Full Sail Stories

Only five years removed from graduation, Recording Arts graduate Trinity Wohlferd is already making a name for herself in Miami’s recording scene, working full time as an Assistant Engineer at renowned Criteria Recording Studios. In her time at the studio – which has seen the likes of Fleetwood Mac, James Brown, The Eagles, and many more – Trinity has worked on recording sessions for artists including Ozuna, Grupo Frontera, Megan Thee Stallion and Marc Anthony.

“I started writing music when I was 12 years old,” shares Trinity. “Once I learned the technical side at Full Sail, how to mix, master, and record, that's when I was like, ‘Yeah, I don't want to be an artist. I want to work on the recording/mixing side full-time.’”

Trinity, who struggled in traditional academic settings, found she was able to flourish in her time at Full Sail. “I was able to grind because I was interested in [music], so it definitely wasn't high school where I was like, ‘Yeah, I don't care about math or English.’ It was super cool that we were making beats for homework and mixing for homework, and it's like, ‘Oh, I can do this for a career.’”

Following her time at Full Sail, Trinity received the prestigious Pensado’s Place scholarship and was selected among hundreds of applicants to attend the Abbey Road Institute in Miami, where, working in studio sessions with artists like Bad Bunny, she was able to continue to hone her craft and longtime passion for music.

Moving to Miami for a year of full-time school, Trinity knew she had to find a steady source of income to cover living expenses, leading her to Criteria. “That's what got me to Criteria because it was like, ‘Well if I'm moving to Miami, I want to work at the best studio possible.’ So I was juggling school full time and working full-time at Criteria. So that was a lot for a year.”

Trinity’s commitment to growing in the industry and building connections has certainly worked in her favor. Since working at Criteria, the grad has been credited on several high-profile Latin music recordings, including Grammy nominee for Best Latin Jazz Album, Collab by Hamilton de Holanda and Gonzalo Rubalcaba.

The grad frequently finds herself in awe of the sessions she’s able to help bring to life, recalling one of her favorite experiences, a session with all-time top-selling salsa artist Marc Anthony. “He came to the studio. I was in the session the whole time… but basically I was behind the console sitting on the sub just watching them create. And it's like, ‘Marc Anthony is right there performing. Is this even real?’ And just the artistry, and the creativity, and the flow everybody's in. The energy in that room was unreal.”

While the grad doesn’t sugarcoat the reality of the sacrifice and dedication it takes to work in the music industry, she certainly isn’t planning to walk away from the console anytime soon.

“I absolutely love my job. Even when I joke that I hate my job,” Trinity jokes. “I love my job because, at the end of the day, my goal is to be happy to do what I love for a living, and I am doing that. Is it the best pay in the world? No. Is it terrible hours? Yeah. But at the same time, I'm not working a 9-to-5 at the post office. I'm in the studio with these amazing artists that I grew up listening to. There's nothing better than that.”