Rob Chiarelli (born January 13, 1963) is an American record producer, mix engineer, musician, published author and multiple Grammy Award winner. Widely recognized as a music producer for Will Smith and Men in Black II (2002), Chiarelli's work appears on numerous gold and platinum albums and motion picture soundtracks, including twenty Grammy winners.

Early life

Chiarelli was born in Newton, Massachusetts, and raised in Waltham, Massachusetts. He started playing the drums when he was ten years old. By junior high school, he was performing in school bands and participating in the Massachusetts All-State Jazz Ensemble and the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. By age 17, he had received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award (twice) and numerous awards from the International Association of Jazz Educators (formerly the National Association for Jazz Education, NAJE). Chiarelli graduated from Waltham High School in 1981 and attended the University of Miami School of Music on a scholarship, where he studied under the direction of Don Coffman, Fred Wickstrom and Vince Maggio. He formed his own band Inferno which recorded with producer Gary Vandy and included members Tim Mitchell (guitar), Dag Kolsrud (keyboards), Rick Margitza (sax), Mike Mangini (drums), Ed Calle (sax), Mike Lambert (trumpet) and Jeff Miller (keyboards)

Career

After moving to Los Angeles, California in 1989, Chiarelli joined Paramount Recording Studios as an assistant engineer and quickly worked his way up to a first chair recording and mix engineer. His professional breakthrough came with legendary producer Jay King while working with the Grammy-winning R&B group Club Nouveau. Impressed with Chiarelli's work, King asked him to mix the entire Nouveau album, which reached #12 on the Billboard R&B Charts. While working on Club Nouveau at Aire LA Studios in Glendale, California, Chiarelli met mix engineer/mentor Craig Burbidge and worked on numerous hit records from artists such as Calloway, Chuckii Booker and Teddy Pendergrass.

In 1991 Chiarelli founded Final Mix, Inc., a music production company specializing in contemporary music and artist development. Chiarelli was also CEO of Metro Beat Records, a joint venture with Semaphore Records from 1993 until 1996. In 1997, Chiarelli formed 3.6 Records, a joint venture record label distributed by BMG/Red Ant and located in West Hollywood, CA.

In 2008, Chiarelli co-founded Gauge Precision Instruments, Inc. (originally Gauge, Inc.), a manufacturer of audio electronics and accessories for professional and consumer markets. In 2013, Final Mix, Inc. expanded to include music software development.

Mixing and production

As a mix engineer and record producer, Chiarelli has worked with such well known artists as Will Smith, Christina Aguilera, LeAnn Rimes, Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Janet Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Keiko Matsui, Coolio, Ray Charles, American Idol, Pink, Johnny Mathis, Paula Abdul, Diana Ross, En Vogue, Ice Cube, The Four Tops, Yolanda Adams, The Temptations, 3LW, K-Ci & JoJo, Madonna, Aaliyah, Hilary Duff, Jesse McCartney, Ricky Martin, The Corrs, Luther Vandross, Erin Boheme and Charlie Wilson.

His recordings have been nominated numerous times for Grammy Awards including Christina Aguilera, Will Smith, Mary Mary and Yolanda Adams.

As a musician

Chiarelli is a classically trained musician; his principal instruments include both the electric bass and orchestral percussion. As a musician his work can be heard on the recordings of Keiko Matsui, Will Smith, Hilary Duff, Waldemar Bastos, Jesse McCartney, Tatayana Ali, Teddy Pendergrass, Ray Charles, Jennifer Paige and The Corrs.

As a songwriter his work has appeared on Erin Boheme (Concord Records), Sunz of Man (BMG/SONY) and on the motion picture soundtrack of Love Stinks, a 1999 comedy starring French Stewart, Bridgette Wilson, Bill Bellamy and Tyra Banks.

Publishing

In 2009, Chiarelli's first book The Electric Bass Bible: Volume 1 Dexterity Exercises was published by Cherry Lane Music Publishing Company, Inc., a division of Hal Leonard.

Clinician and speaker

Chiarelli has been a featured speaker & clinician at Berklee College of Music, University of Illinois, NAMM, TAXI, ASCAP, The Grammy Museum, FSU (Florida State University), MEIEA (Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association), NXNE (North by Northeast Music Convention), Los Angeles Recording School, The International Digital Rights Foundation, Hank Shocklee's Remix Hotel, California Lawyers for the Arts, The Trebas Institute & The Sacramento Music Conference.

Societies and guilds

  • NARAS
  • Audio Engineering Society
  • AFM Local 47 Musicians Union
  • Guitar Center Pro Advisory Board
  • Commissioner (2010-2011 Westlake Pony Baseball)
  • Board of Director for
  • Pierce College Commercial Music - CTE Advisory Committee

Selected discography

Soundtracks

Grammy Awards

YearCategorySong/AlbumFieldResult
1996Best Engineered Album (non-classical)Q's Jook JointProduction & EngineeringWon (Quincy Jones)
1997Best Rap Solo PerformanceMen In BlackRapWon (Will Smith)
2000Best Contemporary Soul Gospel AlbumMountain High, Valley LowR&BWon (Yolanda Adams)
2000Best New ArtistChristina AguileraGeneralWon (Christina Aguilera)
2009Best Gospel AlbumThe SoundR&BNominated (Mary Mary)
2009Best Gospel SongMary MaryR&BWon (Mary Mary)
2009Best Gospel AlbumBold Right LifeR&BNominated (Kierra Sheard)
2010Best Traditional Pop Vocal AlbumLet It Be Me: Mathis in NashvilleR&BNominated (Johnny Mathis)
2011Best Gospel AlbumSomething Big (album)R&BNominated (Mary Mary)
2012Best Gospel AlbumHello FearR&BWon (Kirk Franklin)
2013Best Gospel SongGo Get It (album)R&BWon (Mary Mary)
2014Best Gospel SongA Little More JesusR&BNominated (Mary Mary)
2014Best Gospel SongI BelieveR&BNominated (Charlie Wilson)
2015Best Gospel SongHelpGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (Mary Mary)
2015Best Contemporary Instrumental AlbumJazz, Funk, SoulContemporary InstrumentalNominated (Jeff Lorber, Chuck Loeb, Everette Harp)
2015Best Gospel AlbumHelpGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (Mary Mary)
2016Best Gospel SongWanna Be HappyGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (Kirk Franklin)
2016Best Gospel AlbumLife Music: Stage TwoGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (Jonathan McReynolds)
2017Best Gospel AlbumLosing My ReligionGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (Kirk Franklin)
2018Best Gospel SongToo Hard Not ToGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (Tina Campbell (musician))
2018Best Gospel SongMy LifeGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (The Walls Group)
2019Best R&B SongMade For LoveR&BNominated (Charlie Wilson (singer)) (Lalah Hathaway)
2019Best Gospel SongCyclesGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (Jonathan McReynolds)
2019Best Gospel SongNever AloneGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (Tori Kelly)
2019Best Gospel AlbumA Great WorkGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (Brian Courtney Wilson)
2019Best Gospel AlbumThe Other SideGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (The Walls Group)
2019Best Gospel AlbumMake RoomGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (Jonathan McReynolds)
2019Best Gospel AlbumHiding PlaceGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (Tori Kelly)
2020Best Gospel SongLove TheoryGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (Kirk Franklin)
2020Best Gospel AlbumLong, Live, LoveGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (Kirk Franklin)
2021Best Gospel SongMovin' OnGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (Jonathan McReynolds)
2022Best Gospel AlbumLive In LAGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (Jonny X Mali)
2022Best Global Music AlbumMother NatureGlobal MusicWon (Angélique Kidjo)
2023Best Contemporary Christian SongSo GoodGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (DOE)
2023Best Gospel AlbumClarityGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (DOE)
2023Best Gospel SongWhen I PrayGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (DOE)
2023Best Gospel SongKingdomGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin)
2023Best Contemporary Christian SongFear Is Not My FutureGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin)
2023Best Gospel AlbumKingdom: Book One DeluxeGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin)
2024Best Gospel SongAll ThingsGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (Kirk Franklin)
2024Best Gospel AlbumMy TruthGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (Jonathan McReynolds)
2024Best Gospel SongAll ThingsGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (Kirk Franklin)
2025Best Contemporary Christian SongHoly HandsGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (DOE)
2025Best Contemporary Christian AlbumHeart of a HumanGospel & Contemporary ChristianWon (DOE)
2025Best Gospel AlbumFather's DayGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (Kirk Franklin)
2026Best Gospel AlbumSunny DaysGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (Yolanda Adams)
2026Best Gospel SongDo It AgainGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (Kirk Franklin)
2026Best Traditional Pop Vocal AlbumThe Gift of LoveGospel & Contemporary ChristianNominated (Jennifer Hudson)

Publishing history

  • The Electric Bass Bible: Volume 1 Dexterity Exercises (2009)

Further reading

  • (March 2010)

External links