Producer/Arranger/Writer

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

A: I'm especially proud of the orchestrations I wrote that ended up on the Amos Lee album "Live at Red Rocks with The Colorado Symphony".

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: -The third album in my album cycle based on Hermann Hesse's novel "Siddhartha" -A String Quartet inspired by the life and music of Dimitry Shostakovich -Music for my friend's graphic novel -A harp and vocal arrangement of the Jeff Buckley song "Lover, You Should Have Come Over" -Producing two original albums by regional artists

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

A: Tytewriter (Kristal Oliver) - She's the best!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both, because they are both wonderful.

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

A: I will always do my best work and never settle for anything less.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Solving problems and bringing joy.

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

A: That it's glamorous.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are you looking for? How can I help?

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

A: Be honest and open and if you have a vision for your project that you love stay true to it.

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

A: Well, I'm assuming there's electricity on this desert island...because if not I would bring a guitar, a piano, and pencil and paper. But assuming there is electricity: 1 - My martin D18 acoustic guitar 2 - A Laptop (probably MacBook Pro) - with Logic, Protools, and Sibelius 3 - UAD Apollo interface recording set up (with headphones) 4 - A pair of AKG 414s (and stands and cables)

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

A: I received a degree in music composition from the University of The Arts, graduating in 2000...and since then I've done everything from tour the country with the Led Zeppelin tribute band Get The Led Out, to singing with major orchestras across the U.S. in the symphonic mash-up Brahms v. Radiohead, to conducting a chamber orchestra at Red Rocks in concert with Amos Lee. My path has been full of unexpected turns and incredibly rewarding collaborations and is a continuing process of curiosity, discovery, and the sharing of music with creative people from all disciplines and genres.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Eclectic, ambitious, cinematic.

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

A: I'd love to work with Beck. His albums are all so eclectic and incredibly creative - midnight vultures is one of my favorite albums ever - and I'm so curious as to what the actual process of creating the work is...how he gets from song concept/demo to the final fully produced affair.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Perfection is overrated, a meaningful performance captured well is key.

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

A: It runs the gamut, but if I had to choose a genre that the majority of my previous clients would fall into I'd say indie-folk/Americana. But I've worked on everything from purely electronic instrumental music to full orchestrations.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Connecting with the essence of a piece of music.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Whatever it needs...I try not to have too many preconceived expectations or specific plans before listening to the song at whatever point it is and trying to get a feeling for what would bring it to it's best possible completion.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Finding out what the writer - and in some ways more importantly what the song - wants and figuring out how to make it happen. If the specific vision isn't there I work to find one with the artist.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I built a studio in the basement of my Philadelphia home over a decade ago that has brought me countless hours of joy. I have a bunch of wonderful preamps and microphones; Gibson Les Paul, Telecaster, Stratocaster, and Rickenbacker guitars; Baldwin spinet plano; Wurlitzer and Rhodes electric pianos; Sequential Circuits 6-Trak vintage synth, and all the plug-ins and virtual instruments I could ever dream of.

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

A: I'm always inspired by folks who are willing to challenge themselves by finding new and interesting ways to combine disparate genres and sound worlds. Bands I love - The Beatles, Radiohead, The Shins, Tame Impala Engineers/producers I love - Andrew Scheps, Tchad Blake, Nigel Goodrich, T Bone Burnett Composers I love - Bach, Beethoven, Wagner, Mozart Plugins I love - Fabfilter Saturn and Pro-Q3, UAD Neve and 1176 emulators, Lexicon native reverb bundle

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

A: Recently I've done a lot of orchestration, string arranging, and production work. But I've been hired to do many different things throughout my 20+ years in the business.