Session Guitarist, Arranger

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I crave for new challenges, I enjoy every new job as it is always a creativity booster!

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

A: I'm a guitarist, not a producer, expect clean and precise guitar tracks in return. I always do some basic quantization and compression/eq/reverb mix to my guitars but the final mix I have to leave it to your producer ;)

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

A: I'm proud of all the works I have done for customers here on soundbetter, plus the work with my original music where I have full creative control.

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

A: The most common requests that I receive are either recording guitar parts to songs that the client is producing or to arrange (on guitar) song ideas that they are developing.

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

A: Joss Sone, Corinne Bailay Rae, Snarky Puppy, Vulfpeck... and any artist with good taste, soul and groove :)

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Clean the tracks Before start mixing.

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

A: I receive a variety of requests, from writing and recording an entire guitar arrangement to recording rhythmic guitar, fills and solos or giving arrangement tips to finish half-composed songs.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Outside session work, I'm working on my original compositions in fingerstyle-percussive guitar, teaching guitar online...and playing private gigs (weddings/corporate).

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

A: Andrea Lepori as producer, check his work out: https://www.andrealepori.com His SoundBetter profile: https://soundbetter.com/profiles/4415-andrea-lepori

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog has unique warmth, although Digital has now come incredibly close in quality.

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

A: I've been working as a session musician and dep musician for the past 8 years. Before that I was touring with my bands and teaching in music schools between Italy and UK.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is a mix of all my musical influences. I started my music journey by listening to Hard-Rock from the 80's passing through Metal, Grunge of the 90's until I discovered Jazz, Gypsy Jazz, Flamenco and Fingerstyle-Percussive guitar. I played with many function bands in the UK performing lots of Motown, Soul and Funk classics which I love. In my journeys I met Brasilian musicians who tought me Bossa and Samba, I love the rhythm and feel of their music.

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

A: I range from pop/folk to heavy rock to funk/soul to gypsy guitar, with plectrum and/or fingerstyle.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When I receive a request, I first listen to the reference songs and other music in a similar style to get in the right zone and to analize the specs and characteristics of that style. Then I setup the project and the arrangement track, I do a quick sound check and I start jamming and recording ideas. Once I have a clear picture of all the parts, I tidy it up, I do some work on the sound (compressor, eq, reverb, amps, pedals etc.) then I send it to the customer for feedback: the first feedback from the client is very important, it guides me to what their specific taste is, it's sometimes difficult to understand what each other has in mind before having an actual draft to discuss. At this point it's usually minor adjustments followed by the export of the stems (dry and wet) and of the guitars_mix. The jobs are usually completed in 2 to 4 days, in a few occasions (for simpler jobs or if I had an open schedule) I did deliver in one day.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: MacBookPro, Logic Pro X, Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 36, Rhode NT2-A, Fender Stratocaster HSS (Seymour Duncan Pickups), EHX Black Finger Compressor, Cort SFX-10 (Fishman Rare Heart Pro Blend & Fishman Prefix Plus), Guitar Rig, Amplitube, iZotope Music Production Suite pro.

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

A: I give 100% of my talent and professionality to every request. I'm very open to critique and suggestions, don't be shy if you want to request any changes to my first drafts.

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

A: Acoustic guitar, laptop, audio interface, earphones.. and a solar-powered battery charger!!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are their influences, the reference music that they would like me to take inspiration from.

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

A: Tommy Emmanuel, Jon Gomm, Andy McKee, Jason Becker, Paul Gilbert, Nuno Bettencourt, Sylvain Luc, Bireli Lagrene, Jimmy Rosenberg, George Benson, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Joe Satriani, Al Di Meola, Joao Gilberto, Toquinho, Miles Davis, Pierre Bensusan, Ted Greene, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Schubert.

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

A: Be as clear as possible in what your looking for, and don't be afraid of telling me what you like and what you don't in my first draft ideas. I'm willing to work a few extra days as long as you're happy with the result.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I always give 100%, my aim is to give the best product to my clients, I'm not afraid to go the extra mile.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring my expertise and professionality. If I'm allowed to, my personal taste and creativity ;)