Production, Mixing, Recording

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

A: I recently worked on a project with an artist who goes by the name Pocket Writer. It was such a great experience! I tracked both here in the studio as well as in the artist's home, wrote and played a keyboard part and a synth part for the song, and used my instincts to really help bring out what the artist was looking to do. He has since released a video for the song; I am proud to have been involved in manifesting his vision.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am working on a mix of a song that I tracked - live drums, layered electric guitars, juxtaposed with a laid-back vocal; really quite interesting. This mix will be more organic in nature, with more emphasis having been placed on the performance and off-the-floor recording.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Mostly digital for ease of use and expediency. However I have grown to love analog warmth and saturation, as well as the tactile interaction with analog gear - there is certainly no question in my mind why so many analog emulations exist in the digital world.

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

A: That they will walk away happy, and with memorable experiences of having created something real.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love being creative, sharing passion, and getting deeply into the music. I love helping my clients build their vision! I feel a deep satisfaction when my clients are happy and when they realize that they have achieved more, and had fun along the way.

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

A: They ask about turnaround time, revision policy (see profile page), and generally about whether or not I feel that a certain element of a recording or a mix is working well with the overall picture. I always answer honestly, but never one word answers, I like to dive into why I feel something works well or why I think it doesn't.

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

A: 1) That a mixer can take any quality of recording and turn it into gold - if the original recording or performance quality is poor, despite technological advances it will be very difficult to get a good sound in the end. 2) That a producer like me will take your ideas and completely alter them for their own creative satisfaction. I am here to serve and to help create alongside my clients, to help manifest their desires, to help build as oppose to tear down.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Aside from some of the details above, I like to ask if there are any existing songs/artists out there who would be good target references for the sound that they want to achieve. References can really help to ensure that some of the desired characteristics are present in a recording or in a mix.

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

A: Have a fairly clear idea of what you would like to accomplish, and be open about sharing your vision! The more detail I have about feel, style, instrumentation, and palette, the more the final results will be satisfying. I like to provide as little or as much input as desired and I never forget that THIS IS YOUR MUSIC.

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

A: Assuming that my computer is a given, I would bring a MIDI keyboard, an 8-input audio interface, my drum kit (does that count as 1 piece of gear of 10?), studio monitors, and an AKG C414 - I don't think that there is anything that the 414 can't reasonably accomplish.

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

A: When I was a kid, my parents enrolled me in piano lessons at a fairly early stage. While I enjoyed the instrument itself, I grew bored of the typical instruction which consisted of learning to play someone else's compositions so I eventually dropped the lessons. I have always been interested in rhythm and I played the drums casually in high school. Moving forward several years, I started producing my own music 4 years ago, which was the culmination of many years of being deeply moved by all things musical. Thus began my new life path, one that I could truly call my own. Eventually, I was looking at options for education, and the Recording Connection program intrigued me. I spent the next 2 years learning alongside a local producer/mixer/engineer in his studio - tracking, mixing, and producing artists and bands of various genres. I really enjoyed the collaborative spirit of working with artists, and was inspired by all of the interesting creativity that happens when creatives get together. I loved seeing artists' ideas come to fruition, and feeling that level of satisfaction when someone has helped them to realize their vision. I knew that I needed to pursue this calling, so not long after completing the program I decided to open my own recording and mixing studio to help others live their musical vision. I've been helping artists to craft and mix their music for nearly a year now, and I can't imagine where my life would be without having taken a chance on this deeply satisfying passion.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Punchy, gritty-clean, textured, more intricate as opposed to simple.

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

A: Richard D. James (Aphex Twin) - I've been a big fan for many years; he has a certain quality of unbridled creativity that can be heard through an incredibly diverse portfolio of sounds and styles that, in my opinion, has yet to be challenged by any other major artist. I very much look up to his level of creativity and avant-gardism.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: My mentor once imparted to me a clever kernel of wisdom: "If you think, you stink!" We all have a tendency to over-think and over-analyze things. Whenever I find myself in this headspace, or when I feel like I'm in a creative rut, I like to focus on one interesting sound that is in front of me, one sound only. I immerse myself in that one sound and let it take me away; invariably, the ideas begin to flow and the project then becomes so much more. In my experience, giving yourself (sometimes drastic) limitation affords your gut instinct the time and space that it needs to shine through clearly.

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

A: Rock, Electronic, pop/R&B, and folk-rock. I'd like the opportunity to work more with jazz musicians and recordings as I've always been a fan of more intricate and complicated music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Creativity - with both the state and quality of technology today, there is no reason to live and think from within the confines of any established method. While it is absolutely true that we stand on the shoulders of giants, it is our destiny to become more, to do more, to explore, and to change.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: During both the recording and mixing processes, I tend to hear things (notes, tones, stray sounds, etc.) that give me flashes of inspiration to feature them more in a song. They hit a note inside of me that I can't ignore. Sometimes this leads to trying out interesting vocal hits or harmonies, accentuating a hook or riff, or percussifying something that was lingering in the background. I believe very much in experimentation and rolling with those wonderful 'happy mistakes'.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My mixing desk is open to the live floor - I believe very much in direct face-to-face communication and less of an us-and-them, control room/iso floor separation. We are in this together!

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

A: I am inspired by those who pour their guts out on stage! I am greatly influenced by artists of all genres who are not afraid to push the envelope in pursuit of new ground - Aphex Twin, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, The Flaming Lips, Buck 65, St. Vincent, Andrew Bird, LCD Soundsystem, Kimbra, DFA, Holy Fuck, Phantogram (just to name a few)

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

A: I work with clients to bring out the sound that they hear in their heads. Tracking drums, guitar, bass, vocals, and mixing songs with very much a collaborative mindset.