Music Producer, Guitarist

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: MacBook Pro 2014 with Ableton Live 9 (incl. many high quality plugins and licensed samples), Komplete 10 and Kontrol S49, Guitar Rig 5 and a Røde NTK through a Scarlet 2i2 for audio recording. Yamaha HS5 monitors.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Music is my biggest passion and creative outlet.

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

A: Sting, he is one of my all time favorites.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't be afraid to leave some imperfections and roughness in your music - it can add character. Music that's too perfect and overproduced can be lifeless.

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

A: Pop (all eras), rock (classic/hard rock, some metal), electronic (EDM, downtempo, ambient), some hip hop.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Performing instrumental parts, producing tracks, arranging music.

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

A: My musical interests are eclectic; I like pop, rock, jazz, reggae, classical, electronic, ambient and world music. I like virtuoso instrumentalists, esp. guitarists (anyone from Joe Satriani to John McLaughlin) and I also like classic bands and writers from the late 1960's onward, incl. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Police, U2, The Cure, Metallica, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, etc. etc. I also like some hip hop: Tribe Called Quest, the Roots, Mos Def, some Black Eyed Peas and similar artists.

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

A: I was co-producer of an independent production by The Variance with Jim Wirt. I co-wrote and co-produced the tracks with my production partner, played guitar on the record and helped with post-production as well.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am producing original music for myself and for a couple of close friends with whom I've collaborated for many years.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog AND digital... there's no denying the convenience of modern technology, but old/analog/vintage gear still has that special magic that digital can't replace completely.

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

A: The quality of my work reflects back on me so I always strive to deliver a high-quality product.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is your expectation for the final product?

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

A: Do your best to determine if the prospect you are looking to hire can deliver what you are looking for—don't be afraid to ask any question you can think of.

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

A: Started singing and playing guitar with a band of friends from high school, over twenty years ago... I have been making and performing music off and on ever since.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I balance perfectionism with an ability to keep the big picture in focus.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A sharp ear for melody, harmony and arrangement, eclectic tastes and a broad musical perspective, multi-instrumental experience and innate musical talent

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: If working on a cover, I try to indentify all the musical instruments and parts involved, the song key, tempo and time signature, etc. With original music, anything and everything that aids the creative process.

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

A: Produce full instrumental tracks of original or cover music including electric guitar, programmed drums, synths, beats, edited licensed samples, pre-recorded and live vocals and additional instrumentation