Pop Writer-Singer-Topliner

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

A: "Mouths of Gold" with New Beat Order & Minerro. We worked on this song from all different places in the world, released it through Soave, and it had such a great release. I wrote the topline and sang/recorded the track from London. During the following summer I was in New York and met some people at a wedding and showed them my music. Once girl immediately said, "oh! Is this you singing a cover? I've had this song on my playlists since it released and it's one of my favorites" and I got to announce, "no, I wrote it!" It was a cool moment.

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

A: Yes. Max Embers. One of my great friends who I attended Berklee College of Music with (he was also featured on Songland & American Idol), who is a phenomenal songwriting and singer. We always bounce ideas off of each other and get so excited hearing each others' music.

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

A: EDM, Singer-songwriter, alternative

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: My unique writing style - while I've collaborated with other songwriters in the past, much of my songwriting is done alone which has allowed me to hone in on my skill and create a unique direction for myself. Clients and listeners always mention my lyrics as a standout point to them, and I find incorporating a story or catchy lyric always makes the song feel stronger. As a songwriting teacher, I also have a great balance of knowing how to contribute my own ideas and how to let the student/client incorporate their ideas to let them make the song theirs in the end.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: 1) Discuss with the client their goals, references, and ideas for the song. If they are unsure or very open minded, then I send a few rough ideas over to ensure we have somewhat of a concept that we agree on. 2) Upon establishing a direction, I sing over the track multiple times on loop, will start adding in lyrics and noticing which melodies stand out to me. After creating something I like, I let the song "rest" for a day before coming back and listening again. 3) I make more edits based on how it sounds to me and send it to the client for their thoughts. 4) I incorporate any changes the clients want and make sure it's something we're both happy with. 5) I record the final vocal takes of the song, add in harmonies and doubles. Comp and edit the tracks, and send the client stems of the track with and without effects on. 6) Finally I always check up and ensure the client is happy with the song and process in order to ensure their satisfaction.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Because I mainly do vocals, my studio setup includes a diaphragm AKG C214 microphone, TC-Helicon Voice Live for occasional effects, Melodyne, Logic & Pro-Tools, Ableton Live, and an array of midi keyboards.

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

A: Sevdaliza is a huge inspiration and she fully executes her vision from beginning to end as an independent artist. Any artists who are currently involved in the NFT space is super inspirational (such as Disclosure using NFTs as a way to provide fans exclusive content in real life and at shows) as I love the progression of artists taking full control of their music and sound. Julia Wolf is also a huge inspiration of mine as she's a young artist who managed to be featured on Spotify's Times Square billboard ads and once again creates her music and marketing all on her own.

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

A: I most commonly write songs over clients' tracks and record/deliver final vocals for them. Many of my clients are unsure about the exact melody styles they want in their tracks so we discuss beforehand and I send a few rough ideas to ensure we progress in a direction they're happy with. Occasionally clients want to be part of the songwriting process, in which I then work with them to tell their story in the best way possible and help them fully express themselves lyrically and melodically.