Mixing Engineer

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

A: I began playing classical music at the age of 4: I was at my older brothers first piano lesson where he was learning "Three Blind Mice". After his lesson, I went up to the piano and started banging out random notes, then I started playing Three Blind Mice by ear, without ever taking a lesson or touching a piano before. I was in lessons the following week. I was privately trained by the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto for 18 years until I graduated at the highest level. Shortly after, I enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Music Production & Engineering. This is where I discovered my love for mixing. After I graduated, I moved to New York City and worked at MSR Studios in Times Square. I gained a great deal of experience working with A-list artists there, but ultimately felt I wasn't aligned with becoming a great mixer so I left to pursue it. I began mixing for independent artists, which led to two world tours with Trifecta Music Co., a prolific Canadian indie artist collective, as a mixer & live performer. I currently work out of a professional recording studio in my hometown & have my own home studio where I mix locally & remotely for artists.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The pursuit of mastery. There's always something new to learn no matter what! It's constantly exciting, challenging and ultimately a beautiful journey to go after what you love to do.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: How can I best serve your vision & get you to where you're trying to go?

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

A: Know what your intention is with each song. If I know exactly what you want, I can mould it for you in the mix. & if you don't, then we can collaborate and find your voice together!

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

A: Pro Tools, Monitors, iZotope & Fabfilter, SSL Buss Compressor, Chandler Curvebender EQ

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: One music production tip I can share is to keep things simple. Don't overwhelm your listener by adding sounds or instruments that don't make the song better. Every time you add something to a production, it can take away from something else that is happening within that song. Be very present in every decision and FEEL how each decision affects the energy of the song. Often the best songs are the ones with a few things going on and a great vocal. Serve the song first, not your ego! At the end of the day, the listener only cares about how a song makes them feel. We get in our own way a lot of times by trying to do too much instead of paying attention and listening with our hearts instead of our ears. All the pieces of a song are interconnected to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. Don't be hesitant to get rid of the ideas that don't work and focus on the ones that do! This mindset will prove more valuable than any cool plugin or sound. Not that those aren't important, but they won't help you if you don't use them in the right context.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I begin by listening to the artists rough mix, understand their intention then translate it into a balanced, polished mix. The song & genre will dictate how my workflow will go. Often I will begin with the drums and bass. Other times, the vocal. Prioritizing the most important parts of a mix first helps tell the story best to the audience and guides them through an exciting listening experience. After I achieve a balanced static mix, I begin automation (volume, sends & plugins). This is where I get creative and really bring life & personality to the mix. Even with great low end & catchy vocals, without fine details & movement in the mix through automation, you risk losing your listener. I put an especially heavy emphasis on vocal detail work - multiple reverbs & delays (with automated rides & sends), volume riding, section by section treatment. It's never a set and leave method for me, in modern vocal mixing there are subtle FX sends happening constantly that make the vocal stand out. These brushstrokes are the crucial step to having an outstanding sounding mix. Once I feel the song is ready to be heard by the artist, I print and send it over for listening. Recalls and adjustments are done in a timely manner so the client can be satisfied and move forward onto their next project.

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

A: Musicians that inspire me: Pop - Zedd, Khalid, Ariana Grande, SG Lewis, Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Coldplay, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Chance the Rapper, Drake, Young Thug. Music Production Pro's that inspire me: Louis Bell, Swivel, Jon Hopkins, Madeon, Malay

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is punchy drums, round bass & a powerful vocal. I love being creative with automation to bring life to the mix & take the listener through an experience. Depth, dimension & width are very important to me. All of this is done in the context of what the song needs.

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

A: I work on primarily pop, EDM and hip-hop.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is my ability to hear and feel how every decision I make in a mix effects the energy in the room. It's my mindfulness and attention to detail every step of the way.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work entirely in the box for the ability to recall sessions. As a mixer, I am often travelling for weeks at a time to complete projects in person, so I need to be able to take sessions anywhere I go without any issues. Plug-ins have also advanced significantly over the years to provide an impressive amount of subtle nuances that analog gear introduces. I mix on NS10's, Opal's and JBL LSR's through a UAD interface. I have both a professional recording studio and a treated home studio that I alternate between depending on the workflow required to finish a project.

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

A: The most common type of work I do for my clients is mixing. I listen to their song and use my expertise to maximize the emotional & sonic impact and make it sound modern & competitive with other hit songs within that genre.