It’s almost here! studio recording music production live performance

Mondo productions was started to house my own operation of music and production through live band and show arrangements,studio recording, and teaching , as well as leave a legacy for my children to take over when they are old enough …. I was inspired by my Dad ,James Brown, Quincy Jones, Donny Hathaway , Stevie Wonder , Earth Wind and Fire , and Micheal Jackson . The teachings I got in high school helped me want to do this even more to keep the Arts alive through music and expression. This is all in hopes to inspire a generation of people and grow as a community with the appreciation for the arts and culture and make timeless music that will last forever....

Armoné Blakely was born in 1989 in Gary Indiana into a very musical family and culture around the city. My mom was the song bird in church and my dad was a musician playing all over the country. All of my siblings and cousins played an instruments or had to sing. I decided to play and sing. In 1995 I attended Norton Elementary school where I received the award for the Highest Grade point average with a 4.0GPA and perfect attendance earning the (Valedictorian Leslie J. White award ). 

In 2001 I attended Beckman Middle School where I first learned to read drum music by Mr. Delwin Murphy and compete in competitions around the region and also becoming the Drum Captain for the school Band . I was captain of the football and basketball team while still maintaining the second highest GPA with a 3.7earning me the salutatorian award. In 2004-2008 I attended East Chicago Central High School where I learned to read piano music and play in recitals and concerts . 

I also learned to DJ with turntables, navigate DAWS for recording music and vocals through Logic, Reason, and Protools. As part of the curriculum, we also learned to navigate keyboard, workstations and softwares ,film using top of the line cameras and editing with graphic design projects. By my senior year I became Co-Choir president of Dr. Leon Kendricks 60 piece choir. 

We put on stage plays , high school musicals , sang Christmas carols around the region. I also learned choreography and stage management with a full crew and staging with tech sheets and responsible for live arrangements and band … I also played basketball and football and trained with the wrestling team… 

Central high school owes me nothing because those were some of the best 4 years of my life growing up and being able to attend a well diversed school with all walks of life and experience some of the best teachers and people I still call friends and family til this day. I graduated in 2008 with a 3.0 GPA and some college credits. In August of 2008 I attended Vincennes University where I studied music audio recording. 

I learned how to record in analog and digital methods. I learned the fundamentals of audio maintenance and how to solder my own cables with a soldering machine. 

I was apart of the F.A.M.E. Organization where Fashion, Arts, Music, and Expression can unify and excel. We put on shows and I was programming musical presentations with lighting teams and a stage crews. There were models , spoken word artist, painting artist , Singers , Rappers , Musicians , all coming together to put on shows during our time there at VU . In July of 2009, I lost my mom to stage 4 cancer and relocated to Toledo with my dad to get a change of scenery and a fresh start. In September of 2009 I played drums in churches and joined the Soul Hustle Band as a keyboard player. We performed in venues all over the city and surrounding area. 

We recorded some timeless material and had the heart of the city with the neo soul vibes ,funk and R&B. In 2010 I also met who became my brother and fellow band member , Adrian Henry who played the bass and drums .. His passion for music helped cultivate my gift and we started recording music with a family of musicians called WallMusic. 

We had an allstar band and acted like rockstars by throwing our own shows and events throughout the city , traveling the country playing shows , recording albums and becoming really good friends . We played news stations , radio stations , major artist in the industry ,even now until this day . From 2014 until the preset ,I’ve played for multiple cover bands like , Fu5ion, E11even, The Jam Band , Jesse Coleman Band , Overton Project, Continuity, Tantric Soul , Carmen Miller Music , and now currently with The Distant Cousinz where I have found more musical brothers who I look at as family. Today I currently produce music daily between my personal studio and I also work at 50Way studios in the downtown area