COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa. (KMTV) — "In Nashville it was like the Dixie Chicks, SHeDAISY, that was when Faith Hill was just coming out with her big single, 'I can feel you breath'," said Kent Hertz. "I went to work for Julio Iglesias and ran his studio in the Dominican Republic."
For the last 18 years, Hertz has been with "Steve Miller of the Steve Miller Band. I've been his personal engineer," said Hertz.
Kent Hertz knew he wanted to go into the music industry at a young age and knew he wanted to be a studio engineer.
"Probably in like grade five, my parents bought me a drum set, and I had asked for a remote control airplane because I wanted to be a pilot, but they got me a drum set and so now I am in the music industry," said Hertz.
He left Malvern, Iowa and went to Nashville for school. He has worked in Miami and Los Angeles, just to name a few big places. Six years ago, Hertz made his way back home.
"I wanted to buy my grandparents' farm, which — that just happened this last year and now with technology, it's like I can have my studio anywhere," said Hertz.
In 2019, he opened his studio at the Hoff Center in Council Bluffs. Now, he spends time working with local talent, all while still touring with the Steve Miller Band.
"It's real rewarding to work with local talent and especially rural talent, like I grew up, you know, pretty rural," said Hertz.
He works with several groups locally, as well as local independent artists.
"The Chanticleer Theater, I work with the Kanesville Symphony Orchestra, American Midwest Ballet," said Hertz.
Recently honored and inducted in the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.
"My friend Rick Hillyard called me and he said 'Hey buddy you are being inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame,' I thought he was joking but he wasn't," said Hertz.
Leslie Whitehill has known Kent for quite some time.
"My son was very interested in studio and producing," said Whitehill.
Kent had been mentoring Leslie's son Tanner Foss.
"I was super excited to have Tanner come out and stay with me and just train somebody that really wanted to do it," said Kent.
Tanner planned to go to LA to learn production from Kent but passed away suddenly at the age of 19. In the years following, Kent and Leslie reconnected creatively.
"We started the non-profit, the 'Tanner Foss Project,' and the whole point of that is to create opportunities through arts for schools, rural schools, and communities," said Hertz.
Together they have released community Christmas albums, host a music camp each year, and produced a holiday show.
"He did a full production, we had kids from our Broadway Advantage Show. He had like cameras going across the top and lighting and like, for a small town, like we could never recreate it," said Whitehill.
Sharing his story and encouraging kids to give music a try.
"I just like to give kids the opportunity of being like you can do this. It's not that hard," said Hertz.
The Tanner Foss Project is having its annual show on Sept. 9 at the Davies Amphitheater in Glenwood from 7 to 9 p.m.
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