Award Winning Pop Producer

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: Every project I work on is special to me. This process takes forever. Songs are like children. You can't pick just one. Having said, I'm excited for 2019 and the new projects to come. Contact me!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Personal music. Working with Toronto artists to create pop music, pushing their limits and boundaries. Creating pop/top40 content with Nassau Music. A few songwriters and some vocal production work. Many campaigns to grow my personal space and the Toronto Music Industry.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Karl Machat, Mastering Engineer.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. It's 2019.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: To put everything I possibly have into you. Music is an expression from the artist. Effective production means proper artist-development and artist showcasing. Just like therapy, you cannot practice on yourself. You need someone with perspective on you. Same goes for production.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Turning nothing into something.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: My production process. I explain it.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That the job is simple and easy. While it's fun, the profession requires tremendous and endless sacrifice and hard work. You must have the patience of a saint and be on call 24/7. You must love music because there's little money in it, trust me.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Who are you? What inspires you to make music? I like to learn about who you are and what your journey has been. What brought you to this place in your life. As an artist, you are expressing a craft to a generation of humans similar to you. What leadership qualities do you represent which can be showcased in your music?

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: This is a musical relationship. You need to feel comfortable and completely trust who you're working with. Go with experience. The less you spend, the more you spend. Simultaneously, the more time you waste.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I've been taking this seriously since 2009. I've been working for roughly 9yrs building my skills and learning new things. Anyone who says they're an expert clearly isn't. Music is a never-ending educational experience. A serious producer admits he is forever a student.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Simple is complex. Quality over quantity. Accuracy over technicality.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Pop and songwriters. I'm creating radio-ready trending music with Nassau Music. I work with plenty of songwriters to form identities and albums. Simultaneously, I've worked alongside bands/r&b artists/rappers/folk-roots/children's artists/more.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Connecting with artists and forming real relationships. The best music comes from the heart. None of this templated fake copycat shit. Aside from, my emotional relationship with the song and the artist. Artist Development is quintessential to becoming unique and fresh. Dissecting the artist and discovering the key ingredients behind their art ensures you create music that's both real and honest, strong and powerful.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: A powerful cellphone to get home.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Billie Eilish

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Be yourself.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: My 15 years of experience working with/studying/performing/creating music. I've been producing/engineering for 10+ years. With this experience, I've learned that the biggest obstacle is ourselves. No matter the gear, unless you let yourself create world-class music, you never will. Having a mentor can be make or break.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Depends on the project. Producing music I start with the basics. A good song sounds amazing on acoustic or piano. Both are rhythmic instruments so percussion can be built around. Start with the foundation and build from there. Add relevant signatures and gloss afterwards. Without honesty, purpose and relatability, you're just programming random shit.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Pro Tools and Cubase through an RME UFX into Adam A8X with a Yamaha sub. Dave Smith REV2 synth, Moog Slim Phatty, Maschine alongside Omnisphere and NI8 make my production setup. A plethora of recent plugins from UAD/Waves/Soundtoys/Softube/etc. Microphones from Neumann/Peluso/Sennheiser/AT/Shure/Etc.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Work with talented up-and-coming artists from multiple genres at my private facility in Kensington Market, Toronto. I'm currently producing top40 instrumentals with Nassau Music, work independently with songwriters and specialize in vocal production and artist development.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Not anyone in particular. I'm huge into Billie Eilish currently. Her new song Bury a Friend is astounding. I think she's innovative and real, a combination which is rare in the DIY copycat industry devoid of individualism. Any brilliant productions. Huge into pop music for this reason. Love the detail and tones!