WCA #611 with Scott McDowell – Berklee, California vs New York, Getting Fired, Becoming a Studio Partner, and Getting Hit by a Car

Scott McDowell is a producer, engineer, and co-owner of Wally's Hydeout at Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco. In episode 611 they talk about getting fired from his first SF internship, becoming a studio partner at Wally’s Hydeout, surviving COVID, getting hit by a car in March 2026, recovering from a TBI, and why every freelancer in California needs to sign up for state disability insurance before something happens.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Co-owning a Studio, Making Records, and Working in Game Audio
• Growing Up in Novato — North Marin County
• A Broadcast Engineer Dad
• Working Niners Games on the Sideline
• Heading to Berklee for Trumpet
• A Hernia That Ended the Trumpet Career and Started the Recording One
• City College SF, SF Soundworks, and Getting Fired
• John Vanderslice, Tiny Telephone, and the Referral to Justin Phelps
• Interning at Hyde Street Studios With Justin Phelps and Jaimeson Durr
• Filling the Calendar for Six Months to Avoid Being Replaced — Then Getting Made a Partner
• The CDR Run That He Thought Was a Firing
• Eight Years of Game Audio
• COVID Survival
• Getting Hit by a Car in Northridge
• The TBI, the Wheelchair, and Coming Back
• California Disability Insurance Elective Coverage — Why Every Freelancer Should Sign Up

Matt's RANT!: Accumulation

Links and Show Notes:

• Fader Solo: https://fadersolo.com/
• California Disability Insurance Elective Coverage (EDD): https://edd.ca.gov/en/payroll_taxes/Disability_Insurance_Elective_Coverage/
• WCA #082 with Justin Phelps: https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-082-justin-phelps/
• WCA #211 with Jaimeson Durr: https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-211-with-jaimeson-durr/
• WCA #047 with John Vanderslice: https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-047-with-john-vanderslice/

Credits:

• Guest: Scott McDowell
• Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
• WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
• The Voice: Chuck Smith