Dave Kirby on SoundBetter

Touring and session musician with ten years experience and a BMus. I am outgoing and positive, and always open minded. Invest in your sound and hire somebody who will approach your creative vision with the care and expertise that it deserves.

I am available for session guitar work, acoustic or electric for music of any genre, though my experience has been primarily in the country, jazz, rock, and pop music scenes, I studied jazz guitar in my undergraduate and I am well verse in a wide variety of genres. Additionally, I am an experienced vocalist. Also, I am experienced with ableton and I am available for the programming of backing tracks for live performances.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

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Interview with Dave Kirby

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Since the quarantine has begun where I live (Toronto), my friends and I have been recording songs together but from different parts of the city. It has been a really cool experience to learn how to sync all the video and audio together from all these different sources.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: At the moment, the corona virus outbreak has everyone reshaping the way that they make money. I am currently working on Skype lessons, and I am putting together a website of pre-recorded lesson material that I have spent a lot of time writing and filming.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Graham Mallany and Justin Degraaf
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital because it's easier and there are more options, and because I don't live in a giant studio where I can dime a Marshall 800 to get a great analog tone.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I promise I will treat your project with respect and I will do my absolute best to bring to life your creative vision.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I am making music and making connections with others.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: The most common question is what is your rate. The reality is that if I were to give a blanket rate to every client, I would never get hired. I am willing to work with the budget of an artist, to consider where they are at in their career and then give them a rate.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: From friends and family I think the biggest misconception is that I really just do something that I love all day long every day. The truth is, I'm very busy doing the leg work, putting time in on things that may not be something I love but it's a necessary evil. I always use the example of loading my amp up a flight of stairs, it's not something I love to do but I am working towards my dream.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: I will ask a lot of questions about aesthetics, about personal goals for the project, about how they are envisioning my role, and what their expectations are of me.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Be careful to hire somebody who will get back to you in a timely fashion, and will treat you with respect.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Is there power on this desert island?! Assuming that there isn't, I'd really only need my J45. As for the other 4 pieces of gear, maybe I could bring a physicians desk reference, hollowed out! Inside there'd be...
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: Straight out of music college, I started playing in bands that travelled. I have been touring with artists for about ten years now. Tracking guitar parts is something I have been doing on my own at home only for about two or three years now, but it is something for which I can imagine a great deal of growth.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Malleable.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would really love to work with John Mayer, because he has been a hero of mine for a really long time.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Hire me to track your guitar.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I usually work in country music, however I am well versed in other genres as well.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is my ability to work with others.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring over ten years of experience and a great deal of proficiency to any song, however I don't think that's the most important contribution. I am a very approachable and open minded person. I am able to take direction without being egotistical, and I am confident and friendly enough to collaborate with a wide range of people on projects that are very close to their heart while respecting their talent and valuing their input.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I am a very driven person. When it comes to tracking for artists, I spend a great deal of time listening to the song. I don't let pressure cause me to track something that isn't right. I take my time and do what the song needs.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: my home studio is typically whatever guitar best suits the project, going into my Kemper Profiler. From there my signal path goes straight into my interface and into my DAW of choice, which is Ableton Live 10.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I am very inspired by guitarists like Mateus Asato, who are reshaping the way that a modern freelance guitarist can work in the world.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I am a guitarist for hire. Generally speaking, I make my living as a side man. This site is a way for me to expand my client base and work for artists who are outside of my local scene. I am very experienced and I am a great guitarist.