Drummer, Producer, Composer

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

A: I was very proud of Leyla McCalla's "Sun Without The Heat" Album. We spent 9 days in the studio, with only one song arranged and fleshed out prior to being in the studio. The process of coming up with grooves/textures together was such a great experience and I felt like what I put on the album is a sound that combines a lot of what I personally love in drumming and music.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am working on two long term albums with some close collaborators where we have been recording pieces of each song either in my studio or at a professional studio in Berkeley, CA. The projects both mix live playing with electronic elements and are instrumental. I have also been working on my own album which is a project based on a book that I can't talk about further right now. I record drums regularly for the Prix Fixe Podcast. I also am working on another album that will take a little bit longer that is not instrumental and features many different singers with a focus on connecting some different folk styles together.

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

A: My dear dear friend Eyal Satat who I cannot recommend as he sadly passed from cancer but I a huge inspiration and reason why I have joined. I am sure once I spend more time on here and check out some of the other drummers, I will be able to pull some references quick and maybe even know some of them personally.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Doesn't matter to me, whatever works, I love both depending on how comfortable the person is with creating either. I don't have access to as much analog gear myself but love the sound of a beautiful analog compressor, reverb, synthesizer and will eventually invest in those things. But there's plenty of albums and songs that use barely any analog gear that sound great to me!

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

A: I will do everything I can to help you cultivate and create a sound that excites you for your song or project.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The ability to express emotion and humanity through my craft and profession. A privilege most people working only get to do off the clock.

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

A: How long have you been drumming? Since I was 8 years old, I am now 33, so 25 years.

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

A: Make stuff up without any context. Most of the things I improvise/groove with come from the deep traditional well of Black American Music or Western African Music. The traditions that come out of both of those areas are vast and diverse but have much context, including meaning and messages within the language, rhythm and groove of drumming. It's important to consider these messages when utilizing them for songs.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: So many, I love learning about a project. Most commonly, the intent/story behind the project. How are you thinking about that intent/story relating to the sound of the song/project? What things inspire you? What sounds have you been drawn to recently?

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

A: Make sure you know exactly what service you are looking for as that can affect the flow of the collaboration. For example, whether you have a clear vision of how you want your song to go and stating that and what you are hiring the provider for. Or, equally valid, you have no clear agenda for the sound but you want to explore different options and stating that prior to working. Clear communication is key even if the project changes, needs shift etc.

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

A: Probably my 5 favorite drums from Haiti as at that point it would be just about creating for myself and the island. No need to try and record and get sand in my computer...

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

A: I have been a professional drummer gigging and touring for the last 10 years. I lived in New Orleans 2013-2020 where I exclusively played gigs and toured for work. Twice or three times a year recording various projects. Now based in San Fransisco, I gig, record, tour and teach for a living. Recording has become more of a focus, I have picked up a decent amount of session work in the past couple of years and am enjoying the process more and more!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: A mixture of open watery textures with a wave of undulating groove.

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

A: I would love to work with so many artists but I think for this medium, I'll share I would love to work with Flying Lotus, Teebs or Floating Points because each one of them is so unique and adept with how to make you feel through their depth of understanding and knowledge of production and musical texture.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: One music production tip that I like to share is more esoteric but has helped me a lot, but always staying focused on the intent of the song. Sometimes we can get into the weeds of sounds and post production elements in production but while doing that we must remember what the message of the music is.

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

A: A wide net, electronic, afro-beat, swing, bebop, dance, funk, hiphop, modern, folk, world, pop, indie

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I think my strongest skill is persistence and focus on a project until it feels right. I won't feel good about something until I do everything I can to make it as good as it possibly can be.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring my diverse background of influences and sounds to whatever song I am working on. When working with Leyla McCalla, I always brought something that inspired me that felt like it worked with the particular mood or sound that she wanted for her songs. I do that with every project I am a part of and something that I love when listening to music.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Generally connecting with the other musician(s) via phone call or text to discuss the song or project. In this process we generally talk about textures, different parts, influences and styles. They then either share the song with me in a way I can track to it or even just a piece. I'll do a couple varied takes and send the rough takes/mixes back to see what direction they want to take it with what I have recorded and we will go from there until we have something that feels really good.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a Gretsch 6 piece drum kit that is my primary recording rig, I can swap a bigger bass drum if need be for the specific project. I have a number of wooden and metal snare drums including the classic Ludwig Supraphonic snare drum. A wide variety of cymbals to fit different moods. My overheads are Soyuz FET series mics, and an assortment of Shure mics to round out the kit for closer sounds. The ceiling is about 16-20ft tall so the acoustics in the room are very open and nice as well. I use a Focusrite Clarett system to track all of my drums, generally around 10-12 tracks. I usually work in Ableton but am fluent in most DAWs (Logic, Protools). I also have Sensory Percussion Triggers for electronic sounds and sampling, each sound will track into an individual channel in most cases for isolation and mixing.

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

A: So many, my teacher Billy Hart (Herbie Hancock, Dave Liebman, The Cookers), hugely inspires me. My teacher Jamey Haddad (Paul Simon, Bokante) hugely inspires me. Drummers I love are Elvin Jones, Marcus Gilmore, Antonio Sanchez, Nate Wood, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Tyshawn Sorey, Max Roach, Mark Guiliana, Ti Roro, Obed Calvaire, Yosvanny Terry, Miguel Zenon,

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

A: I play drums in a variety of bands and projects. I often take instructions from the songwriter/performer and create a drum part/mood based on what we have discussed or heard. My goal is to lift up the musical mood being created! I also improvise with various musicians to come up with music that then gets solidified through editing what we came up with in the moment.