I've worked with Bruno Mars, the Black Pumas, and Snarky Puppy as a saxophonist, keyboardist, writer, and arranger. Those experiences, along with the work I've done for numerous other wonderful artists from around the world, have fueled my passion for dialing in the perfect vibe for a production.
Energetic saxophone solos, supportive electric and acoustic pianos, synth ambience, and lush woodwind arrangements are what I love, and my work in those domains has been heard by millions of listeners worldwide. I take inspiration from my favorite jazz saxophonists and pianists – Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Kenny Kirkland, Michael Brecker, etc – and their contributions to brilliant records by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Sting, Steely Dan, Chaka Khan, Paul Simon, and James Taylor.
I can create as much or as little of the arrangement as you need, and I'll work with you to get you what you need over two free revisions (included in my standard rate). If you have written sheet music, I can use it to track precisely the arrangement you've worked so hard on. If you have a demo and verbalized descriptions of your goal, I can make that happen too. I prioritize clear, cordial, and productive communication so I can come to understand what you need as thoroughly and intuitively as possible.
Working with fellow creators is a wonderful occupation that I don't take for granted. Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions. Let's make some music happen!
I record in a well-treated room with top quality gear including a great selection of German and Austrian mics, excellent preamps, industry-leading converters, state-of-the-art software, and extensive experience with all of it.
Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.
Credits
113 Reviews - 10 Repeat Clients
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Once again Brian Donohoe hooked me up!! Excellent work on My Remake Of "Bulletproof Soul" by Sade!
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Brian Donohoe WAS AMAZING AGAIN on My Remake Of "Keep Looking" by Sade! I got the best!
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Brian Donohoe continues to ride shotgun for me, and this time on My Remake Of "Somebody Already Broke My Heart" by Sade. Simply Excellent! Thank you Brian!
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Brian Donohoe continues his AMAZING WORK For My Remake Of "Nothing Can Come Between Us" by Sade! Excellence again!
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Once again Brian Donohoe was AMAZING My Remake Of "Cherry Pie" by Sade! Thank you Brian!
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Once again Brian Donohoe's Treatment For My Remake Of "All The Way Around" by Marvin Gaye was absolutely EXCELLENT! Thank you, Brian!
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Brian Donohoe continues to be amazing on My Remake Of "After The Dance" by Marvin Gaye! Thank you, Brian!
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Brian Donohoe WOWED ME on My Remake Of "Come Live With Me Angel" by Marvin Gaye! Thank you!
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Brian Donohoe did an AMAZING JOB on My Remake Of "Since I Had You" by Marvin Gaye! Thank you!!
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Brian is awesome! Great communication, quick turnaround, and (most importantly) great playing/recording quality. Definitely a pleasure to work with.
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Once again I absolutely Needed That Brian Donohoe Treatment For My Remake Of "Damn Good Friend" by Bill Medley. Simply excellent!
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I Needed That Brian Donohoe Treatment For My Remake Of "Dedicate (My Life To You)" by The Younghearts, and what he gave me was INCREDIBLE!! Thank you, Brian!!
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I Knew What My Song Needed, It Was That Brian Donohoe Treatment! Excellent!
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Brian Donohoe Gave Me The Special Treatment For My Remake Of "Ye Yo" by Erykah Badu! Excellent!
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Brian Donohoe was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING on My Remake Of "Hey Love" by the Delfonics! Thank You!!
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Brian Donohoe was incredible on My Remake Of "Emotional" by Carl Thomas! Thank you!
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So glad I have Brian Donohoe on my team! Check out his Treatment For My Remake Of "Send In The Clowns" by Lou Rawls. Simply excellent!
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I Needed That Special Brian Donohoe Treatment For My Remake Of "Soon I'll Be Loving You" by Marvin Gaye! He fixed it!
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Brian Donohoe Provides The Surgical Treatment For My Remake Of "Dindi" by Jon Lucien! Thank you!
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That Brian Donohoe Treatment Was WONDERFUL On My Remake Of "Live It Up" by Isley Brothers!
Interview with Brian Donohoe
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would love nothing more than to be a member of Sting's band ca. 1985 so I could learn from the likes of Kenny Kirkland, Branford Marsalis, Darryl Jones, Omar Hakim, and Mr. Sumner himself. The greatest "pop" band that ever walked the earth!
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Listen, and mix, at low volume levels. This is how you can balance the big-picture concept with the zoomed-in details.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: My background is in jazz, funk, soul, rock, RnB, and fusion, and I work most often in those styles. I've been fortunate to work with a number of influential artists in those realms, as well as hip hop, gospel, reggae/dancehall, Brazilian, and Cuban traditions. There are plenty of electronic and pop artists and producers I enjoy, too!
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I do have reasonably freaky ears. If you send me a complicated, note-dense composition with angular lines all over the place, chances are good that I'll be able to transcribe and recreate it on any of my instruments pretty quickly. But the bigger picture benefit here is my ability to listen to the concept of a song or composition and create and/or execute arrangement layers that help give it depth, sophistication, energy, and life.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: As a composer myself, I have tremendous respect for the role of the writer in every artistic field. My goal as a session musician and arranger is to find the right sounds and parts to serve the concept of the song itself.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: By the time a client sends me a project here on Soundbetter, they usually have the form and foundation of their track in place: the song form and drums/bass/guitar (or MIDI placeholders for those) provide context for me to add whatever arrangement layers need to go on top to bring it to life. This can include piano, electric piano, or organ accompaniment; saxophone/flute arrangements or improvised fills; or carefully layered synth pads and leads. Some clients write out a specific keyboard, saxophone, or woodwind parts via MIDI demo or old-school sheet music, which is always lovely! Regardless, clients who hire me should feel free to provide as much verbal detail as they want regarding what they need for their production. Reference recordings are always very helpful, too: if you've hired me, the chances are good that we have similar taste in music! I'd love to help your song approach the quality of our mutual heroes.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I record in a professionally-treated room with state-of-the-art equipment. I use and love microphones by Neumann, Austrian Audio, Beyerdynamic, and more; top-end preamps and converters by RME; powerful software by Spectrasonics, Arturia, Native Instruments, Spitfire, and nearly anything else you could think of. I use an intentionally hybrid workflow that involves the best of acoustic, analog, and digital audio designs. Most importantly, I've spent countless hours getting to know my environment and getting the best out of it.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I'm heavily inspired by the great artists, writers, and musicians of the 1970s, '80s, and '90s: The classic bands assembled for live tours and studio sessions by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Sting, Peter Gabriel, and Chaka Khan; Weather Report, Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters, Return to Forever, the Mahavishnu Orchestra; anything Prince, Miles Davis, or Quincy Jones ever touched. I also have a deep love and gratitude for a broad range of the great composers and songwriters of numerous traditions and genres: Maurice Ravel, Wayne Shorter, Paul Simon, Sergei Prokofiev, Joni Mitchell, Claude Debussy, and on and on.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I typically provide professionally recorded saxophone, keyboard (piano, electric piano, organ, synth), and woodwind (flute, clarinet) parts as specified by each client. Some clients need me to arrange parts, while others have specific written parts already in mind, and I enjoy working either way. Additionally, I'll often provide energetic improvised solos on any of the above instruments, but most frequently tenor saxophone, with multiple options and revisions available per project.
I was the composer, saxophonist, and keyboardist in this production
- SaxophoneAverage price - $250 per song
- Keyboards - SynthAverage price - $250 per song
- FluteAverage price - $250 per song
- PianoAverage price - $250 per song
- Full instrumental productionAverage price - $500 per song
- ClarinetAverage price - $250 per song
- Film ComposerAverage price - $400 per minute
Pricing will include up to two revisions, after which a fee of $50/hour for further revisions will apply. Payment for all services will be required within seven days of completion.
- Neumann
- Austrian Audio
- RME
- Beyerdynamic
- Yamaha
- Roland