I’m Mickey Villa, a home entertainment systems specialist. I help music and movie enthusiasts set up their dream audio systems so they can experience the finest moments in music and movies. To enjoy, for instance, David Bowie sing Heroes and watch Tom Cruise maneuver his F-14 Tomcat to Mach 1 in Top Gun.
My love for music started very early. At age 8, I spent hours playing my brothers’
‘80s vinyl collection on our Kenwood and Technics stereo system. Influenced by The Border by Modern English, at age 11, I made my own drums out of
ice cream tubs and created cymbals from can lids. Later, I took formal drum lessons at the extension
program of the U.P. College of Music and played the drums in high school and
college with a band that I had co-founded.
My exposure to the ‘90s band scene trained my ears on live
music. Having been guided by my
professor on how to consistently produce good sound and timekeeping from the
kit, I became obsessed with the quality of my sound, which is integral to my
band’s music.
As a musician myself, I searched for sound systems that
would not add to or detract anything from the music that I was listening to. I auditioned and listened to all sorts of
equipment. I learned which ones—with
different price ranges—passed my exacting standards and began recommending to
friends and family those that best suited their preferences and resources. Soon after, I became their go-to guy when
buying audio equipment. As an
audiophile, I was often more excited than the person whom I was helping to appreciate
and live out the audio experience.
The turning point was when my friend Francis asked me to design
the audio system for his home, which was fashioned like a bar. The motif was mid-century modern, highlighted
by a classic red Smeg refrigerator in the kitchen. Francis wanted a red, brand-new turntable to
complete his home’s bar vibe. I quickly emailed him a list of the components
that we could put together. He liked the
design so much that he encouraged me to follow my passion for high-quality
audio.
In my 15 years as a Sales/Channel Development Manager for different
multinational companies, I was passionate about satisfying my customer’s needs.
It is that same attentiveness and
hard-won skills that I commit to as a home entertainment specialist.
Recording engineers and movie directors have brought us exquisitely
produced material. It is my privilege to bring that professional studio sound
within your reach, for you to enjoy music and movies the way they were intended
to be.
