Singer/Songwriter/Topliner

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

A: I had a chance to write a few songs with an artist who goes by the stage name Elon Dust. I wrote the lyrics, vocal melody, and sang on Bubbles, Wish You Were Here, and Something. These songs are ones I'm especially proud of because they were some of the first songs I wrote professionally. Bubbles went on to hit over 1 million streams on Spotify alone, and was picked up by Starbucks to be played in their international playlists. Wish You Were Here is one of my favorites because I love the way my voice turned out and the atmosphere this song immediately creates as soon as it starts playing.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm currently working on an entire album for a client. I'm writing the lyrics for 11 songs and providing the vocals as a featured artist for one. I've never worked on a complete project like this before so it's been such a fun opportunity to be able to tell a story from start to finish.

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

A: Zack James is a producer I work with often. I always recommend him to clients who need help with adding certain elements to their instrumentals, or who need the song mixed after I've provided vocals. He's communicative, offers great prices, and is a top-notch talent.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love creating with new people! It's fun getting to experience other people's work and to help them make their dreams a reality. I also love the creativity I get to explore with this job. I have my own solo project as an artist, and it's a specific vision, so I like that I'm able to write and sing songs for clients that I wouldn't normally get the opportunity to do for myself.

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

A: The biggest misconception is that what I do is "easy" or takes no effort at all. Writing lyrics does take time. It takes time to make sure the syllables in each line add up perfectly, that the rhyming scheme is correct, that the lyrics tell a story in a short amount of time, and that the lyrics match the genre and theme the client wants. It also takes time to record multiple takes of the melody, each harmony, adlibs, etc. I always provide my clients with high-quality vocals and lyrics, and that requires time and effort on my part. If it was easy, you wouldn't need to hire me.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: -What would you like your song to be about? A certain theme? Subject? Topic? -Do I have creative freedom or do you have specific lyrics already written? -Is there a hard deadline for this song? -Do you need me to sing in different styles?

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

A: Please pay attention to my prices. I've looked at other songwriters/vocalists on this site and I know my prices are a lot lower than most of theirs, so it's frustrating when I have a client try to low-ball me. I am willing to work with people who are on a budget but please don't act surprised by my fee or try to get a song written for next to nothing when it's very clear what I charge for each service on my profile.

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

A: Before pursuing music, I got my bachelor's degree in marketing and human resources management. I love the aspect of human psychology in each of those subjects. Music has always been my passion though. I've been professionally pursuing music for almost four years now, but I've been writing songs and singing for most of my life.

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

A: The most popular requests are pop/indie edm, which I'm very good at writing for, but I do occasionally get contemporary Christian or indie songs, which are my favorite genres to sing on.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is the way my voice draws the listener in. Not only do I tell a story with my lyrics, but my vocals do the same thing.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring unique lyrics that aren't your typical cookie-cutter lyrics, especially with edm songs. I like to tell a story even if it's a small amount of lyrics needed.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I start by listening to the client's instrumental a few times in the car to get a feel for what the song should be about (if the client doesn't have a preference for the theme). Driving around the neighborhood listening to the instrumental is how I come up with melodies. It just flows for me. Then I start humming a couple different melodies I come up with and see which one matches the best with the instrumental. From there I figure out syllable placements and start adding lyrics to the melody.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have an in-home, soundproof studio room that I use to record vocals.

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

A: Norah Jones, Ryan Tedder, Sam Phillips (Leslie), Lady Gaga, All Sons & Daughters, Lauren Daigle, Lana Del Rey, Madeon

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

A: I most commonly write lyrics, a vocal melody, and provide vocals for pop edm songs. I'm generally hired for all three elements at once, which means the client provides an instrumental and I do the rest, making sure the song encompasses everything the client requires.