Production

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

A: Yes, I know Pedro Calloni and would highly recommend him as a mix engineer. I use him for all of my own songs for my artist project.

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

A: I have been writing songs throughout my life. I have played piano and guitar since I was a young child and use these skills when writing. I graduated with a songwriting degree from Berklee college of Music in 2016. Since then, I have worked as a full time songwriter in New York and Los Angeles.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I consider my strongest skill to be writing lyrics. I have a background in poetry. I have always been fascinated by the way word placement within a musical phrase effects how it is received. Thanks to my background as a vocalist, I have a natural instinct for when one word is more "singable" than another. This helps me combine poetry to music in the smoothest way so that it feels as if the melody was made for the lyrics and vice versa.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Songwriting is a very delicate and personal process. It's important for a song not to feel generic and it's especially important for a writer not to become a 'songwriting factory', churning out the same lines all the time. I always write with an honest and personal approach so that each song is unique and relatable to listeners.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Often, a client will send me a recording of a melody (sometimes with an idea for a lyrical concept) and I will write lyrics that fit in the melodic frame. I also often do the same process in reverse, where clients send me lyrics and I write the vocal melody and the music on piano or guitar. When writing toplines, a producer will send me a track, sometimes with a brief with references for what kind of topline they want. I will then record myself singing the topline that I write and send them a demo. I am also able to fully vocal produce myself if needed for the track.

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

A: I am a huge fan of Joni Mitchell and her incredible way of using lyrics to tell stories. I find Billie Eilish's expressive melodies and raw lyrical content inspiring too. And I often draw inspiration from James Blake and the way that he uses his vocals as an instrument in his production style.

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

A: I write lyrics for a given melody or compose a melody (and the chords, using my keyboard or guitar) for someone else's lyrics. I also write toplines (melodies and lyrics) for tracks that producers send me.