech.
For the past 4 years I have been teaching at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts music high school as a substitute teacher.
I have a master's degree in information systems, and a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Phoenix, and an associate degree in electronics technology.
To me, working at FIRST is a dream job, and I am looking forward to working with students to help them succeed in the business of sound and show production.
Britt comes to F.I.R.S.T. with 20 years experience in live sound and has over 100 theatrical design credits. He is currently the Sound Designer In Residency at The Orlando Shakespeare Theater.
In addition to theater design,Britt’s experience includes many film credits that can be found on IMDB. His work has been featured on Good Morning America and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
“Sharing my experience with our students is always the highlight of my day.”
Francisco’s musical journey began one summer night in Puerto Rico when he dusted off an old keyboard and began learning to play his favorite songs. After learning his first chords, he became obsessed with wanting to write, record, and produce songs such as those of his favorite artists like The Beatles, Radiohead, Coldplay, and The Strokes. This obsession led him to attend Berklee College of Music, where he studied Contemporary Writing and Production. Francisco has written and recorded with and for several artists, toured North and South America with his music, as well as scored music for documentaries. His music has been praised by publications such as Noisey, The Deli NYC, Vice Colombia, and Remezcla, among others. Francisco has been teaching students of all ages for 9+ years and has helped formulate and implement curriculums at various institutions. When it comes to teaching, Francisco’s passion is helping students find their own artistic voice through the tools they learn.
Curran Wood is a live sound audio engineer who graduated from Full Sail University in 2015. He started his career in show production straight out of school by jumping into the music festival world and becoming a stage manager/production manager for the Jerry Jam festival in New Hampshire. Through this experience, he made his way to Charlotte, NC where he became a lead audio engineer and production manager for, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. Here he got his experience in mixing FOH for musical theater and learned how to do professional sound system installations. During his time in Charlotte, he also joined the I.A.T.S.E. Local 322 and has been a part of many large-scale productions, including the 2019 N.B.A. All-Star game, multiple yellow card Broadway shows arena shows, and such. During his free time, he enjoys playing guitar and watching sports. Being from Massachusetts, he is a die-hard fan of all Boston sports teams. It has always been a dream for him to teach one day and pass along any knowledge he has to any upcoming audio engineers in the industry. He strives to set each student at F.I.R.S.T. up for success and have all the knowledge they need to know going into the industry after graduation.
Alfredo, professionally known as "Alar" or "Alar On The Mix," is a Puerto Rican-born, South Florida-raised audio engineer, record producer, writer, and artist manager with a profound dedication to music and sound’s creative impact. His career began as a trailblazing high school intern at Miami Beach Recording Studios, where he became the youngest to achieve that position. Since then, Alfredo has established himself as a versatile force in the audio industry, excelling across multiple genres such as Reggaeton, Alternative Rock, Hip-Hop, Dancehall, RnB, Afrobeat, and Heavy Metal.
Alfredo’s diverse portfolio showcases collaborations with renowned artists and producers, including Hadee., Alex Sensation, Poor Stacy, Bam Savage, Yadam Gonzalez, Saga White Black, and Kiko El Crazy. Beyond music production, his expertise has extended to radio commercials, school audiobooks, live performances, and other innovative audio projects. Whether crafting the perfect mix in the studio or managing live tours, Alfredo’s technical skills and artistic vision consistently elevate every project he touches.
At the core of Alfredo’s work is a desire to empower the next generation of creatives. Through mentorship, he shares his industry knowledge and passion, helping rising artists and engineers develop their unique voices and thrive in their craft. His commitment to nurturing talent is matched only by his drive to push boundaries in sound design and production.
Alfredo’s mission is clear—whether he’s behind the console, managing a recording session, or guiding an artist toward success, he is devoted to using his experience and insight to inspire growth and innovation within the music industry.
Liam is an accomplished producer, audio engineer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Orlando, Florida, with a track record of crafting remarkable music. His freelance career as a mixing and recording engineer reflects his ability to seamlessly integrate technical expertise with a bold creative vision, ensuring every project he undertakes reaches new heights.
After earning his degree in audio engineering, Liam launched his career at Orlando’s renowned Plush Studios. Starting as an intern, his dedication and talent quickly advanced him to assistant engineer and ultimately staff engineer. This hands-on experience gave him a deep understanding of professional music production and honed the skills necessary to excel in a competitive industry.
More than just an engineer, Liam is passionate about every aspect of audio. Whether he’s building custom electronics or perfecting tracks, his meticulous attention to detail ensures every project he works on is polished to professional standards. Artists and fellow creators consistently turn to Liam for his expertise, collaborative spirit, and commitment to excellence.
When he’s not in the studio, Liam enjoys mentoring the next generation of audio creatives, inspiring others to turn their passion into thriving careers. His story is proof of what’s possible with determination, skill, and an unwavering love for music—transforming creativity from a personal passion into a meaningful, successful profession.
