Session Guitarist and Bassist

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

A: I worked on a five day band project with several different musicians and none of us had ever met and we had to put together three or four songs and play a show. I'm especially proud of it because it was the first time I was in a big role and It was a pure creative process and once again, I got to make music.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm always working on new instrumental songs which you can see on Soundcloud. Currently I'm playing bass for a band.

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

A: No, unfortunately I do not know anyone on SoundBetter. Yet...

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog, it makes you a better player. There's no hiding behind Pro Tools. However, in this day and age both work pretty great.

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

A: To always put their needs and satisfaction first.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I get to make music.

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

A: They typically ask about my process of writing or recording or about how long I've been playing. They also tend to ask questions like how I got to where I am.

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

A: That you need a very specific set of qualifications to do a job really well. Experience, practice, ambition and practice is all it takes.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I like to make sure I have a clear image in my head of what they want from me and my playing. Like what styles they want? Fast or slow playing? Groovy or not? Etc.

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

A: Always look for the artist that suits your needs the best. Although an artist might be a technically very good musician in the studio they might not be the best for live shows.

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

A: My Washburn N2 A Telecaster A Marshall head and cab/ with footswitch A delay peddle A glass slide

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

A: This is my career path. Music. In all its forms.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: The blues however, my style paints a picture. I always try to convey whatever it is that I'm thinking or feeling.

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

A: I'd like to work with the same people who influence because I feel like we'd definitely be on the same page musically and while I could bring a lot to the table, they would definitely teach me a thing or two.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: If the mix isn't good the track won't be good. Never try to tweak and adjust to hide bad playing in the mastering or editing process. Start with a good clean take.

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

A: I usually work on blues. Sometimes it's hard rock blues or more jazzy blues or atmospheric and ambient blues suitable for soundtracks but the one constant is the blues.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Other than making music, my professionalism.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a unique blend of styles. I think that my best quality is that I'm never entirely satisfied. I never settle for second best and I think that most importantly, I serve the music. No ego nor pride. The music comes first.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I like to work out the bones of whatever it is that I'm doing such as tempo and time signature and key at the very beginning then I move onto listening to the track I'm working on and then I reel a few ideas off and then listen back and continue to do so until I'm happy and once I am, I will record a clean and good take. If I'm doing live shows, I simply like to listen to the tracks I have to play over and over again and practice them over and over again. If I am writing for an artist, I like to have a clear and simple description of their thought process.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a Steinberg UR44 audio interface running into a standard Windows Desktop Computer with two Eris E5 studio monitors. I use Cubase as my DAW.

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

A: I'm inspired by Joe Bonamassa, Richie Kotzen, Nick Johnston, David Gilmour, Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, Joe Satriani, Andy Timmons, Jimi Hendrix and the list goes on.

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

A: I am more than happy to do live shows as well as studio work. The most common type of work I do is live shows.