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

A: I always give 100%. It's all about honoring the music. Whether it's for a big budget session with a major label artist, or a low budget session with an indie artist, I always bring my A game.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I'll ask: -What they're interested in having me do on their record. -Depending on what they need, I'll ask specific questions re the types of drum sounds and parts they're looking for. -How much input they want to have. (some producers/artists are very hands on, and others prefer to let me make all the creative decisions re the drums) -What the budget is. -When they need it. -What format they want me to deliver my parts in.

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

A: Yes.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both have their place.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love the process of making records. I enjoy producing on occasion, but after having done a decent amount of production on a high level, I've found that I actually prefer being a session musician...helping producers and artists achieve their sonic vision, by creating (or enhancing) the rhythmic foundation of the tracks. I also love the hang. I'm very fortunate to be at a level where I can be selective about the projects I work on, and a big part of what makes me choose to work on a project, is who's involved. Nothing is more fun than making records with great friends.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Versatile and authentic.

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

A: I've worked with most of my favorite artists. The favorites I haven't worked with, are either dead, or are known to be unbearably difficult to work with. The artist I'd like to work with at this point, I haven't heard of yet. Until then, I enjoy working with pretty much every artist I work with.

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

A: I've worked on pretty much every genre...from pop to jazz, and everything in between. That being said, I mostly work on Pop, Rock, and R&B.

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

A: I generally do a combination of drumming and programming. With some clients, it's strictly live drum (and percussion) tracks, and with some clients, it's strictly programming. It's mostly a combination of both. I'll do rhythm tracks from scratch, or I'll be called in to tweak/fix existing drum tracks.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Whatever serves the song. Over the years, I've learned to take my ego out of the recording process. I do whatever helps the production, no matter how big or small the parts.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I'm bicoastal, so I have home studios in my NYC and LA apartments. I used to program with a room full of hardware, with an MPC at the center of it...but these days, I program 100% "in the box" (all software). My home setups are now pretty simple...a pimped out MAC, a class-compliant interface, and good monitors. I have midi keyboard controllers and pad controllers, but I rarely use them anymore. I mostly mouse everything in. For tracking live drums, I work in studios all over the world...wherever a producer wants to bring me. I mostly track in NYC and LA though...and I have a go-to studio for tracking drums on both coasts. In NYC, I mostly track out of "Mission Sound". In LA, I mostly track out of "Ultimate Studios". Both studios have exceptional drum and cymbal collections, plus I keep some of my own gear at each. Both studios have state of the art mic collections and outboard gear. Both studios are owned and operated by world class recording engineers.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Fewer, Better Ingredients.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Making the rhythm sound and feel good. There's a saying: "A band is only as good as their drummer". The same goes for records: A record is only as good as the drum tracks.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Honestly, I don't have a typical work process. Every session is a bit different...depending on what I'm hired to do. Some records, I'm involved from the beginning...other records, I'm brought in as a "fixer" for existing drum tracks. Some records, I'm playing acoustic drums, some I'm programming, some I'm overdubbing percussion parts...sometimes a combination. On some records, I go beyond just rhythm tracks, and I do production. I have major label credits on drums, programming, percussion, production, remixing, and writing. That being said, my favorite thing to do is to focus on rhythm...drumming and programming.

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

A: I studied privately as a kid, and was classically trained. I played in school bands and orchestras, and was gigging with local bands in Philly (where I grew up) in my teens, and did my first recording sessions. I went to Berklee after high school, and was gigging and recording in Boston at that time. I got my first tour with a major label artist while at Berklee, and dropped out to go on the road. I got my first drum endorsements at that time too. I spent the next decade touring internationally and performing on TV with jazz, pop, rock, and R&B artists, while being based in NYC. I was doing session work in between tours, and once I played on a multi-platinum record, my name grew in the session world, and I eventually stopped touring, so I could devote all my time to session work. As I picked up more and more work in LA, I became bicoastal. I rarely play live anymore, except for occasional local (NYC/LA) gigs with friends, or for TV performances. To put it on a timeline, my first major label gig was in 1989...so I've been working with major label artists for over 30 years.

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

A: The more clarity you have of your vision for the production, the better. (especially for remote sessions) If you can give me specific examples of things you're looking for (i.e., referencing certain records), that's always helpful. If you're not sure what you're looking for, and you're hiring me to help you figure that out, that's cool too.