Guitarist, Engineer, Mixer

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

A: I was very happy to record, mix, produce, and write for the debut "Stereo Satellite" album to be released in the near future.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm currently putting together an album of original modern rock music, as well as tracking and performing for many artists. Since the pandemic, a lot of track emailing and live streaming events.

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

A: Jordan Cannata is an incredible world renowned drummer.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both because some clients prefer one over the other. I personally think both have their place, and should be utilized.

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

A: I will help you reach your goals.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Making music, and getting to connect with other musicians in the process. In a nutshell, networking.

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

A: Do you produce? - Yes Do you mix? - Yes Do you do revisions? - Yes What is the cost? - Depends on what you need done

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

A: Some people don't know how much time can go into making something great.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: How many songs? Any preference of tone/guitar? What message are you trying to send?

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

A: Have as much of an idea as possible of the direction you're heading in, and then I'll help the rest of the way.

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

A: The first and most important would be my Gibson Les Paul Custom that my dad gave me when I was a kid. After that, my Gibson Dove Custom acoustic, my Kemper Profiler amp, my Mac Computer for recording, and some great headphones.

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

A: My career has always been performing for artists and recording for them as well. I have been doing this for 20 years as well as giving guitar lessons to a dedicated following of students.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I would describe my style as diverse. I love the chameleon approach of fitting in anywhere. The idea of playing a smooth pop song, and still being able to bust out an awesome guitar solo for example.

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

A: I would love to play guitar for an artist like John Mayer. Artists such as him have a reputation for only having very high quality musicians playing with them.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't over do it! Use what is needed and what helps the track. I think many producers over do certain things. That could mean too many parts/instruments, too many plugins on mixes, etc.

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

A: Most of my work has been rock music in the past, however in the last few years I've been involved with many pop artists, as well as funk and R&B.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is being a guitar chameleon, and fitting into any genre necessary. Secondly, I'm also very suited for mixing tracks.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I try to bring the "special magic" to a song by doing what the song requires. If the song needs something super simple, or something very complex, I try to always do what will compliment the song best. Or whatever vibe the artist feels.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My process varies depending on the project that I'm working on. If an artist has a completed part that I need to play, I learn the part and execute it. If I need to be creative and do create/produce a part to fit the song, I will exhaust every possibility until the perfect piece is created.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio has high end gear in a comfortable relaxed environment. I run a Pro Tools recording rig with quality preamps, microphones, plugins, and a large amount of different amplifiers and guitars for when I do my tracking. I'm prepped to send out any kind of guitar tones that are required.

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

A: My musical influences are very broad. I grew up on rock, but have grown to love funk, R&B, jazz, and all other types of music. Guitarists such as Joe Satriani influenced my playing a lot. Everything from Tower Of Power and Vulfpeck to Breaking Benjamin and Sevendust. I'm influenced by producers and mixers such as Chris Lord-Alge, Howard Benson, Johnny K, Nick Raskulinecz, and many others.

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

A: I'm often hired as a guitarist for tours, one-off shows, and for doing recording sessions. I have a full studio to record guitar tracks for artists, and can also record the artist as well.