Brian Usifer on SoundBetter

I love collaborating with artists who need help crossing the finish line with their music, ranging from string arrangements to full production. My band, The Nineteen Twenty, released our first album which we wrote, produced, and recorded entirely on Zoom. In theatre, I've worked with Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis, The Avett Brothers, and Lamont Dozier.

Brian Usifer is a musician, producer, and composer available for multiple genres and styles. He loves arranging for strings and is very comfortable with samples as well as live orchestras. Equally comfortable with pop, indie, and folk, his influences as a producer include Finneas, Greg Kurstin, Jack Antonoff, and Max Martin.

You can hear Brian as a pianist on Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and as an additional orchestrator on NBC's The Wiz Live. He performed on the cast album for Cyndi Lauper's Kinky Boots which won a Grammy award in 2013 for Best Musical Theatre Album. You can also hear him performing with Clay Aiken on PBS's "Tried and True.

He holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from SUNY Fredonia, a Masters degree in Collaborative Piano from NYU and a Specialist Certificate in Orchestration for Film/TV from Berklee Online.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Brian Usifer

Robert Lopez
Kristen Anderson-Lopez
Robert Lopez
Kristen Anderson-Lopez
Robert Lopez
Kristen Anderson-Lopez
Robert Lopez
Kristen Anderson-Lopez
Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Annaleigh Ashford
Annaleigh Ashford

2 Reviews

Endorse Brian Usifer

by Niko Tsakalakos
I’ve had the honor to work with Brian for over a decade on multiple projects. He’s the quintessential collaborator. He has an ability to genuinely listen to his fellow artists while also always bringing something new and exciting to the table. He produced and arranged my debut solo album, The First Snow, which was an unforgettable experience. He cracked open a sound that brought out the best in everyone involved, unified the soundscape of the album and set it apart both musically and sonically. It’s a joy and gift to get to work with him every time.
by Colin Donnell
I have known and worked with Brian as a brilliant, musician/arranger/orchestrator/conductor for more than ten years before we started The Nineteen Twenty together. I then got really experience firsthand how adept he is not only as a songwriter and musician but also as a producer and collaborator. He's got an ear for any style and is not afraid to push himself and those around him to explore new sounds and ideas. He's got all the musical know-how blended with an intense creativity to push your project to the next level.

Interview with Brian Usifer

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Finneas! I love his style and musicality.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: I think it's very important to use reference tracks when working on a song in order to get to the right sound. Music is a language that often can't be explained, it must be heard to be understood. Saying "I want it to sound like x" and playing a sample is the quickest way to getting off on the right foot.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I think my strongest skill is my ability to collaborate, listen to what the artist wants, and work as a team. I believe in collaboration and I believe in "the best idea wins."
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring stylistic authenticity and specificity to every project that I work on. I am comfortable working in many different styles and am always aiming to bring the artist's vision to life within the parameters of that style.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: My workflow tends to be very organized and specific. I like to have discussions with the client/artist ahead of time so that I fully understand their vision and how I am going to approach the project. Depending on the needs, I will usually do some sort of short demo or mockup to confirm that I am on the right track. From there, we work together to finish the project on time and as collaboratively as possible.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a UAD Apollo x8, an Apollo Twin and a UAD-2 Satellite, Macbook Pro, Genelec Monitors and various keyboards, guitars, percussion, software synths, plugins, etc. I prefer to produce and write in Logic and to mix in ProTools although I am equally comfortable in both.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I am inspired by people who bring passion and emotion to their work in powerful ways. My favorite producers are Finneas, Greg Kurstin, Jack Antonoff and Max Martin. My favorite artists are Sia, Billie Eilish, St. Vincent, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, and many more.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I split my time equally as an arranger (strings, orchestral, full band) and producer. I'm equally as comfortable writing a string chart as I am starting from scratch on a song with an artist and fully producing and/or co-writing a song.