Music, Art, Code

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

A: Only Your Love by The Healing Experience. My mom used to be a full time folk artist, and has been in a wheel chair since 2008. After my two years of homelessness, she and I wrote a song together. I got to work with a New York label on it and it had some air time and small film syncs. The song was all she wished she could have me know when I was losing myself.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Actually my passion project! Hoping to release a game I've been working on for quite some time.

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

A: Adam W Benjamin! He has done vocals for me a few times, he also is why I'm even here! The man is a legend! Check him out. One of the best male voices on the site. I mean it. Listen and you'll understand. I am trying to figure out how to steal his voice XD

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. It's 2020, you can't charge more doing things old school. If your project needs lots of live authentic sound, I may not be the best person to help!

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

A: I promise to communicate and set realistic expectations.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Uplifting people with music and art. Helping someone realize what is inside of themselves into something others easily recognize in the same way.

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

A: I'm asked if I can record live guitar, and the answer is...sort of. I no longer have a left wrist. My fretting hand is fused directly to my arm. I nearly lost it in that 35 ft fall. So my skills are limited here. which leads to be not investing much in my guitar playing.

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

A: That I'm a genius. Especially with coding. I'm just like anyone else. the only difference is I stopped saying "I'll learn soon" about 13 years ago.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I may ask why you are writing or making what you are. What your goals are finishing it. What you're doing on social media, as maybe I could help make a lyric video or something just for fun. I ask about why this idea is important to you. As well as what led to that being so.

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

A: Dream big. Don't let a cheap service or gig hold your vision back. Talk about your biggest end goal for an idea, and let someone like me work down to what is doable. Never compromise your vision out of fear it's not possible. Ask, and know what it is!

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

A: I just need my Seagull guitar. I've been stranded in a sense. If I have my guitar, I'm okay...enough. that's all. I give my remaining four to you ^_^

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

A: Yikes, how long do you have? I started as a child. in 2005 or so. I moved to digital only after falling 35 ft in 2009. I then started sing songwriting in August 2019, after two years of homelessness. I make music to try and process many things. Grief, anger, disappointment, longing, hope. I've always been doing it. I also just started *lenny shrug*

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Big ballad sorrowful cinematic alternative :P

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

A: James Young. His song I'll Be Good has moved me in more ways I can mention here. From the lyrics, vocals, and composition structure. I would give a lot to be mentored by him!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: "Anything to achieve the dream". Listeners don't care how a song was made. Be less stuck up about making everything from scratch. Decide if you are making music for profit or because you would otherwise be miserable. The end goals are very different and it will do wonders for you to know what yours are.

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

A: Singer/Songwriter, Folk, alternative, pop, EDM.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Admittedly my strongest skill is getting to a demo ready sound or concept. That point where you need to show your idea to get funding or prove what you hear in yourself has merit. Radio ready sound is more of a struggle, the standards are so high, at least mine are. I am best at getting an idea into a workable example.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Emotion. I am best with sorrowful sounds and concepts. However, like any musician or artist, I bring my eyes, and lend you my hands. You can find many people who do some of what I do, if not all or more. I am the only one who does it how I know to from my heart. I bring all of me to the creative process.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I'm the cliche artist who "makes what they feel." So, I like understanding what a client or friend is feeling, and wants listeners to feel as well. Once we agree on those emotions, I often ask people to write a poem or short story if they can't find lyrics. After we have lyrics and a base I just spend some time with my acoustic to find the basic chords. then I take those chords into my DAW. Send back an example, and just get rid of anything "but the elephant." :P

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I'll be honest-- I do all I do on my CG render station. I have very little in terms of a "studio" I wouldn't even call it a home set up. I tell people every day if they are waiting to make music until they can have a studio, they are more naive than they care to know. It's 2020, let's be real!

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

A: I'm a fan of developers who can make use of audio in their design. Think Proteus and Inside. Sound is what makes those worlds what they are. Mad respect!

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

A: Demos. I have been working with people who have not perused music, to make a basic idea or root emotion into a song anybody in the industry could make radio ready.