Producer/Engineer/ATMOS

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

A: Pitch Perfect 2, feature film, Universal Pictures. Highest opening weekend for a musical comedy feature, at the time. Supervising music mixer and Vocal producer.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm working in Nashville September and October 2019. Three independent artists and one mix for pic project wrapping up this week. I'm looking forward to working in France, starting first week of November 2019.

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

A: I am new to SoundBetter, but look forward to finding out who is available and will definitely support the platform and recommend others.

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

A: Clients want to know when I can start on their project and when deadlines will be met, however my answer usually depends on the client, much more than me. One thing is usually clear, my availability. How the client utilizes my time is often a different matter. Having said that, I often go with the flow and remain a positive force till we achieve our goals.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I like to hear an honest discussion of the client's background and what they want for the next five years.

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

A: If you are interested, reach out to me and we can discuss my path. Music live performance and recording has been my whole life. I worked on my first feature film, 30 years ago, this year.

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

A: Translation. As proven time and time again, I will deliver to mastering or the dubbing stage a product that translates their project/mix accurately; meeting the highest industry technical standards. The music/the emotion/the sonic presentation will be our joint collaboration; our best.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The satisfaction of a great track, after a creative journey. Whether that journey is a day or a year.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Golden doodles in the studio. Sense of humor. But most important is working out of love for our craft and each other.

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

A: Solar power pack, Shure SM7, JBL 305PMKII, Macbook Pro/UAD Arrow, MIDI keyboard.

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

A: Anderson .Paak. Need I say more?

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Go to the mic knowing who you are, prepared.....then open up your heart and let it flow.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both, project dependent.

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

A: Mixing is turning into producing these days. Fixing production which is incomplete.

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

A: Do your best to know yourself and your music first, before you go shopping for collaborators. For production, pick someone to work with who you can grow with and express yourself freely. If only hiring a specifc service, do your homework to learn what it is you are paying for.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My indie artist projects vary greatly. For film, I live a different process on each project, dependent on my role in the team, relative to the type of film.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My personal mix studio is based around Pro Tools Ultimate HDX, D Command (however recently I had an S 6/Matrix in for demo), 5.1 monitoring with multiple alternate stereo speaker pairs. Atmos is around the corner for me in 2020. I have some great outboard gear and a decent private/adjacent tracking room where a lot of sweat, tears and happiness pours out. However, I work often in commercial studios.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My engineering/mixing chops started in great Los Angeles studios with great players. I then started mixing in the box in Winter 1999, to make recalling mixes for big songs for big films..easier. My strongest skill set - I actually know what I'm doing with hardware and software.

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

A: In Nashville it has lately been Pop/Hip Hop and Country. In LA it is all over the map with orchestra, big band, gospel choir, successful pop artists, singer/songwriters, a capella, games. I have not answered the question precisely, but truthfully.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Guess I can safely offer a pretty darn good set of ever evolving skills to bring to the table, to help artists express themselves. Not to bore you to death, but I'm a college trained musician and an experienced road dog too. To name a few, I grew up on Hendrix as well as Miles Davis and revere Dr. Dre and Quincy. My recording/producing chops have spanned from a single singer/songwriter to famous bands to world class orchestras. I started as a failed violinist in 1st grade, then a decent trumpet player beginning in fourth grade, adding in my passion drums/percussion in middle school. Oh.....I also studied with a two very well known voice teachers along the way.

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

A: My mentors that helped get me started are legends in our industry. My memories of their words and actions, often pop up in my mind. Yet I experience peers daily, who blow me away with something fresh. Being inspired for me, is the perpetual quest to learn. How cool is that each day?

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

A: With a great sense of peace, I work in two different worlds. Feature films engineering/mixing/producing and indie artists producing/engineering/mixing. I am thankful for the opportunities which keep this balance alive.