SFSU grad lands Grammy nod for Album of the Year as a mastering engineer

Studies have shown that one must practice for 10,000 hours to master their craft. Zach Pereyra completed a lofty number of his hours at San Francisco State University before earning his first Grammy Award nomination this year.   

Pereyra’s Grammy nomination came in the Album of the Year category as the mastering engineer for “Let God Sort Em Out,” performed by the Clipse with production by Pharrell Williams.  

Pereyra (B.A., ’17) credits SFSU’s Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts (BECA) Department for helping him discover his career path. He found a home in the campus music recording studio that was helmed by Professor John Barsotti beginning in 1973. Barsotti, a respected audio engineer, became a mentor to Pereyra.   

“He had all these old two-track, four-track, eight-track tapes,” Pereyra said. “One semester, I did an independent study program with him. I would refurbish some of the tapes a little bit, and then I would transfer his old recordings from the 1970s and 1980s, to archive them digitally. 

“I didn’t know it then, but the reel-to-reel tape machine that we had is one of the gold standards when it comes to mastering music,” he added. “There have been times within the last couple years when I’ve had to use that type of tape machine.” 

When Pereyra wasn’t in the studio, he could often be found at the student-run radio station, KSFS. He and his friends had a show where they improvised to make beats live on air. Pereyra also broadened his horizons by taking electives in areas such as Music and Cinema. While taking a Journalism class, he met his future wife, Mackenzie Guthrie (B.A., ’17), now a marketing and communications specialist.

As a mastering engineer, Pereyra begins his work after the music is recorded and mixed. He makes final adjustments to all sonic components, including enhancing tracks to taste and the sequencing of albums. 

“I’m the last set of ears to come in and be an objective listener,” he said. “It is my goal to ensure that the emotion of a record is achieving what the intention is supposed to be. It’s inherently musical and sometimes technical, but also, I find sometimes there’s some psychology to it. We’re so close to the finish line, and it’s my job to make everybody feel like we’re done and ready to go.” 

Pereyra grew up in the Los Angeles area and entered SFSU as a Gators baseball recruit. His first-ever trip to 19th and Holloway came, however, when he was 9 or 10 years old, to visit an older sister living in an SFSU residence hall. “I knew that if I could make it work, I would go there,” he said.  

Pereyra now works out of the storied Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood, founded by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. He was relentless about getting his foot in the door at Larrabee once he and Guthrie moved to Southern California three years after SFSU. 

“I kept calling until I got an interview to be a studio runner, taking food orders, taking out the trash, cleaning the bathrooms and stuff,” he said.   

It’s safe to say Pereyra has far exceeded his 10,000 hours of training. He has mastered more than 1,000 songs, garnering 45 billion streams worldwide. His upcoming projects include albums from Charlie Puth and Lizzo.  

Pereyra and Guthrie reflect upon their SFSU years often. 

“Oh, man, I loved it. It was the coolest,” he said. “I remember vividly experiences in the Creative Arts building, working on projects, hearing music and then walking outside and there’s a demonstration or protest. Passion and creativity all over.”  

Learn more about the Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Department. 

Photo courtesy of Zach Pereyra