How to resolve AdBlock issue? Focusrite & ADAM Audio for Starr Parodi & Jeff Fair
GRAMMY Award recipients, composer/producers Starr Parodi (pictured left) and Jeff Fair (right), known for their orchestral compositions, award-winning scores and boundary-pushing creative work, have found renewed momentum after losing their home and studio in the catastrophic L.A. wildfire. In the wake of unimaginable loss, industry partners Focusrite and ADAM Audio stepped in to support the duo, helping them re-establish a creative base to continue their work on multiple major music projects. “Focusrite and ADAM really gave us the foundation to rebuild,” says Starr Parodi. “Through their help, we were able to set up a proper writing and production room and get back to making music.”
The fire, which devastated their Pacific Palisades property and consumed decades of creative output, claimed not only their home but also a beloved studio filled with vintage gear and irreplaceable instruments, including a 1928 Steinway & Sons Model B Grand Piano once owned by MGM Studios. Parodi’s Steinway was more than just an instrument; it was a creative companion steeped in musical history. Crafted with resonant, character-rich wood and played by legendary composers such as Harold Arlen, George Gershwin, and Irving Berlin, the piano contributed to iconic film scores, including The Wizard of Oz. Its unique tonal personality and historic lineage made it an irreplaceable part of Parodi’s work. Among the losses were also vintage guitars, violins, microphones, outboard gear, and all but a few treasured synthesizers and recording components.
Immediately after the fire, Parodi and Fair began rebuilding their workflow in a new writing room at Sonic Fuel Studios in El Segundo. At the heart of their new system is the Focusrite Red 16Line audio interface, serving as the studio’s primary hub, along with ADAM Audio S3H monitors, which replaced their previous ADAM Audio S3As lost in the fire. They were able to save a pair of AKG C12 microphones and some vintage synths from the fire. The upgraded monitoring environment, combined with select outboard gear and preserved sample libraries, has enabled the duo to maintain the quality of their productions while working in a smaller footprint. "With the Red 16Line, everything connects seamlessly – our compressors, preamps and synths," says Jeff Fair. “And the ADAM S3Hs let us hear with the same confidence we had before. That familiarity helped us move forward.”
Since reestablishing their studio, Parodi and Fair have completed a variety of high-profile projects, including a new musical score for the Laguna Pageant of the Masters, which previewed over the July 4th weekend, as well as collaborating with GRAMMY-winning artist Kitt Wakeley on Seven Seasons, a powerful new orchestral work and follow-up to An Adoption Story, their GRAMMY®-winning project in the category of Best Classical Compendium. Conceived as a metaphorical suite chronicling seven emotional stages of tragedy, Seven Seasons’ themes have taken on deeply personal meaning for the duo in the wake of their loss, even though the project began before the wildfire. The music has served as both expression and healing, mirroring the stages of grief they’ve experienced and underscoring the emotional resonance that continues to drive their creative work. “We recorded it with the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London,” stated Parodi. It features piano performances by Parodi and spoken word by GRAMMY-nominated poet Sekou Andrews. The album will be mixed by GRAMMY award-winning audio engineer Eva Reistad.
They are also currently working on an orchestral commission for the Houston-based ensemble ROCO, inspired by a life-changing experience Parodi had in a South Pacific Ocean riptide. “I literally just finished this piece, and I will be orchestrating it over the next few weeks,” said Parodi. That piece, composed in the temporary writing space in Playa del Rey, CA, will premiere live in Houston on September 26 and 27.
Despite losing nearly everything, one extraordinary relic was saved: the Steinway piano’s cast-iron harp miraculously survived. Through the efforts of first responders, city workers, and the Army Corps of Engineers, the harp was recovered from the ashes and rubble and is now preserved, symbolizing not only resilience, but the enduring spirit of music, community and creativity. “Everyone who touched that piano to help us, workers, immigrants, soldiers – it became a living symbol of humanity,” says Parodi. “And in that same spirit, Focusrite and ADAM helped bring our music back to life. We’re so grateful.”