Guitarist who produces & mixes

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

A: I worked on a song for a game soundtrack. I was hired to come in and sing on it. I was given the material ahead of time and learned the melodies. Once in the studio we were three takes in when the engineer turned around and said: "What a pleasure it is to work with someone that knows what they are doing!" Based on the engineer that said that, I was floored. I asked: "Is it not common?" His response was: "No comment." Then we got back to work.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Finishing up some songs for a movie soundtrack. As well as producing a couple of artists local to my area.

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

A: I'll need to look around to find out.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: This is a mental thing. Digital is awesome and can deliver whatever is needed. Those needing to record analog are likely doing it for nostalgia.

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

A: I under promise and over deliver.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: What is better than creating something that can affect others so deeply in so short a time?

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

A: Q: How long will this take? A: It depends on the project. Q: Why do you cost so much? A: Go hire an amateur and find out.

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

A: That it all happens by magic.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I like to get to know the client first. So I do like that chat in person or on the phone to get a feel for what they want.

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

A: If I'm producing you, be prepared to work your ass off, cause I'll be working mine off for you. If I'm being hire to play or mix, then I'm prepared to work my ass off for you.

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

A: Guitar, laptop, Apollo interface & plugins, C-12 mic, Logic Pro.

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

A: After attending Berklee and graduating from Musician's Institute I started writing, performing and touring as a guitar player. I learned to sing out of necessity. Had a stint as a first call guitar player for major label bands to tour. I started doing more production work after touring and found a real knack for doing music for broadcast productions. I've been at it now for over 20 years.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: As a producer it's somewhere between Mutt Lange, John Kalodner and Eric Valentine. As a musician, I would say dedicated to getting the sound and performance that is right for the song.

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

A: There's a few actually, here's a short list: P!nk, Kesha, Biffy Cylro, Julia Michaels, Mike Posner, Nothing But Thieves, Big Wreck, and more. Based on what I know about these artists, they all have a great work ethic plus they have awesome songs in the catalog. I feel like I could enhance them in some small way.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I could, but then I'd have to kill you. ;-) (just kidding). One of the biggest things I see go wrong in the studio is artists who are unprepared and thing everything is just gonna get fixed in the mix. Know your music. Know your vision. Trust your producer. From a pure production standpoint, pick one piece of gear or plugin and learn it from top to bottom so that you know how to use it when needed. Guess that makes two tips.

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

A: That depends on the production I'm being hired for. Often it's pop influenced. Recently I've been producing a lot of singer songwriters and Americana acts.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: The ability to come up with musical & production ideas that improve a song.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I find the weakest link to the song and I strengthen it with my experience and creativity.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: This is dependent upon what I'm being hired to do. Generally if it's as a performer, I do my homework to know the parts so I can deliver a great performance. If it's as a producer, I make sure to understand the artist's/band's vision and keep them on a path to obtain that vision. As a mixing engineer, I approach it the same as if I was a producer.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a carefully crafted home production studio. Don't let that fool you.

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

A: Musicians: Lyle Workman, Steve Hunter, Glen Sobel, Josh Freeze, Dave Bowen, Armin Van Burren. Music Production: Al Schmidt, Eric Valentine, Butch Walker, Dave Pensado, Busbee, John Rodd Rodney Jerkins.

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

A: Most often I'm hired to write and produce music for broadcast productions. When hired to sing on a production, I do my homework so that I don't waste their time in the studio. I operate the same way when I'm hired to play an instrument. When hired to produce other artists in the studio, I start with a good chat to make sure we jell and to find out what their vision is. I then make sure they get a great performance to fulfill that vision for their music. When hired to mix a song, I have a good chat with the artist/band to find out the desired result and deliver on that result.