Vocalist, Songwriter, Topliner

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

A: A project for my hometown. They hired me to make a children's song based on masks and showing their teachers and other adult community members wearing them. I wrote/performed on/engineered/produced/mixed/mastered the song, and it was my first time doing it all myself. It felt great to get that experience, and even better to hear that they loved the finished product!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Creating a distraction-free environment in my studio. Fewer phones and more music!

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

A: Elaine Ryan. She's a great singer/songwriter for your female vocal needs!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. It's more accessible and the gap between analog gear and emulations of that same gear is becoming extremely narrow.

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

A: My promise is to give each project what it needs to serve the vision of every client.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I like the variety and the reactions from clients when the project is complete. Getting to put on different hats as a musician every day is exciting. What's even more exciting is the warmth I feel when someone loves how their project turned out.

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

A: For editing projects, I often get asked if I can make their raw vocal sound professional. The answer is that it depends. I can put the best takes together and tune what was recorded, but it's arguably more important to do your absolute best during the recording process. The reality is that typically less editing needed in post-production = a more professional-sounding final result. Get it right at the source, and you can almost guarantee the final product will sound professional.

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

A: That it's magic. It is certainly magical, but I don't think it's magic. Music-making is available to everyone that is willing to invest their time and energy!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: - Are there any existing songs/artists you'd like to use as a reference? If not, what's the mood you're looking for? - If you're looking for tuning, do you want it to be natural or like T-Pain?

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

A: The more specific you can be emotionally and/or musically the better!

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

A: If this was an actual deserted island (no electricity), here are my choices: 1. Acoustic Guitar 2. Journal/Notebook 3. Pencils 4. Pencil sharpener 5. Some kind of handheld percussion instrument

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

A: Moses Sumney. His use of texture vocally and instrumentally is astounding. Also, his lyrics strike a beautiful balance between being poetic and being direct.

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

A: I started college as a game design major and switched to music after realizing that I didn't love coding. My other love was music, but I had focused on finding a "stable" job instead of living my dream. After switching I never looked back. This is my 9th year as a musician, and my 4th year being full-time.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I love the contrast that can be created with music. I like combining organic elements with electronic ones. I like finding soothing sounds and pairing them with something abrasive. I like singing phrases that feel like a lullaby, and others that act as an alarm clock. The contrast, even if it's very subtle, keeps things interesting.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Know what the purpose of each instrument is in your production. Is it providing melody, harmony, rhythm, or a combination of those? Is it there to be felt instead of heard? Is it "ear candy?" Is it helping you transition from one section to another? These are some of the things I think about. If it doesn't have a purpose, it probably doesn't need to be there.

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

A: Singer-Songwriter, soul, pop, and r&b.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Imagination

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring my appreciation for expressing a full gamut of emotions. Songs are often a snapshot of a certain emotion, and I love to tune into that fully and then jump to a completely different emotion in another project. The variety of musical emotions and styles makes me feel whole.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It depends on the project, but overall I start general and work my way to becoming more and more precise. After listening to a client's project and reading their notes, I put myself into the emotion of the project and brainstorm by getting out as many ideas as possible. From there, I select which ideas are the most appropriate for the project and then perfect those ideas.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I'm running Logic Pro X on a Mac Mini. I typically use Slate VSX headphones or Kali Audio LP 6's for monitoring/mixing.

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

A: Anderson .Paak, Moses Sumney, Brasstracks, H.E.R., Nick Drake, Bill Withers.

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

A: Right now it's lead vocals, background vocals, and editing (comping and tuning).