Creative Guitarist & Mixer

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

A: My instrumental guitar ballad, "Inner Dawn." It's one of my proudest achievements as both a mixing engineer and songwriter. The melodies just flow and that guitar solo—I can't believe that came from my fingers!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: 1. I just finished Editing and Mixing the latest Gilbert Family album, "Welcome Home." 2. I plan to mix the final song for my debut album of Bluegrass Gospel music entitled "Revival in the Air" in early 2023. 3. Any other music-related side projects that crop up on a whim. 4. Creating digital instructional tutorials, courses, and custom Helix presets. 5. Maintaining my YouTube channel (The Creative Guitarist).

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The freedom to create new melodies and sounds with my guitar and share them with others.

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

A: Always be as specific as possible concerning what your goals are for your project. The more details the provider knows, the easier the process will be for both the consumer and the provider. Also, the better the provider will be able to best represent the vision for the final product.

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

A: My Ibanez AZ242BC electric guitar My Line 6 Helix LT (I'm guessing accessories like headphones, cables, etc., don't count) My Breedlove DR Deluxe Revival series acoustic guitar My Behringer UPHORIA UMC204HD audio interface My iMac Mini 2019 With all these pieces of gear, I could create just about any music I want.

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

A: My career path used to be work at a normal job and get a paycheck. In 2012, when I was laid off from my "normal J.O.B." (Just Over Broke), I decided to work for myself. My main source of income for eight years was made teaching private guitar lessons at a local Christian school for the arts. Then I decided I wanted to pursue my own musical aspirations. I've been honing my creative passion for music ever since.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Recording/Production Equipment: Avid Eleven Rack Line 6 Helix LT & Helix Native EVO 4 Audio Interface iMac 2019 BBE Sonic Maximizer Various Guitar Pedals Tracktion Waveform and REAPER DAWs Guitars: Ibanez AZ242BC Ibanez RGEW521MZW-NTF Ibanez RG4EX1 Breedlove DR Deluxe Revival Series Martin DCX1E

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

A: I provide professional-quality electric and acoustic lead and rhythm guitar tracks at an affordable rate. I also specialize in audio engineering and custom guitar tones for Line 6 Helix products.

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

A: Creating art isn't the easiest thing in the world. If it was the easiest thing, everybody would do it. Most of the time you have to create for love because it's hard to make a living at it.

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

A: Graham Cochrane (The Recording Revolution). Great guy and really knows his audio engineering!

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

A: N/A

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Guitar tone is largely subjective, but your EARS are your most important guide. Get the best tone you can BEFORE recording. This will make the post-production much easier. As far as actual production, the initial static mix, I've found, is the most important step; volume and panning are your best friends as a foundation to start every mix.

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

A: Bluegrass, Gospel/Christian, 80s Shred, Instrumental

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. Technology increases by leaps and bounds year after year. With a few simple plugins, you can achieve 95% or more of the sounds analog equipment can achieve. It's more convenient, more portable, easier, and more affordable overall.

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

A: I will provide my best quality work to the best of my abilities within a reasonable amount of time.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are your goals/vision for the project? Is there a specific tone you're looking for? What turnaround time do you need and can you be flexible?

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Melodic and purposeful. I don't like to play typical scalar leads just for the sake of them. I prefer to inject solos and phrases that enforce the overall melody of the song.

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

A: An artist who isn't limited by a closed mind. Creativity is largely messy and organic, and you can't have a closed mindset if you really want to breathe life into your work.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My ability to quickly assess and learn what I need to in order to provide the best quality product or service.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: My experience of over 25 years creating and playing music. Over those 25 years, I have been privileged to record several albums and demos, so there's that insight as well. My personal style is inspired by many influences, also listed here.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For guitar solos, fills, and rhythm, I typically take time to listen to the song to get the best feel for it. Play around with some sounds and riffs on my guitar. Dial in the perfect tone to suit the piece, then record. With mixing, I also listen to the song and begin getting a feel for the style of the artist before deep-diving into the mix to suit the style. For creating custom guitar tones, I work closely with the artist in honing their signature tones then use that information to build tones that will complement their vision.

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

A: Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, Marco Sfogli, Joe Satriani, Tony Rice, Bryan Sutton, Tommy Emmanuel, Joe Gilder, Graham Cochrane