ABOUT

Between being honored as a Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum engineer as well as an award-winning producer to developing some of Philadelphia’s most notable musical exports, David Ivory’s impact on the music industry has been undeniable. His recording and production talents have led to millions of albums sold and marked the beginnings of many high-profile artists.

Ivory’s career took off during his years as an independent engineer, producer at the legendary Sigma Sound Studios-Philadelphia. He would record the Roots' first four albums ending in a Grammy Nomination for “Thing Fall Apart.” Ivory’s room at Sigma was a hub for Neo-Soul artists. From Erykah Badu’s Baduizm, Common, Razelle, Zap Mama, and many more. Ivory also started working with Patti Labelle and soul legends Bunny Sigler and John Ellison, to name a few. In early 2001 Ivory opened Dylanava Studios.

Here Ivory began cultivating two young rock and roll bands from the Philadelphia area, Silvertide, and future Grammy-winners Halestorm. Ivory’s direction guided ivory; both bands were developed, produced, and ultimately signed to major label deals (J Records and Atlantic Records, respectively).

Ivory has been a voting member of the Recording Academy since 1992. His experience through the Grammy organization ranges from serving as not only the president of the Philadelphia chapter from 2010 to 2012 but also as a two-term national trustee from 2012-2016 and co-chair of the National Membership Committee. Ivory currently is on the Board of Governors for the Philadelphia Chapter and is the Chair for the newly formed Music Industry Task Force for the city of Philadelphia developed by the city council and congressman Oh to take on the “state-of-affairs” regarding the music business.

However, it has never been limited to just the confines of the recording studio. Ivory has always been committed to educating other industry hopefuls throughout his years, beginning with his work in 2001 and Barry Additcks pioneering Drexel University’s music industry program. Here he would begin his teaching career as an adjunct professor, teaching recording classes until 2005,

During that time, Ivory began his most notable educational work when in 2007, he joined the communication program’s advisory board at Montgomery County Community College and became an adjunct professor two years later. Most recently, Ivory was instrumental in the planning and designing MCCC’s brand new, two-million-dollar state-of-the-art recording studio, which officially opened in April 2018. The studio features the ultimate combination of state-of-the-art digital and analog technology and, most recently, the addition of Dolby Atmos mixing. Under Ivory’s instruction, students learn recording and production techniques on the latest technologies available and get a complete understanding of how music used to be recorded and the various techniques associated with tape and tape machines. Ivory is currently the Director of the Sound Recording and Music Technology program and the Mass Media Studies program at Montgomery County Community College.