Keyboardist, Producer

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is critical listening. I am a multi-instrumentalist and approach everything with a producer's ear. I am constantly paying attention to what the other instruments and the vocals are doing in any musical setting. I know how those instruments work and I know how I can marry with them to create cohesiveness in grove, tone, and feeling. I look for ways to interact and still be supportive to the vocal, finding areas within the music where I can add something tonally or interactively that isn't already there.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring my musical and emotional sensitivity, experience, and taste to a song. My goal is to highlight the emotions that reside within the lyrics, chords, and melody with complimentary additions. I don't ever want to step on what's already there, and I don't want to ever play bland emotionless music. So striking a balance between serving the song and adding to the music's emotional and exploratory scope is my goal.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My typical work process varies greatly depending on the projects requirements and scope. If I am adding keyboard tracks to someone else's music, I approach this in a few different ways. If the musician sending me songs to work on is very specific about what they want, I will stay very close to their guidelines. If the musician is more open to interpretation, I first start by listening critically to their music, I try to get a sense of what they want this to feel like and then begin to imagine what I can do to heighten the interest within the music. This is usually me asking myself things like "What can I do tonally that isn't already represented in the mix?" "What rhythmic subdivisions are being covered and what can be added for more momentum, and where?" "What types of feeling can I add to what is already here?" "Which areas of the music can be more effective if I DON'T play anything, and which areas could be more effective with more motion from me?" and so on. I then write out a complete chart and begin to audition different sounds and parts. Some of these will turn into final parts. Some of these will turn into layers that work with some of my other layers as well. In then end, I want to do something that pleases my clients and adds something to the music that makes them light up when they plug my tracks into their mixes. Maybe even something they weren't expecting but now can't live without.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I'm committed to recording on real instruments as much as I can. I go through extra care, costs, and maintenance to be able to utilize these instruments because it's at the core of my ethos as a musician to play on real instruments. The music is always better for it because music is supposed to be a tactile experience for the musician and the listener. If we don't feel what we are playing how can we expect others to as well? I take pride in owning and recording on a real 1958 Hammond B3 & Leslie, Wurlitzer 200a, Mellotron 4000d, Prophet Rev2, Roland JX-3P, Crumar Orchestrator, Roland RS-09, Hohner Accordion, various Casios, and many effect pedals. Mics: Soyuz 013 FET (2x) Neumann KM184 (2x), Stager SR-2N Stereo Ribbon, EV RE-20, SM-57's & 58's, etc.

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

A: I don't think about music and musicians as clients and products. I like to think about us as people and art, and I treat other musicians and their work accordingly. The most common type of work I do for other musicians is recording all kinds of keyboards for the songs and projects they send me. This ranges from simple lush analog pads to very intricate piano parts, B3 organ work, responding to the vocal melody, and even solos. I also get asked to compose and complete music for podcasts, fashion campaigns, commercials, and short films which I really enjoy as well. Another big part of what I do is helping musicians arrange their songs. This can sometimes turn into a full production or co-producer role. Many times a musician will have a fully fleshed out song, and they'll come to me for recommendations on how to heighten their music by changing chord progressions around, adding a bridge, cutting out the fat, or adding production and layering ideas that will help build a their piece.

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

A: My heroes in no particular order: Brian Blade, Benmont Tench (The Heartbreakers), Daniel Lanois, Neil Young, Richard Tee (Stuff), Dr. John, Art Neville (The Meters), James Booker, Emmylou Harris, Garth Hudson (The Band), Bill Evans, Ellis Marsalis, Ruben Gonzalez (Buena Vista Social Club), Chuck Leavell (Allman Brothers / Rolling Stones), Billy Preston, Steve Jordan, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Miller, Ian McLagen (The Faces), Buddy Miles (Band of Gypsys), and so many more. My music tastes are wide and varied.