Rico Wallenda on SoundBetter

12 years of experience on the mandolin in both studio and live settings with a specialty in bluegrass and country mandolin. I'm a working musician based out of Nashville, TN offering specialized mandolin on here. I attended Belmont University's commercial music program with mandolin as my primary instrument.

My name is Rico Wallenda, and I'm offering my services as a session mandolinist. Whether you have a song that needs a bit more texture, or if you want to highlight the mandolin on a specific track, I'm here to give you whatever you may want out of this fun little instrument. I attended Belmont University as a student in the commercial music program, and within that I chose an emphasis on music technology.

My first thought when considering what to track for any project is how can this instrument serve the song, and genuinely add value to it? It's fun to sit down and find what the song is calling for out of the mandolin. I like to think that I'm very 'coachable' when tracking, meaning that if there is input from the producer or artist I'm capable and willing to change up the idea or approach to better serve those interests.

Currently touring with Downriver Collective and Troubadour Blue

References on Spotify:

Downriver Collective
- Touring
- EP; 'Off the Shelf'
- Singles: Tennessee Thunderstorm, Lonely Mountain, The Chain
Troubadour Blue
- Touring
- Tracks: Hush, Heathen, James Carey (Acoustic/Alt version)
Sarah Harralson
- Whiskey History
Madi Foster, David Nipper
- Slow Motion

Instagram: funclerico

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

Credits

Discogs verified credits for Mongorillo Dreams

Various
Various

1 Reviews

Endorse Rico Wallenda

by Skip
Verified
I was fortunate enough to find Rico on the SB site and I am so glad I chose to work with him. He provided stellar tracks that really gave the flavor and feel I was going for immediately. Rico gave me several takes and even double mic'd the Mandolin for high and mid separation, so I could to get a nice round sound that also cuts through the mix . I needed this Mandolin ASAP & Rico turned the tracks around quickly and helped me make my deadline. I would definitely work with him again.
Thanks Rico!

Interview with Rico Wallenda

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Musicians that have inspired me over the years have been Tim O'Brien, Sam Bush, Harry Clark, Jarrod Walker, Bryan Sutton, Noam Pikelny, and my peers that I've had the pleasure of working with as well as a long list of others!
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I track mandolin on whatever you may want! I also tour with a few different bands based out of Nashville.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: In January 2025 I recorded a full length album with my band DownRiver Collective at Studio 4115 in Nashville with the help of our producer, Caleb Edwards, and our engineer Dewey Boyd. I helped write, and arrange all of the tracks on the album. I also have recently recorded four songs with Troubadour Blue. I wrote the mandolin parts for those songs as well as had input on some of the arranging.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I have touring dates coming up that I'm focusing on, but I'm always trying to transcribe new and fun things I hear.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Jonny Therrien is an incredible multi instrumentalist (guitar, dobro, pedal steel, and bass mostly) that I work with in Nashville all the time.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital, because I use a home studio for most projects.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: To always be willing to work with them on any specific vision they may have.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love making music!
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: I'm commonly asked to write my own part instead of playing something that was previously written. I am always game for the task!
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: Just play boom chuck bluegrass
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What function do they see the mandolin serving their projects?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Let's just vibe and create together!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My Gibson mandolin, my Pono octave mandolin, my fiddle, my guitar, and my picks.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I'm a full time musician working out of Nashville. I've been here doing this since 2018.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Fun and inventive while also being able to play more traditionally
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I love working with DownRiver Collective and Troubadour. Great people, and great music!
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Use good mics on acoustic instruments to capture the sound well! This makes everything easier, and sound way better.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Progressive Bluegrass, Country, and Americana
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Bluegrass, Americana, and Folk
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I can provide a fun and interesting texture for your project! Whether that means chopping away for that double-time bluegrass feel, or lay back with the rhythm and play more open chord voices. If you want a nice melodic mandolin approach for fills throughout or a nice solo moment, I can do that as well as provide you with something more in the traditional bluegrass motif with quick and flashy solos. Whatever you want!
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I listen to the track to get a feel for the groove, direction, and overall form, and then I make a chart if needed to help further map out the song. I'll listen for moments when the mandolin can pop out as well as moments where the mandolin needs to lay back. I'll sit with the song for a day or so and try different ideas in order to get to something that serves the song properly.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a simple set up with a few different mics and even some impulse responses that a friend made. I try to use multiple mics on a track to capture a wider range of frequencies that results in good tone from the mandolin. I personally use Logic, but I have access to a home studio that uses Pro Tools.

DownRiver Collective 'Dead to Me'

I was the Mandolinist and Co-writer in this production

MandolinAverage price - $150 per song

I'm open to a few revisions as needed, let's call it 2 revisions (3 takes in total). You can expect as little as 48 hour turnaround and no more than a week. This is dependent upon my tour schedule.