Producer/Mix Engineer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am producing/mixing/mastering a 12 song album for Daniel Verschelden, a 3 song EP for Evan Hedrick, singles for Joel Alex, Micah Esparza, Jason Boyd, and Darby Doughtry, mixing and mastering an album for Evan Langston, mastering an album for Alex Marine, producing, mixing, and mastering 4 EPs by Taylor Qualls, and producing/mixing/mastering an EP of my own material.

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

A: I produced, mixed, and mastered an EP of my own work titled Beauty, Beyond. I am incredibly proud of how that project turned out.

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

A: Matt Boda

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Personally, I'm all digital, but I would love to experience the analog world whenever I have a bigger budget. But digital does offer a very real convenience.

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

A: You will be my priority.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love that I have the opportunity to be creative for a living.

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

A: It's easy, anybody with a laptop can do it.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is your time-line for the song? Do you have a deadline for the project? What are you wanting to do with the song?

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

A: I can promise you that if you hire me, I will work hard to mesh the vision that I have for your song with your vision. Your vision will take priority. This is YOUR music. But I will put my heart into making it the best it can be.

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

A: My laptop (and charger, assuming they have electricity somehow) my acoustic guitar, my interface, my favorite mic (Rode NT1), and MIDI controller (Akai MPK49).

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

A: I began writing music when I was 11, and I'm continuing to write, 12 years later. I began producing and mixing in 2013, and it has consumed my life in the best way possible. In 2016, I won a Kansas City-based songwriting contest with my song "Pressure." That was an incredible honor and really kick-started my career.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I like to think outside the box when it comes to production. I hate music that is predictable. My challenge to myself as a producer is to never make a predicable move, whether it be lyrically, in a production choice, or in a mix choice.

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

A: I would love to work with wither S. Carey or Jon Bellion. They are two of my all-time favorite artists, and I would be honored to work with them. They are both so incredibly different, yet both have mastered their fields.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Most producers finish tracking a song with vocals. I prefer to track vocals early in a session, so that I have more of an ability to see the direction a song is going. I know what I'm working around. If you track vocals last, you may come to find that some of the tracks that you are highlighting get in the way of the vocals in a mix. You won't have this problem if you track vocals before you get deep into a song.

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

A: I try to maintain a balance between genres that push me and genres that I feel at home in. I have produced everything from intense rock music to jazz music to dark EDM. I feel most at home in the world of ambience, no matter the genre.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest still is a tie between my vision for a song and my work ethic.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a spacious, ambient quality to a song. I attempt to transport a listener to another world. I work hard. If you hire me, you will be my priority.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I typically begin with the bones of a song "piano, guitar, programming), then move to vocals. Then I begin to get picky about sounds and add the detail work that really brings a song to life. I mix as I go, but as the song comes to a close, I begin to get very picky with the mix.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have the capacity to track live drums (PDP x7 kit w/ Zildjian and Sabian Cymbals), track acoustic (Breedlove Passport Series) and electric (G&L Telecaster) guitar, bass (Schecter Diamond Series), piano (MIDI), along with vocals (Rode NT1, MXL 4000, or AT 2020 microphones). I track everything through a Tascam US1800 audio interface, which gets the job done well. I run vocals and guitars through the M-Audio Tampa pre-amp/compressor. For mixing, I use Fabfilter's plugins (FF-Q Pro, FF-DS Pro, FF-C Pro, etc.) was well as Waves (API collection, CLA series, etc.). I love Valhalla's Retro Verb for reverbs, as well as Softube's TSAR-1R reverb. I love Native Instruments for sampling (Kontakt and Battery) as well as for Guitar Rig and Replika (for delay). My main sounds come from Output's Exhale, Signal, Rev, and Arcade.

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

A: Jeff Schneeweis, Ryan O'Neal, Sean Carey, Jacquire King, Zane Callister, Jon Foreman, Ben Howard, Jon Bellion

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

A: Songwriting, production (sound design, instrument tracking). Can be remote or in person.