A.D. Ross, a Southern California native, embarked on his musical journey at the tender age of 4 with classical piano lessons. By 10, inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis, he transitioned to jazz/blues piano, honing the art of improvisation. A.D. expanded his musical repertoire at 13, picking up drums and joining the middle school band, eventually thriving in the Temple City High School Drum Core, where rhythm complemented his innate musical aptitude.
The “Berklee in L.A. Summer Program” became a pivotal annual experience for A.D. from age 15, where he networked with young music prodigies and refined his skills as a Keyboard & Drum student. His drum prowess led him to the Tournament of Roses Honor Band Drum Core, performing in the Pasadena Roses Parade for four consecutive years.
Entering Cal State University Long Beach as a music major, A.D. channeled his creativity into producing music in his dorm room, earning the moniker “DJ SoundDaddy” and founding SoundDaddy Records. Creating hip-hop demo CDs and mixtapes, he became a campus sensation. As A.D.’s reputation grew, he found himself crafting music for emerging artists like Cappa E, Marijayne, Thoughtsarizen, Swiss 1, DeviantDaKid, & Maad Factor. Armed with two turntables and a microphone, he ventured into spinning original tracks at local fraternity gatherings and took the stage for electrifying live performances across Long Beach, LA, and Orange County. During this period, SoundDaddy Records evolved into a cherished local underground repository of cutting-edge music.
Post-college school, A.D. collaborated with aspiring artists, and his diverse music portfolio garnered global recognition, including contributions to the heavy metal project “Sanctus” signed to Metal Blade Records.
A.D.’s achievements continued with the “Outstanding Musicianship Award” from the Berklee School of Music Summer Program in 2001. Despite declining scholarship offers to attend Berklee in Boston, he embarked on creating the band “Hit Skwad,” opening for the Kottonmouth Kings and touring Orange County, Hollywood, and the Inland Empire.
Inspired by Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer, A.D. ventured into film composition, earning his first IMDb credit for the soundtrack of “For Them,” showcased at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005. A fateful meeting with Killah Priest of Wu Tang in 2006 marked the beginning of a long-standing collaboration in music production, engineering, and marketing.
A.D.’s journey extended to composing background music for a Road & Track video series in 2011 and becoming a Music Publishing Instructor at the Los Angeles Recording School’s graduate program in 2015. Presently, he continues to showcase his expertise in mixing and mastering across diverse genres, including hip-hop, pop, rock, and movie soundtracks, while actively collaborating on new music projects with prominent artists.
