The self-taught multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native talks about taking his leap.
A life in music requires passion, creativity, and dedication - and for many creators, their trajectory can be traced back to a defining moment that changed everything: the moment they took the leap.
St. Louis native Mad Keys is a multi-instrumentalist and alt hip-hop producer whose soul-heavy sound has led to two full-lengths, four EPs, and a substantial selection of singles drenched in lush melodics and groove-heavy rhythms. As a self-taught musician, the key takeaways from Mad Keys' musical journey have been the importance of perseverance, the value of taking risks, and the power of community.
Watch as Mad Keys performs his unreleased track Powered through the all-new PreSonus Quantum ES 4 audio interface, and talks about his creative process, teaching himself to play piano, and how cooking up a song is a lot like brewing a great cup of coffee.
When it comes to writing music, Brandon McCadney - aka Mad Keys - aims to strike a balance between time-honored processes and a fundamental openness to whatever excites him at the moment. I'm definitely a process-driven person, and that shows up in a lot of areas in my life. But my process changes a bit each time I sit down to create. It truly depends on what I'm inspired by at the moment.
It's a balanced, contemplative approach that Mad Keys is quick to compare with another of his favorite daily processes. For me, making a great cup of coffee is kind of like sitting down to create a song. In both cases, I have a routine that requires me to have patience and focus.
Keys was raised in a musical family and learned to play violin when he was just 9 years old - a move that would introduce him to classical elements of discipline and melodic instrumentation at a very early age. But it wasn't until high school that he discovered hip-hop and jazz. I was listening to what everyone else was listening to: Gucci Mane, Jeezy, and Lil Wayne. I'm thankful for my brother and sister because they introduced me to artists like OutKast, N.E.R.D., Kanye, Lupe, and Santigold.
One day, he heard a friend playing Coldplay's Trouble on piano, and was immediately captured by the sound. When he asked his friend how he figured it out, he told me that he learned how to play that song from a video on YouTube. So, I went home, turned on this old keyboard, opened up the tutorial, and learned that song. It was at that moment when I said Yo, I can learn how to play piano!'
Being an independent artist certainly has its share of ups and downs, and none more so than during the global pandemic. There was a pivotal moment in 2020 when I almost gave up on music. My wife and I had just moved to a new city in the middle of the pandemic, and I felt lost. I remember telling bae that I might put music on the back burner. But that same night, I received several signs urging me to persevere. I decided to start creating visuals of myself making music in my room, not knowing where it would lead. I had no idea that the next 4 years would lead to building a growing community of supporters, producers, and creatives.
Four years and several soulful albums later, Mad Keys continues to grow and develop as a musician. But his aspirations go far beyond mere technical improvement, serving a deeper purpose as a vehicle for personal growth and a daily reminder of the power in community: My sonic leap wasn't just about honing my talent: it was about learning to bet on myself and embrace the unknown.
PreSonus products used: PreSonus Quantum ES 4 USB-C Audio Interface, PreSonus ATOM Controller.
Meet the all-new family of Quantum USB-C Recording Audio Interfaces, and get in-depth information about the entire product line here.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...
08/05/2026
COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content
Brie Clayton May 7, 2026
0 Comments
UGC, On-Camera Video Content
April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
At BroadcastAsia 2026, Interra Systems will demonstrate its latest innovations in automated quality control (QC), real-time monitoring, and captioning. The comp...
07/05/2026
At this year's Broadcast Asia, PlayBox Neo is set to unveil recent innovations across its PlayBox Neo Suite and integrated range of broadcast media solution...
The self-taught multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native talks about taking his leap.
