Trombone, Horn Section, Brass

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

A: I work a lot with Ziv Shalev in NYC, he is a very well versed and talented guitarist!

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a home studio setup, suitable to record single instruments. RME Babyface interface, Logic X, and a Coles 4038 and Shure SM7 as my main mics.

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

A: Most commonly, I create and record horn parts for my clients. I can either write parts or play something existing from sheet music (non transposed bass or treble clef) or from a simple guide track. Parts can be for trombone, solo or stacked with other layers of low brass instruments from my studio. I can also contract a full horn section of trumpet, tenor/alto/bari sax, trombone. They would record parts from their home studios.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love being creative on a daily basis and exploring new sounds and styles. There is nothing more exciting than hearing a creative project come together, I really enjoy working with other artists and creating something new and fresh!

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

A: I studied Music Education and Jazz Studies at Ohio State, and Jazz Performance at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music for grad school. After school I moved to Brooklyn, NY with some fellow bandmates. Since moving to NYC five years ago I've had the opportunity to tour the world and work with some of the top musicians in the industry. I've spent a lot of time in the recording studio and have been developing my skills recording at home in recent years...learning that you don't have to be in an expensive studio to get high quality sounds.

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

A: I work on all types of music from pop, rock, to classic R&B and soul. Whether its high energy funk or a chill ballad, I really enjoy adapting horn parts to the personality of the song.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: My approach to writing horn parts is to find the sweet spot that will serve the song the most. I want the horns to have a memorable and effective roll in the song, but not overstep or interfere with the focal point. Some songs have a lot of room for flashy horn writing while others might only need a few simple passages to get the point across. When I'm presented with a song I listen to it many times to figure out what it needs and how the horns can enhance the track. I take pride in my ability to add something melodic and catchy that will take your song to the next level!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: After a client sends me a song I'll write the horn parts and make a midi demo of them. Once it's approved I'll record trombone parts in my home studio, and bounce off tracks for my other horn players to record to. Once they are all completed I'll clean up and edit the parts, do some light mixing and bounce the stems back to the client to slide into their mix.

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

A: I'm very inspired by Jerry Hey, Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton, Prince, Stevie Wonder, as well as Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, Jacob Collier, Louis Cole, Snarky Puppy, Vulfpeck, and many others!