Lonnie knocks it out of the Park

Freeville native, and longtime musician and producer, Lonnie Park has won two Grammy Awards earlier this month in California bringing his lifetime award count to three. 

One of the Grammys Park received was for his role as producer and engineer for the Best Immersive album titled “Divine Tides” in partnership with Stewart Copeland, founder and drummer of the band, The Police, and Ricky Kej, an Indian musical composer. The album was an immersive sound version of the original soundtrack, under the same name, that won Park his first Grammy in 2022

His second Grammy for 2023 was given for his role as the sole producer for the Best Global album titled “Sakura.” Park worked with Japanese artist Masa Takumi on this album. 

Back in 2013, Park had his first experience with the Grammy Awards for his work on the 2012 album “Rumbadoodle.” The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Instrumental Pop album category in February 2013 with Park in the role of composer and performer, but did not win.

Growing up in Freeville, Park attended Brooktondale Baptist School until his senior year of high school when he then transferred to Dryden High School.

“It was my senior year at Dryden where I met many lifelong friends but it was Kevin Hicks that really fostered the musical side of things for me, showed me it could be a career,” Park said 

And a career it became. Ever since this period in Park’s life he has worn many hats within the music industry. He was part of various cover groups in the local region, is a singer-songwriter, plays various instruments, and was in the popular band “Ten Man Push.” For quite a while, Park also ran a music store, Ultimate Music, in Cortland with friend and business partner, Steven Barnes.

Barnes unfortunately passed away in 2010. It was around this time that Park decided to close the store because his career had recently taken him into the recording business.

That recording business is still up and running out of Park’s home in Dryden where he resides with his wife, Jodi, and two sons. The house includes its own addition for the studio.

“In my business it’s a bit of a grind and it’s really difficult. You have to stick it out in the music business,” Park said. “It takes a lot of support and my wife has just been unbelievable. There’s been a lot of growth, so I’ve had to lean on the people in my life and they’ve just been supportive in so many ways.”

This support has also come from partners and collaborators on various projects. Some of that support, from artists such as Copeland and Kej, have turned into long-term friendships and led to new ideas. 

Nate Horton, one of these long-time friends, is also a Groton local. Horton is a music engineer and life-long drummer who was, in 2020, inducted into the Indie Music Hall of Fame. 

“Lonnie will get the best out of you and what you’re trying to portray musically,” Horton said. “He’s just a great guy to work with and really easy to get along with.” 

Horton and Park first met around 20 years ago, according to Horton, when they were both working with a local guitarist. They’ve worked on a couple of projects together since then. Their most recent joint endeavor was with local country artist, Tink Bennett. Bennett is the front man of Tink Bennett and Tailor Made, who are based out of Cortland.

Another musician, Masa Takumi, had only positive things to say about his experience working with Park. Masa said he specifically asked Park to produce “Sakura” because he enjoyed the work they had previously done together. Masa and Park said the album honors the sights, sounds, and heritage of Japan with calls to other parts of Asia sprinkled into the album. 

“Park taught me that the first ten seconds of a song is very important for the audience and for Grammy criteria,” Takumi said. “He was great when giving me tips for adjusting global music and I really admire him as a producer, musician, and as a person.”

Not only has Park offered to teach the things he has learned in the music business to others in the industry, but he has also been an adjunct professor at Tompkins Cortland Community College in their music program.

Park’s initial contact with TC3 was as a student when he first attended college for communications since there was no music program during that time. After a year and a half, Park said he left to continue pursuing music. He added that he eventually went back and finished his degree. 

“Since the school didn’t have a program like what I needed when I started, Chris Xaver reached out a couple years back and asked me if I could help get a music program started,” Park said. “Something that would include music production and recording and I’m very privileged to have been a part of that.” 

Xaver is the program chair of Communication and Media Arts at Tompkins Cortland Community College. 

In addition to getting the TC3 music program off the ground, Park served as an adjunct professor within the program for a short time. 

“Sometimes you ask yourself ‘Am I in the right business?’ and if you have the right people in your life they help you answer that question and my wife, my kids, even my dad who passed away a couple years ago, they just really solidified my place and supported me.”