Jeff Neiblum

The Sound Sculptor

Jeff Neiblum

Jeff Neiblum is an American audio engineer, music producer, songwriter, drummer, and former computer programmer. Best known for his extensive session work in New York City during the 1970s and 1980s, Neiblum has contributed to several gold and platinum records across genres, including rock, jazz, ambient, and experimental music. He founded The Sound Sculptor, an initiative to empower musicians to build home studios and produce original music.

Early Life and Education

Neiblum was raised in a musically inclined household. His grandfather, Jacques Neiblum, was a concert violinist and music theory professor at Juilliard. Jeff began piano lessons as a toddler, later transitioning to trumpet in his school band, and eventually to drums in 1964.

After moving with his family to the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1967, Neiblum played in local bands and began DJing at popular nightclubs, including Le Club and Someplace Else, despite being underage. He also co-hosted a local radio show, The St. Thomas Transcendental Subway Society, which hosted many famous artists visiting from the mainland, including Simon & Garfunkel and the Jefferson Airplane. The show was eventually canceled for airing controversial content (specifically, God Damn the Pusher Man by Steppenwolf).

He earned his FCC license and worked at various local radio stations, eventually hosting his own show modeled after New York’s WNEW-FM.

Music Education

• Drums: Fred Begun (National Symphony), Sonny Igoe (CBS Orchestra), Bernard Purdie • Music Theory: Jacques Neiblum (Juilliard) • Audio Engineering: New School for Social Research • Multimedia Technology: Red Rocks College

Career

Music and Recording

Neiblum moved to New York City in 1970 after graduating high school. He immersed himself in the city’s vibrant music scene. He played in bands that performed at renowned venues like CBGBs, Max’s Kansas City, Danceteria, The Mudd Club, Kenny’s Castaways, ABC No Rio, Limelight and World.

Jeff worked at the Village Voice, where he managed back issues and occasionally wrote music reviews for the Riffs column. During this time, he practiced drums in the basement of the newspaper's office.

In 1975, Neiblum began working at Manny’s Music, eventually becoming a drum salesman. There, he met influential figures in the music industry, leading to session work and gigs. A pivotal moment in his career came when he joined Unique Recording Studios, a pioneering hub for MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) technology in the early 1980s.

Neiblum rose from assistant engineer to lead sessions, becoming one of the early adopters of MIDI programming. He helped develop one of the first sampled sound libraries, which has been used in numerous iconic recordings. Notable Collaborations

Neiblum has worked with a diverse range of artists including:

• Keith Sweat • Andrew Lloyd Webber • Jimmy Cliff • Billy Ocean • Melba Moore • Michael Bolton • Chaka Khan • Starpoint • Shannon • Doug E. Fresh • Maurice Starr • Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark (OMD) • Malcolm McLaren • The Boogie Boys • Sly Fox • La Toya Jackson • Tiny Tim • Drew Zingg and many more.

Solo Albums

Neiblum has released five solo albums in which he composed, performed, recorded, and mixed all the material:

• In A Mind’s Eye (2025) • Waterfalling (2008) • Strings and Hammers (2007) • Bird Watching (2007) • Traveling Music (2006)

Audiobook Narration

• The Bicycle Shop by William C. Knowles • Common Sense Recovery by Adam N.

Career in Technology

In the mid-1980s, Neiblum shifted his focus to computer programming. He studied at The Computer Learning Center in San Francisco and went on to work for several organizations, including:

• Computer Research Corp. (1990–1992) • Isys Corp. (1992–1993) • Accenture (1993–2016) • Plaza Construction (2016–2018) • City of New York (2018–2020) • Change Healthcare (2020–2023)

The Sound Sculptor

In 2023, Neiblum left the tech industry to return to his musical roots. He founded The Sound Sculptor, a platform dedicated to helping musicians, especially those returning to music after time away, build and operate a home recording studio.

His flagship course, Your Sound Sanctuary, provides comprehensive guidance for musicians setting up personal production spaces.

See Also:

• MIDI Technology • https://www.thesoundsculptor.com • Unique Recording Studios • World Radio History • Backstage • ... Teddy Riley – producer, keyboards, drumprogramming Fred McFarlane – keyboards Jeff Neiblum – recording engineer,percussion Clifford Branch – keyboards, background... • The Hunger (Michael Bolton album) ...Linn 9000 programming (4) Jeff Neiblum –programming (1, 8) Jonathan Cain – keyboards (2, 3, 6, 7) Jeff Bova... • Let's Go All the Way (album) ...assistant engineer Cathy Gazzo – assistant engineerJeff Jones – assistant engineer Jeff Neiblum – assistant engineer John Klett – assistantengineer... • Fans (album) ...production Mike Finlayson – engineering Tom Lord-Alge – engineeringJeff Neiblum – assistant engineering John Davenport – associate engineeringBradshaw... • I Remember You Now... ...Adam Beckman Edited by Sean Campbell Ian B. WileMusic by Al Houghton Jeff Neiblum Gary Ray Release date August 21, 2005 (2005-08- 21) Running time 15 minutes... • https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Mix-Magazine/80s/87/Mix-1987- 05.pdf

References

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