Guitarist, Writer/Producer

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: My heart and soul always. I love making music and I am always excited about discovering a song's secrets. The genre doesn't matter, my favorite feeling is to listen to something new for the first time and feeling that initial spark of inspiration. It's like doing a puzzle.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: It's important for me to understand the client's goal with the piece. I don't want to dump random guitar parts or a solo, or write lyrics that I think sound pretty to collect the check. I'm such a huge admirer of great writing and guitar playing, I want to make every song I work on better. Aside from the technicalities, I will usually ask questions that help me to fully understand what their vision is for the work.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I currently use Schecter, Gibson & Fender guitars, and normally record audio tracks in Pro-Tools 11 HD. I use an M-Audio Pro-Fire 2626 interface with Octane pre-amps. I will often use Abelton or Logic for MIDI programming and sequencing. My favorite modeling software is from Neural DSP, specifically the Cory Wong and Nolly units. I also use a Line 6 Helix floor, and vintage tube-amps from Vox and Marshall. My go to plug-ins for mixing and production are the Izotope and FabFilter plug-ins. I also still love using the Waves stuff and plug-ins from Soundtoys, Valhalla DSP and XLN audio for effects. Kontakt is my favorite sampler, with dozens of top libraries in the industry. I use Omnisphere and Serum for soft-synths. I also have Autotune Live 7 and Melodyne for vocal production. My reference monitors are from Yamaha.

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

A: I've always loved Chris Lord-Alge's drum and guitar sounds, and am a big fan of Max Martin. The vocal production and side-chaining on the Dangerous Woman album is next level. Always inspired by George Martin and the Beatles, Quincey Jones et al. I've been

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm currently producing a mixtape, working on the second Diamante record, and writing music for sync.

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

A: Zach Sorgen is an incredible writer, producer and topliner.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I've been a huge proponent of digital lately. Ease of use aids the creative process, and allows me to make fast changes, be more versatile and maintain an efficient workflow. The Neural DSP modeling software I have been using recently in lieu of a tube amp blows everything out of the water.

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

A: Pop, rock and alternative. I also play metal \m/

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I write and record everyday, regardless of my schedule or workload. I get sucked in very easily, and am usually buzzing around my studio while I work. Most of my ideas start on the guitar. I'll often write melodies and parts for synth, bass or vocals on the guitar, and replace them later. It's my voice. I really really enjoy what I do, so I rarely feel frustrated or overworked. I also never work with a phone, other than to record memos if I need to remember an idea. It's a distraction and it messes up the process. I still write my lyrics with pen and paper.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I have a few favorite techniques for getting big sounding guitar tracks. One is to record two identical takes of the same part, pan them left and right, then apply delay and reverb to one side while leaving the other side totally dry. I'm also a huge fan of parallel compression to give my drum and guitar tracks a lot of power without squashing the parts themselves.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skills are as a lead guitarist and lyricist. I am highly skilled in vocal production and composition.

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

A: The most common work I do for my clients is to record featured solos and rhythm guitar tracks. As a writer, I often get brought in to write or complete lyrics. I also write harmony, top-line, and vocal parts. As a producer, I create a wide variety of music for artists and sync in many genres ranging from pop, rock and hip hop, to electronic and metal.

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

A: My Schecter Solo-II, MacBook Pro, the Neural DSP Cory Wong plug-in, a notebook and microphone.

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

A: My career path began in New Jersey at age 11. I picked up the guitar and never put it down. My first professional gig was at 12, and I began writing and producing music in my parents' basement at 14. As a young adult I backed up artists like Gloria Gaynor and Dee Snider. I moved to LA in 2015, and starting working heavily in TV and film, as an on-camera guitarist, and composer. In 2019 I began touring with Diamante, on tour with Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Underoath and Chevelle.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Exciting and clever but with a lot of swagger, and no expense spared on technique.

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

A: One artist I would really like to work with is Harry Styles. His music is fantastic and he incorporates elements from all of my favorite genres. I'd love to play guitar for him or work on a song.

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

A: I did some great work on the forthcoming Diamante album, and there is a guitar solo on there that really sings. It's got a great structure and awesome attack. I recorded it on my laptop in a hotel room in Gallup, NM while I was traveling across the country- last minute, and you can hear that energy and urgency in the cut. I'm really excited for that to come out.

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

A: You're going to start jumping the minute you import my tracks.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Somebody told me that no matter what happens in music, you either end up with the best job in the world or the best hobby in the world, I'm very fortunate to have ended up with the former.

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

A: Customers usually ask for a couple of options, so that they can choose one or make a comp of their own. I love this. I would rather provide options than make countless revisions or push my own musical agenda. My dad used to tell me, "why work when you don't have to?". I want to give the client the power to integrate me into their work, not overtake it.

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

A: That we're all plugging vintage guitars into full stacks and running through a 128 channel console in New York, then throwing a chair through the window when the band gets hungry! The depictions of musicians and the recording/writing process in TV and film are laughable. Half of the stuff people are hearing on Spotify these days is made in a small room or a home studio somewhere, no drugs, hell raising or destruction, and you can't tell the difference. I truly believe that if something sounds good, it is good and I treat what I do with respect like any other craftsperson.

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

A: Find the person that has what you need. There are a lot of fine musicians out there and all of us have a unique style and POV. I hope mine matches up with yours and we can make art together!