The Tapestry of Don Zientera

Creative Legends of the DMV

Don Zientera is a veteran, an artist, a musician and if that was not enough for one person and one life, that is not even the things he is known for.
Don runs Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, VA and was an instrumental player in the DC punk scene in the late 1970s and all through the 80s when energy and message took the stage over just about everything else. Don's talents in recording and sound engineering, which were initially just a hobby to his own music making and artistic endeavors, put him in a prime position to help a wave of youth in the area making undeniably powerful music within the local DC music scene. Music that would carry many of them into national prominence and worldwide success.
He has produced, mentored and help create some of the most memorable music within the DC punk scene with his tight association with Dischord records and some might say the whole punk scene at large. Don was kind enough to talk with Evan about his journey to the DMV and how he ended up here and how he ended up a revered sound engineer and sought after producer without trying. A true legend of the DMV,