Session Drummer, Percussion

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

A: Matt Gerhard; he's an incredible guitar player, bass player, audio engineer, mixing engineer. He's a sweet guy and we've been making music together and working on projects for quite some time.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. We live in a wonderful world where we can take full advantage of both of these amazing platforms and use them in harmony.

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

A: A tasteful, balanced, appropriate, and finished track. I want my work to be the best that it can be for myself, the client, and the future listeners.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I typically will ask about previous songs or tracks they've made, or examples of what they're looking for. Basically any information I can get my hands on to try and understand what they're thinking they need for the song.

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

A: Communication. This is key in remote tracking, and even in person in a band or studio setting. It's important to communicate ideas and concerns, or suggestions.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't try and capture the best and craziest drum sound you can; instead try and capture the best sound and performance for the song or track at hand. It's important to play according to what you're working on, and not just plow through a performance in your usual fashion.

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

A: Mostly rock, and pop/rock settings, however, I've recorded some very quiet, very calm, country and jazz tracks before.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Listening. I listen to an artist and their needs and requests. I listen to the track, intently, to try and sort out where my part will fit in and settle into the song. Then I must listen to the finished drum or percussion track and make sure I haven't covered anyone else's work up, and that the notes sit into the song appropriately.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Someone once did a write-up of an album I played on and described my drumming as "defiant and relentlessly intentional" which I loved; That description is spot on. I never play timid, and the notes I'm bringing to the track, few or many, are planned and appropriate for the setting.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I like to get familiar with the song and hammer out a few versions on my own before sending anything to the client. It's helpful to have a phone conversation and really discuss the direction and sound they're going for. An artist or songwriter usually has a pretty clear idea in their mind of what they want; so at that point it's about connecting my hands and sounds with that idea to make the track really come together.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I use a Mac Pro to run Pro Tools Ultimate HD through an Antelope Audio Orion 32HD. I use lots of condenser and ribbon mics throughout the live room to capture many different aspects of the drum kit and the room sound, in addition to the close dynamic mics. I have many preamps and compressors to choose from to help dial in the sounds I'm looking for on a particular track. (CAPI, UA, VINTECH, EMPIRICAL LABS, 1176, DBX, SMART RESEARCH, ETC.)

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

A: Danny Reisch, out of Good Danny's studio; drummer, audio engineer, overall badass. Manchester Orchestra, out of Atlanta, GA. These guys built their own studio, recorded several of their albums, and toured nonstop for a while. I love seeing hard working bands efforts pay off.

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

A: I typically am recording full drums, and usually some percussion on tracks. Occasionally I will be asked to do more of a soundscape/stripped down kit setup, this is always a fun time. After a few revisions we usually find a balance and I'll try to send multiple versions or takes to give the artists plenty to work with.