Pro Saxes, Flutes, Clarinets +

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

A: There's a quote I hear from time to time thrown at me: "Jack of all trades, master of none". Fun fact, that line was originally a couplet: "Jack of all trades, master of none, though oftentimes better than master of one." But in a more serious way, I have found that my serious interest in many instruments and musics has allowed me to become a far better artist than I would otherwise be. I can solve problems from a variety of perspectives, and I've become a very fast learner. I'm confident in just about any situation, because my wide array of experiences has prepared me for just about anything that might be thrown at me.

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

A: I recently recorded "The Flag Song", which is a previously unheard song that was cut from Stephen Sondheim's musical Assassins. It was a great honor to be able to be a part of bringing that song to life.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. I believe in whatever serves the purpose best in each situation.

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

A: That they'll be more than satisfied with what I send them. And if somehow they're not, I'll do it again until it's right.

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

A: Click the button. You have my guarantee I'll take good care of you.

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

A: Flutes! Not sure which ones but all my other instruments require reeds, so they wouldn't last nearly as long.

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

A: I'd love to work with Maria Schneider. I know some of the people in her band, and it's an amazing collection of artists making amazing music. And also everyone's nice. It's great to work with people who are not only ridiculously talented, but great people as well.

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

A: It's a lot easier to say what I don't usually work on—every day it's something completely different. I haven't done a lot of metal. And not that much country either. But I'll bet I could figure it out!

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My flexibility. I've found that through learning all these instruments and styles, my clients can throw anything at me (and trust me, they do) at I'll be fine. I have a passion for learning and growing, and very high standards for what I create.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Woodwinds really give song their character and bring it to the next level. On a rock/pop song, a saxophone solo can be the thing that pushes the energy even higher. On a ballad, a flute solo can add to the emotion and make it even deeper (or it could scream like the sax on that rock song). And for world music, it's always the flute that truly transports the listener. As soon as you hear that characteristic sound, you know you've been transported.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Once I get a track, I listen to it a couple times and then dive right in. I then listen closely to the takes I've done to make sure I'm satisfied, and if not I fix it! It's a pretty simple process, but I've found it to be very effective.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: DAW: Logic Pro X Mics*: Golden Age Ribbon, MXL V67G, matched pair AKG214's Interface: MBox Pro, ART TPSII Preamp I use the Golden Age Ribbon as a close mic, and the AKG's as room mics. Upon request I can use the MXL as an alternate close mic or an additional close mic.

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

A: Right now I've been really into Darcy James Argue's Secret Society. It's an amazing modern big band out of Brooklyn. But I'm always listening to all kinds of music to attempt to broaden my horizons. One day I'll listen to Yamaguchi Goro to really dig into the shakuhachi, the next day I'll blast some Dave Mathews and steal some ideas from Jeff Coffin on sax or flute. I've learned to appreciate music at a high level in all of its forms.

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

A: The most common thread in all my work is that the quality is extremely high, and the contexts are always completely different. I've had days where in the morning I recorded classical liturgical flute for one of New York's biggest churches, and then that night played with a Frank Zappa big band. Or recorded Balkan saxophone lines for a client in Israel, and then recorded Bansuri (traditional Indian flute) for a friend from India. I have very high standards for all the work I do, and I'm never satisfied until my clients are.