Joe Tessone is the owner and lead audio engineer at Mystery Street Recording Company. He is an adjunct professor and graduate of Columbia College Chicago’s famed school of Audio Arts and Acoustics, with a degree specializing in Audio Design and Production. Since 2007, he has been an audio archiving consultant and mastering engineer for the Old Town School of Folk Music where he has helped preserve over 30,000 songs from recordings that date as far back as 1956. He is a member of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, the Audio Engineering Society, Chicago Area Archivists, and is a voting member of The Recording Academy (Grammys). In 2008 was chosen as a panel judge for the 1st annual Native-E Music Awards in Albuquerque, NM. His work has been featured on radio stations across the country and has been highlighted in multiple audio publications, including Live Sound International, Pro Audio Review, Mix Magazine, Sweetwater’s InSync, American Blues Scene, and Working Class Audio Podcast.

A few of Joe’s capstone projects include:

127 Songs Live From the Old Town School of Folk Music, during which he mastered tracks by world renowned artists including Pete Seeger, Jeff Tweedy, Mahalia Jackson, Donovan, Andrew Bird, and more.

Sensaphonics, advising touring engineers and artists (including Steven Tyler, The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket, Lisa Loeb, Wayne Kramer (MC5), John Feldmann (Goldfinger), Chance the Rapper, Thom Yorke, The Lumineers, and David Crosby), and teaching students and doctors of audiology, the implementation of in-ear monitoring in live and studio environments.

Iron and Wine, mix and master of limited release live album in 2014

Sofar Sounds Chicago, head of audio, recording dozens of live performances, including Jack Garrett, Shawnee Dez, CHAI, and Tank and the Bangaz.

In addition to his accomplishments in the field of audio, he is a musician of sorts. His musical career spans over 15 years of experience, most recently as singer/songwriter for the socially conscious punk rock band‚ Behold!‚ and banjo/ukulele player for the Americana ensemble, The Rust Belt Ramblers. Joe also is a volunteer producer for the Punk Rock Karaoke Collective, a community fundraising organization and an advocate for Jail Guitar Doors, an organization dedicated to bringing music to the lives of those in prison.

In his spare time, Joe enjoys playing with his three kids, skateboarding, vegan cooking, and operating the non-profit animal sanctuary, Mystery Meadows, with his wife and fellow audio preservation engineer, Kristen.

If you need an engineer who can tackle any audio project, no matter how complex, Joe is the guy to talk to.

Mickey Cushing is the Studio Systems Manager and Senior Audio Engineer at Mystery Street Recording Company in Chicago. His journey into music began in sixth grade when he bought his first guitar with money he earned washing cars during the summer. He later switched to bass, which became his primary instrument.

In 2000, Mickey got his first taste of studio recording, and it quickly became his lifelong passion. That passion led him to earn a degree from Columbia College Chicago’s renowned Audio Arts & Acoustics program, as well as a certificate in Video Game Sound Design from Berklee College of Music.

While recording remains at the heart of his career, Mickey’s work extends far beyond the studio. He teaches musicians how to get the most from their digital mixing consoles and dial in their in-ear monitor systems, offers private instruction through Mystery Street, engineers and records live sound throughout the Chicago area, and lends his songwriting, production, and bass-playing expertise to artists and projects upon request.

To date, Mickey has written and produced dozens of professionally released Albums and EPs across a wide range of genres. He has also recorded and mixed hundreds of projects for Chicago’s vibrant local music community.

For more than 20 years, Mickey has combined his extensive technical knowledge, creative problem-solving, and hands-on experience to help artists realize their creative vision while contributing to the continued growth of Chicago’s music scene.