Around the age of 16, Michael picked up guitar, then bass, then drums. And he simultaneously started recording musical meanderings and experiments onto a four-track tape recorder in his sister’s unfinished basement. In the almost thirty years since then, his equipment, spaces, and skills have gotten more sophisticated, but Michael still approaches his work in the same open-minded and experimental way he explored as a teenager.

He started co-producing with Jimmy Smith in 2015, and since then they have grown into near constant collaborators. Michael’s vision of the forest pairs well with Jimmy’s vision of the trees, and their division of labor and communication suits both of them well and serves their work in ways neither of them could achieve on his own.

Michael is also an advocate for the arts and artists. He co-founded the organization Renew the Arts in 2008, and continues to work with them as Director of Artist Care. He also writes (MichaelMinkoff.com) and podcasts (NothingHumanPodcast.com) and makes music with Phil Hodges as one-half of the duo Physick. He lives in Sugar Hill, Georgia with his wife Vanessa and their five children. Michael is personally responsible for necessitating most of the new rules Jimmy has to create for the studio.

Phil learned that he loved and understood music intuitively from a young age. Even as a child, his mind constantly generated melodies and harmonies from the sounds around him. Inspired in his teens by artists like Brian Wilson and Johnny Greenwood, Phil has achieved a distinctive style that has freshness and complexity without losing accessibility and appeal.

He honed his innate musical gifts studying classical guitar performance at Columbus State University, and has taught himself concert piano and voice techniques, among many other things. He currently teaches private lessons in guitar, piano, banjo, bass, ukulele, and voice (philhodgesmusic.com). In addition to teaching, Phil plays live music for corporate events, private dinner parties, and weddings in the Atlanta area.

Phil has worked on dozens of recording projects as a session guitarist, pianist, and arranger. Some samples of his distinctive compositional style can be heard in songs like “Soft American,” by Warbler, “Say Goodbye,” by Brother Paul, and “Conduits,” by Moon Bride. Phil also produces his own music at Still Small Sound as half of the songwriting/recording duo Physick (with Michael Minkoff). They are currently working on their fourth studio album.

Phil lives with his wife and most of their seven children in Dunwoody, Georgia. He is rarely seen eating or sleeping and does not look old enough to be the grandfather he actually is. Among other things, these facts have caused certain unnamed persons to wonder certain sometimes unsettling things.

As a teen, Jimmy had an inkling he had a calling in music, but after years of playing guitar in worship bands and the like, he felt unsure of where he fit in. Sensing a need, he began recording for friends, using what little equipment he could get his hands on. He was never satisfied with these first attempts at production, but his friends were happy enough with the results that word got around. More people kept asking for Jimmy’s help. And the more Jimmy recorded, the more he loved it.

Eventually, Jimmy decided to invest in his space and equipment so he could make greater progress toward an auditory vision in his head he didn’t yet have the tools to fully realize. In 2015, he retrofitted an addition to his house into a tracking and mixing space with the help of some friends, including a skilled carpenter and a professional sound designer. And shortly after that, he dubbed his new recording space “Clubmen Recording Studio” to honor the musical legacy of his grandfather, a big band leader who called his group The Clubmen.

Shortly after founding Clubmen, Jimmy met Michael Minkoff. They co-produced Before the Bright Lights (July, 2016) for Anthony Quails and have been working together ever since. Michael, a producer, lyricist, and drummer, then brought in his composer and multi-instrumentalist friend Philip Hodges to help with arrangements and session work, and, in 2025, these three started Still Small Sound as a team.

Jimmy lives adjacent to the main studio space in Blairsville, Georgia with his wife, Madge, and their five children, dog, and two cats. The family is a major part of the overall culture of Still Small Sound, as they exercise hospitality to artists in their home space. Jimmy likes cinnamon in his coffee and pretends (quite convincingly) that he does not like hugs.