Lebanon Valley College Awards Honorary Degree to Legendary Recording Engineer Shelly Yakus

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Shelly Yakus to receive honorary Doctor of Music degree.

ANNVILLE, PA (05/07/2015)(readMedia)-- As part of its 146th Commencement, Lebanon Valley College will award an honorary Doctor of Music degree to Shelly Yakus, a recording engineer who has recorded hundreds of recordings for music icons during a distinguished career of more than 40 years. The College's Commencement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 9 at 10 a.m. in Sorrentino Gymnasium.

Yakus is the designer of the ground-breaking technology used by AfterMaster Audio Labs Inc., where he is currently senior vice president and chief engineer. Prior to this, Yakus served as co-designer, vice president and chief engineer of Herb Albert's A&M Records Studios for 10 years.

From John Lennon to Frank Sinatra, Yakus' career is connected with hundreds of great recordings with sales in excess of 100,000,000 records worldwide. Having recorded such great works as John Lennon's "Imagine," Yakus is considered one of the best mixer/recording engineers in the music industry.

"I'm a recording engineer/mixer, but I've also designed and built studios for record labels that make the sound that I mix," said Yakus. "I've been a co-producer, mastered music and still record. I'm fortunate to be this busy with great projects.

"I learned from the engineers that I worked under when I was young in Boston and New York, and now turning around to teach that to others is rewarding. I've received thank you letters from people who have won Grammys, and others who have gone on to have a great career and a family," he added.

The list of artists Yakus has worked with is a who's-who of musical pop-culture including John Lennon, the Ramones, U2, Tom Petty, Van Morrison, Alice Cooper, the Band, Blue Öyster Cult, Dire Straits, Don Henley, Madonna, Stevie Nicks, The Pointer Sisters, Lou Reed, Bob Seger, Patti Smith, Suzanne Vega, Warren Zevon, Star Radio, and many more. He acted as assistant engineer (1967–1969) for recordings by Dionne Warwick; Peter, Paul & Mary; Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons; Count Basie & His Orchestra; and Frank Sinatra.

Bono, lead singer of U2, nominated Yakus for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

As an adjunct instructor at Lebanon Valley College from 1998 to 2003, Yakus traveled weekly by train to teach advanced recording classes for five years. He enjoyed sharing his knowledge with the students, and most recently returned in 2013 to speak at the VALE Music Industry Conference.

The College will broadcast the May 9 Commencement at www.lvc.edu/LVCtv.

About Lebanon Valley College

Lebanon Valley College is a private, coeducational college founded in 1866 and dedicated to the liberal arts. The College offers 36 undergraduate majors plus self-designed majors and a range of minors, concentrations, and pre-professional options, as well as graduate degree programs in athletic training, business administration, music education, physical therapy, and science education.

The College has 1,573 full-time undergraduate students and 106 full-time faculty. Students can choose from more than 90 clubs and organizations, and 12 study abroad programs. LVC awards generous academic scholarships to those whose high school records demonstrate a commitment to challenge and achievement.