Soulful Singer + Songwriter

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

A: Finishing my single Famous Last Words was satisfying because it's hard for me to finish songs without the knowledge and skill that an expert producer has. I uploaded that song to the main music streaming platforms and that felt like a big accomplishment to me. It has earned a small amount of money and it's exciting to know that if I work harder I can make bigger and better things happen.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am working with a producer who has had over 3400 placements of music on TV and we are working to create songs to pitch to artists.

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

A: I genuinely want to make sure you are satisfied with the vocals, lyrics, or melody. I am extremely able to handle constructive criticism in order to give you what you're looking for.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love the thrill of hoping that one day my song could be picked up by a major artist. That is my Mount Everest. I don't need to win a Grammy. For now my biggest goal is just for someone to recognize the value in my music.

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

A: That I'm always inspired. Songwriting involves just sitting down and working. It's problem solving mixed with creativity. I have struggled to be inspired the way I did when I was a teenager. I have had to develop ways of writing despite the lack of inspiration. It is going well!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I love to hear a few examples of songs and what they love about those songs in order to understand what they are going for with the track they want me to sing & write to.

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

A: Be open to me giving my honest feedback about the chords, lyrics, and melody of a song. If you want to keep everything the way it is that's fine, but I really have a gut instinct and talent for tweaking things to make it shine.

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

A: Piano, Guitar, MacBook, iPhone Voice Memo App, Logic Pro.

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

A: The closest brush with being picked up with a label came in 2016 when I was scouted by Big Billy Clark. I've been playing piano and writing songs since I was able to talk. I slowly taught myself what sounded good without taking lessons. I was exposed to all kinds of music growing up. I developed the ability to sound out a song in minutes without needing to look up chords. I taught myself a proficient level of production by starting out on GarageBand as a high schooler and progressed to Logic Pro. I produced a lot of my own songs in high school while performing at open mics.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Sweet, soulful, delicate, but also able to bring the power and do vocal runs, ad libs, and an Pop/R&B vibe.

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

A: I would love to work with Marlene (Swedish Pop Singer) to strengthen my melody and pop skill, Julia Michaels for songwriting and lyrical rhythm.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: If you are a producer trying to create tracks for a singer to write and sing to make sure the track makes room for the vocalist. A lot of tracks end up overpowering the spot where the lyrics should go. A good songwriter will be able to tell you if the track will compliment what they sing and write to it instead of pushing it out. I believe a good Pop track compliments not only the structure of the lyrics but also the meaning. Sounds should correspond to what is being said.

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

A: Pop

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Making a melody catchy.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I am a very introspective and deep person and my melodies and lyrics are often suited for slower songs, however, I am able to write fast and upbeat pop songs as long as the music inspires it. I also am mindful of staying away from very boring rhymes and try to avoid cliche lyrics. I try to look for metaphors that have not been used or have not been used the way I use them.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Music often comes first and then inspires lyrics. But I also have an entire bank of songs and poems not set to music that I can draw from. At the minimum I just need to be inspired by the chords, even if nothing else in the track is finished. To me the chords are the centerpiece of being able to write the best possible melody and lyrics.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: 2019 Macbook Pro with Logic Pro X, Scarlet 2i2 interface, AT4050 Condenser Mic, Yamaha Electric Grand Piano.

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

A: Swedish Pop Singer Marlene, Tori Kelly, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Claudio, Jon Bellion, Bebe Rexha, Julia Michaels.

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

A: When provided with a completed track I first assess the song's commercial viability and be able to suggest chord changes or other sound edits to make the track sound more appealing to the market, then I can write lyrics and melody easily.