Versatile session drummer

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

A: Years ago, I was hired to do a folk/americana project for an artist who wanted the band to record live. We assembled the players, had one, eight hour rehearsal and ran edits on the fly before recording the songs live. The album sounds great and I was able to share the room with some fantastic players for a few days.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm currently working on a post-grunge project with a good friend of mine. Since COVID, I've been demoing drums from home, so I've had great practice recording drums remotely.

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

A: Not as of yet

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: It really depends on the situation. There are plenty of circumstances where someone operating in a home studio can record/mix in the box and achieve great results. That being said, if you find yourself in a situation where maybe you're working in a big box studio or a situation that provides more hardware options, use them to your advantage. I don't look at it as an "or" situation.

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

A: My Promise: I will do everything in my power to deliver the best possible recording to you. This does mean the flashiest take or the riskiest approach. It means I want to serve the song in the best way possible.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I get to be constantly creative. I love hearing back from customers that they never knew that "their song could sound this great!" I enjoy that creative process with others and generally improving quality of life.

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

A: Q: What are your rates per song? A: $50 Q:Can you mix the drums for me? A: Yes Q: What styles are you most proficient in? A: I'm comfortable playing anything from hard rock to fusion to lite jazz

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

A: That I'm "just a drummer" not a musician. I understand music theory and melody. This is why I'm able to bring something to the table for anyone looking to record or produce.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are some examples of "your sound?" What are you hearing, if anything? What are your goals and intentions with this recording?

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

A: Have fun. Come in with a good attitude and an open mind. I work with people who know exactly what they want and others who want me to take the reins. I work with all types.

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

A: Sticks, Djembe, my ultimate playlist with my monitoring headphones, Piano, Tape Recorder

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

A: Initially, my career path consisted of both touring as a hired musician and studio work. Both were on a freelance basis. Now, with Covid19, it has mainly become studio work. I've been drumming for 20 years, professionally for 13.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: A rock drummer with roots in jazz, classical, folk, punk and metal

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

A: Josh Homme. He always goes out of his way to achieve the best tones and the most effective arrangements.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: If it sounds good, it is good.

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

A: Generally, I get hired to do anything from folk to alternative and everything in between.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I feel like my strongest skill is being able to listen to almost any genre of music and understand what the artists' intentions are.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Energy. Phrasing. Dynamics. A good drummer can get your song to the next level in a way no other instrument can.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I have variety of templates that I like to use, but everything is built on a case by case basis. Typically, I will import whatever the client sends me and while listening to playback, will make marker notes according to figures or phrases that I want to emphasize. I always go for a single take, not relying on editing or quantizing.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My DAW is Logic Pro X. I record into an Audient iD14 and M-Audio Octane. I use Shure SM-57s, KSM-109's and a Beta52. Sennheiser e604's for the toms. My main recording kit is a 1960's Slingerland Niles Badge with coated Remo emperor heads and I use a variety of Zildjian and Dream cymbals.

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

A: Recently, I've been inspired by guys like Carter McLean. He always has such a great sound and sleek presentation. The guy can literally play anything and his musicality is second to none.

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

A: Typically, a client will send me a song in demo form and I will assist in arrangement as well as performing any sort of percussion needed on the track. Sometimes the client will request that I mix my own drums and send back as a stereo .wav for them to drop in. This saves them the time and headache of mixing drums and gives them a better idea of how everything sounds in context.