Producer/Writer/Mixer/Inst

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

A: NBN - OPP was the first major hit, we only had a MAC 89, Korg M1 and an S900 rack sampler. I wrote,programmed and played everything on that whole record. Treach rapped, KG worked the tables, Vinnie rapped and handled the biz..I was the only cat with any musical training. Next would be, me and my wife's single with Kool and the gang called "Never Give Up" On a good thing that same year. Both are still close to my heart. Literally.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Multiple Production Music Libraries hire me to create content in every genre, ad work, and co-writing songs with my wife and a few artists here in the Hollywood hills.

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

A: I'm new to this having been in private production since closing my studio in 2004..so no.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I used to have 24 track tape and 96 input console.. once a client walked into my studio back in 1998.. with everything on his laptop. I said to myself the studio biz is headed for a collapse..little did I know it was the whole biz that by 2004 would be in free fall. Also, TV is a quick turnaround and digital does that job.

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

A: I'll do my best as long as you do your best.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I don't have to drive in LA .. and I still love it. Music that is, without it I'd go insane.

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

A: Across the board.. I try to be honest.

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

A: That anyone can do it.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Send me an mp3 of their song in its demo form, send me refs (3) of what you're shooting for.

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

A: Check out their work. I have a source audio site with over 6k pieces of music and a www.wildewestmusic.com site with an enormous amount of work including tons of ad and tv promos. Don't just go by what they say they can do but what they can and have actually done. Talk is cheap. In LA there are a lot of hustlers.

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

A: My Yamaha Grand, Pro Tools Rig w keyboard, Mic/Neve/La2a, Ompnisphere, Steven Slate Plugins.

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

A: I studied jazz in college, while in college I was gigging in clubs and opening my own studio. I had a grammy nominated triple-platinum record before I was 25, and I've never looked back. When talent, luck and the right artist at the right time meet, it's hard a stop em. NBN was one of those artists.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I'm a journeyman producer able to work within a lot of styles and I have the music skills and training to adapt.

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

A: I've worked with so many great artists it's hard to say. Someone who still loves music and isn't doing it to "get famous" .. every amazing artist from NBN to HALL & Oates always had a deep love and respect for not only their music but the artists that came before them, the history.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Use every tool available and don't get stuck in a rut.

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

A: Urban, rock, and pop are my mainstays. Though I love jazz since thats my background I seldom get to work in that genre.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: The ability to bring out the "hooks" ... and make each song a sonic adventure.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: In addition to years of hits, awards, and experience, I'm an artist too. My wife is and was a signed artist so I know how hard it is to get an artist to that level and how every dollar an artist spends needs to count. I try to balance artistry with commercial viability, it's the only way I can produce music and as someone who's been writing and creating music every day since I started it's the very element that keeps me going. I haven't had a day job since I was 17.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: First, get as much info and music references from the artist that they can deliver. Second, try to get the tracks in an organized, consolidated fashion, my pref is WAV 24 48 fully bounced from 0- end w tempo as clearly labeled as possible. Then depending on service, mixing only, production+mix, writing, I go to work. Then I send off a first pass.. and we begin the dialog. I ran my own full service studio biz for 20 years before going into composing and writing only for myself for TVFilm etc and I've always tried to satisfy whatever artist/client I'm working with. I hate to see people shopping a sub-par product.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I use pro tools and mostly Slate, Izotope and Waves plugins with Neve and API frontend. My vintage LA2A Teletronix vocal compressor via Neve 1073 and one of my U47/C12/C67/247/87 mics.. I have in addition to my MAC main system, 2 Heavy Digital Audio PCs that drive every music library software imaginable. We also have a fully miked drums kit and live room and well as an impressive array of vintage Moog, Rhodes, Wurlitzers, and Clavs,. Urei 1176s.

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

A: Everything from Miles Davis to Post Malone, you can never stop listening.

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

A: As a producer and songwriter, I've done every gig imaginable, from playing keys with a 100 piece orchestra on the original Beauty And The Beast Soundtrack to working one on one with a beginning singer-songwriter, conceiving, writing and then playing every instrument from soup to nuts to delivery. It's all I've ever done since graduating with a degree in Jazz and Classical performance and then playing a thousand gigs and sessions.