Musician and Producer

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

A: I am really proud of one of my most recent releases called "Canvas", a powerful track (and in the studio video!) highlighting a blend of Neo-Jazz, Fusion, Electronica, and Conscious Rap. It won $1000 through the Bay Area Music relief project! This song started with the handpan, a unique instrument birthed from a subset of the steel drum. I felt inspired to turn a simple melody into this whole song. The lyrics were specifically written to help us stay inspired in these interesting times during quarantine. Produced, Filmed, and Recorded during my quarantined "Artist in Residency" the Bay Area, California. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTorYlT2dpk

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I just finished 2 new singles that are in the bag and ready to go for release dates on Distrokid for later this month. I am starting the promotion process this week. I am also finishing a full length LP that has been in the works with an old band of mine for several years. I am creating meditation music for my client Sah D'Simone (mindfulness influencer). I am recording bass for another old band project and will be production, mixing, and mastering that LP in the next few months.

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

A: Omondi Nyongo suggested SoundBetter to me. He is a lyricist and hires musicians to actualize his music.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I work digitally as much I wish I had the gear for analog. Right now its what suits my production flow best and I have a lot of onboard VSTs that simulate analog sounds. I can get more work done, and quicker digitally and then I make it "lofi" in post if needed. Someday would love to have a tape deck where I can especially record vocals and drums.

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

A: High quality music and production quality at a reasonable rate delivered to you on time.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love making music. I love making other peoples musical visions come true. Its a joy to be in the studio and doing what I love and am good at. Time flies by and I am enjoying the process. Its really powerful when I get a job where the music meets with purpose. I.e. a client who wrote lyrics for his father's passing. He asked me to compose a song from scratch as a memoir piece for his father. There is a lot of emotion there that carries throughout the music.

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

A: When can I expect to have a mix by? Depending on the project or work involved, anywhere from 3-5 days, you should see a mix in your inbox from me :) My agency wants me to add some ear-candy to this song, can you do that? "Yes, absolutely."

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

A: This is a good question, I'm not entirely sure what people think. I think the biggest misperception is that vocal editing and vocal tuning takes a while and if that client's voice isn't recorded well, or if the performance is off, then it will take a good bit of work to get it to shine and be "radio-ready". Especially if timing is an issue, like in guitar parts or live drumming, when timing isn't on beat, it makes the whole band/mix sound bad. So the amount of production work that gets spent on timing edits and vocal tuning is huge. Unless they are highly trained musicians, you end up with people just hear the final mix and think they sounded amazing from the get-go.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Can you please send me a few tracks on YouTube that you might want this song to sound like? Do you want this to be an electric or an acoustic guitar? Do you want the session in 44.1 khz or 96 kHz? (depending on the files sent) What key and tempo is this song?

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

A: Please make sure all of your stems are recorded really well, ideally professionally in a studio. Please inform me what sound, or style you are looking to create, and what you are hiring me for. Be clear on time stamps where edits may be needed ("Can you fix the vocal line at 1:33, it sounds a bit out of tune") Please be available and responsive during the time you hire me as I may have questions or need to trouble shoot.

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

A: 1. Acoustic guitar 2. 4 track recording device. 3. A Djembe! 4. A hand pan (sounds amazing and is meditative, so I can stay sane!) 5. A 3 piece drum kit, because that counts as one right?! And will keep my happy for hours :)

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

A: My career path has mostly been in music production and teaching music. I started at age 8 (24 years ago) learning classical flamenco guitar, and got my B.S. in Jazz Guitar and Contemporary Music. I still teach music virtually on Zoom and work with clients all over. I have been producing for over 13 years and have been involved in many production projects with myself and collaborations that have made me and my clients very satisfied.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My music style is clean, spacious and controlled while also employing grit, density, and multiple overlays at the right times. You could call say my music is for ancient astronauts, as it can utilize lofi sounds like vinyl crackle, or a tape response compressor for the vocal, but also using electronic sounds like sub drops, risers, trap hi-hats, and even progressive, and experimental sounds.

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

A: Rick Rubin, because he speaks about getting the artists energy into the take. By priming the vocalist for example with the emotion that went into the lyrics and imploring them to evoke this in a belting section, or the juiciness of a vocal run, can really make the difference between settling and a "hell yes" take. Rick Rubin has a lot of experience and wisdom I'd love to learn more from.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: A lot of producers tend to try and make "everything louder than everything else". It is a losing battle as you start to bury more subtle but important instruments in your mix, while also seeing Faders peak into the read. Focus on subtractive mixing. Instead of bringing the guitar up during the verse because you can't hear it, consider turning down the blaring synth that is covering it up. Same thing with frequencies and panning. You can get a big sound without maxing things out. A lot of mixing is about creating this illusion.

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

A: Producing, Mixing and Mastering my client's stems

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Jazz guitar and Post production.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a strong technical proficiency, strong knowledge in music theory and song writing, and production uniqueness by creating "heavy hitting" tracks that include depth and weight while also utilization space and pacing.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I start with what the client gives me. If they give me a lyric and a song structure, ill start by listening to their sound, influences, and songs they are inspired by for this song so I get an idea of the sound they want. I record guitar and/or keys section by section, then add bass and drums section by section. Often adding in nuances, creating busses, leveling volumes, and adding in subtleties in drum grooves and fills for example during this stage. Then once the foundation is created, Ill go in and record vocals. Then some vocal editing follows. Ill start more in-depth production at this point by creating sends and reverbs, panning, and basic EQ and compression, perhaps some FX VST's if the song calls for it. I may add in some percussion, some ear-candy, risers, cymbal rolls, chimes, vocal choirs, etc. Once I have gotten the mix to sound where I want it, I open up a new session and send it through a mastering chain which ill tweak specifically for the transients of the tune, get everything maximized, and "radio-ready". Then I call it a day.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work in Logic Pro X, I have a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 interface with M-Audio BXAs Monitors. I use a Yamaha APX 5NA (acoustic nylon) or my Epiphone B.B. King Lucille (electric) for guitars, a Novation Launchkey49 for keyboard and MIDI, an MTB-4 Active bass, and a VP88 Condensor Microphone for Vocals and Percussion. I also use Splice software for extra samples and beat-making.

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

A: Rick Rubin, Omar Rodriguez Lopez, David Lynch, Flying Lotus, Radiohead, Bjork, Galimatias, Jacob Collier

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

A: Often I am recording guitar, piano, bass, and vocals for clients. Sometimes they send me stems of pre-recorded tracks where ill apply Vocal Tuning, Editing, Mixing, Post Production, Mastering, getting their projects "Radio Ready". I also do voice over editing for courses and podcasts, and background music for meditations and courses.