If you’re the kind of person who immediately checks the end credits just to see who designed those glorious, otherworldly soundscapes in your latest TV obsession, then you’ve probably seen the name George Drabing Hicks — or GDH Music — pop up more than once. That’s not a fluke. Hicks is the sound sorcerer quietly working his magic in the background, and it’s high time we give this audiophile his moment in the spotlight.
From Colorado Springs to LA: A Sound Guy’s Origin Story
Let’s rewind the tape. Hicks started messing around with audio back in his college days at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. The campus wasn’t exactly the Hollywood Bowl, but to Hicks, it was just the right size for experimenting. He dove headfirst into campus life by wrangling the audio for battles of the bands, indie artist showcases, probably even the occasional open mic night. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was gritty and real, and that’s where he caught the bug.
After graduation, he did what every eager sound enthusiast dreams about — he packed up and moved straight to Los Angeles. LA: land of endless concerts, film sets, and more audio toys than a RadioShack warehouse clearance. George didn’t just fade into the crowd. Nope. He landed as the Head of Audio at the Theatre at Ace Hotel, a gig that has him running the audio for everything from world-premiere films to pulse-pounding concerts in a 1,600-seat, jaw-dropping venue. If a sweeping, cinematic sound ever brought chills at an event there, odds are Hicks was running the show.
Climbing the Audio Ladder — With A Side of Tour-Life
While LA could have been the endgame for most, Hicks wasn’t about to stay in one place. Before long, he was touring with acts like Us The Duo, who are YouTube darlings and full-fledged recording artists in their own right. People everywhere heard their songs — and, thanks to Hicks, heard them really well. On the road, he tackled everything from multi-day concert runs to adapting to unfamiliar gear. Cue the ShowMatch DeltaQ line array system from Bose Professional. Most engineers would have panicked, but Hicks just dove in, tweaking settings until every vocal soared over the crowd.
Along the way, Hicks stacked up experiences with more artists, more cities, and, most importantly, more wild sound setups. Each gig taught him how to adapt, innovate, and make every venue — whether a dingy club or swanky concert hall — sound killer. His touring years built resilience, a good pair of ears, and a sense of humor no amount of LA heat could melt.
A Dynamic Duo: Hicks & Kusiak Take On Television
Now, let’s talk about Kenny Kusiak. The partnership between Hicks and Kusiak isn’t just about splitting up chores. These two are a full-fledged sound dynamo. Kenny, already known for his work scoring and designing for film and television, found in Hicks the perfect creative foil. Together, they don’t just meet expectations — they break the audio ceiling.
Take their combined work on Common Side Effects. The animated darling from Adult Swim and HBO Max is a genuine treat for the ears. Kusiak leads with original music and core sound design, but Hicks steps into the ring to craft those extra sonic layers that make the world pop. There’s no rivalry — just genuine, musical mind-melding magic.
But that’s not where the partnership stops:
- On Bad Shabbos, which made waves at Tribeca Film Festival in 2024, Hicks stepped in as re-recording mixer and sound editor. The result? A finely tuned soundtrack that hit the emotional beats and then some.
- Hicks brought cinematic flair to Hippo, set for its big premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival on July 26, 2025. Here, you get the full GDH experience: immersive atmospheres, thoughtfully placed sounds, and a collaboration so seamless you forget where Kusiak ends and Hicks begins.
- For the globetrotting documentary Dusty & Stones, Hicks and Kusiak crafted a soundscape as epic as the story itself. If you heard the dust kick up or the tension sizzle, thank this duo.
- Even thrillers get a GDH upgrade: Devil’s Workshop leaned on Hicks for re-recording and design, boosting the unease in every suspenseful scene.
Hicks’ Secret Sauce: Mixing Philosophy With Tech Geekery
Here’s the not-so-secret truth: George Drabing Hicks doesn’t just want to make things loud. He wants to make things matter. Whether he’s piecing together dialogue, building ominous tension with a single echo, or sculpting a room’s reverb like Michelangelo with a block of marble, he brings intention to every project.
Hicks obsesses over story. He crafts sound to serve the scene. Need a gut-punch emotion for your finale? He’s mixing subtle components until it’s goosebumps central. Want a musical cue that’s more than background fluff? He polishes every note until it becomes a character of its own.
George is no gear snob — and certainly not precious. Sure, he can rave about the Bose ShowMatch DeltaQ’s crazy control and rich coverage. But he always circles back to the human ear. If the crowd can’t feel it, it’s just wasted electrons.
Current Projects: Always In The Mix
July 2025 isn’t some finish line for Hicks. It’s another checkpoint in an already wild adventure. With Hippo premiering and more projects bubbling away (including tightly kept secrets on the horizon, if rumor mill chatter is anything to trust), Hicks and Kusiak maintain their “never settle” attitude.
Working with directors, producers, and fellow composers, Hicks aims to elevate not just the soundtrack but the whole emotional arc. That’s how you get scenes that linger in your head — because the sound wasn’t just there. It was alive.
You’ll spot his name across credits for everything from quirky animated shorts to sweeping documentaries. Why? Because storytellers rave about him. Social media comments, especially after Tribeca’s screening of Bad Shabbos, threw major bouquets at the “intensely textured” mix and “immersive feel.” Kusiak himself sings Hicks’ praises for creative intuition and technical mastery.
What Sets GDH Music Apart: The Human Factor
So, what’s the real difference? Plenty of folks have access to killer mics, deep DAWs, and enough plug-ins to crash a server farm. But Hicks’s edge comes from his adaptability and deep attention to detail. He listens. He collaborates. And he stays curious. Every new challenge is a puzzle, not a problem.
His site, GDH.Music, says it best: “Cinematic, emotionally resonant, and story-driven audio.” And it doesn’t sound like a marketing line — it rings true in every mix he delivers. He cares just as much about a three-second sound bite as he does about a sweeping, full-length score.
The Future Echoes — What Comes Next?
Sure, you can follow all the tech trends and job hop through LA’s endless studios. But Hicks’s path feels different. It’s messy in the best way — equal parts college basement grit, high-tech wizardry, and sheer love for the feeling great sound can deliver.
So next time you dive into Common Side Effects and notice an audio detail that makes you sit up straighter or melts into the emotion of a scene, remember it’s not just luck. It’s George Drabing Hicks, blending his skills with Kusiak and the rest of the team, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in audio storytelling.
Stay tuned, keep those headphones blasting, and always read the credits. Hicks isn’t done tuning the world just yet — and honestly, we can’t wait to see (and hear) what’s next.
