Pop/Electronic Production

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

A: I helped a client get their song from demo to full-blown production in just about two weeks, with a number of revisions along the way. This song was interesting because it called for some horns, and I was happy to have not only come up with accompaniment parts and a solo, but to have played them as well! It lended the song a lot of authenticity and excitement, and I got to use my skills from music school.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I bedroom pop song for myself, an acoustic pop song for a client, and remaking an instrumental version of a song for a different client!

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

A: KZ Kova! She's an insanely talented vocalist and is great to work with!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital, because it's so accessible! I'm not a rich man who can afford an 1176 console, but I can definitely afford the emulation! And I can bring it anywhere I want on my laptop!

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

A: I'll work on your song until you are happy, no matter how many revision we have to make. You will get a song you love!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Being creative! Tracks are like puzzles with infinite ways to solve them! Some pieces don't work, and you get to try as many pieces as you can think of to fill up a chorus, and once it's finished, you can take a step back and you can tell that it's done!

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

A: Customers ask me if their song will be radio-ready or streaming-ready, and my answer is YES! It will be checked against tons of references for loudness, clarity, and balance, and I will never send you anything that's not up to that standard.

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

A: The biggest misconception about me is that since I make EDM I don't do well with ballads, slow songs, acoustic instruments, or other genres.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What will you use this song for (sync, podcasts, background music, personal/commercial)? What inspired the song? What other artists sound like what you're going for?

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

A: Don't be scared of the low price: I'm just starting to hire myself out and want to prove myself before I raise the prices, but I still deliver quality work. Listen to my music and decide for yourself, rather than just deciding based on the rates I charge.

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

A: I love my Arturia AudioFuse interface, so it would be my first pick. Then my electric bass, trombone, a MIDI keyboard, and my Shure KSM 44 mic to record.

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

A: I went to college for music education at CU Boulder in Colorado, and after graduating moved to Nashville, where I worked as a substitute teacher while teaching myself about songwriting, music production, mixing, and mastering. Once Covid hit, I started working remotely for Kris Bradley at Produce Like A Boss, where I was answering student questions and creating/editing content for the brand.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is to focus on the "moment" of a song. There needs to be some direction, and a flow that leads up to the "moment", whether it's a chorus, a certain lyric, or even a background melody played gently. I make sure that every element in the song centers around that one "moment".

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

A: GRiZ has one of the most pronounced and definable styles I've ever heard, and excels at both acoustic and electronic production. Working on something with him would teach me so much about how to blend the two together and really hone in on a unique style.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Keeping breaths in lead vocals is important, but make sure you turn down their volume! Taking out breaths sucks the life out of vocals!

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

A: I've worked on a lot, but pop tracks and sync music are my favorite. I like to make anything big like Zedd, to modern pop like Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, and Jon Bellion, or even more minimal stuff like Noah Kahan.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I make the most out of demos that I possibly can, and I'm great at interpreting an artist's intent from minimal-sounding demos. I communicate very well, and while it doesn't sound like a skill, I ask for guidance and direction when I need it. I would always rather achieve what the artist wants than hope they like what I'm doing with their song.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: With a deep knowledge of classical and modern arranging techniques for all instruments, from concert band to orchestra to a cappella choir, I know exactly how to use arrangement to convey feeling. Just about every song needs vocal harmonies, but arranging those harmonies can be tough, but I have been doing it for years. Brass layers are very different from string layers, and I have studied classical scores enough to know how best to combine voices for the desired style.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I'll listen to the demo I was sent a number of times, sit on it for a bit and search for references based on my own music tastes and anything my client is aiming for. Once I have a concept, I almost always start with the drums. Once you get the groove right, the rest of the instrumentation tends to fall into place, whether it be guitar, ambient synth pads, or huge stadium-filling supersaws. I like to add details as I go, so I can capture all the ideas that come to me as they happen, and sound design sessions typically fall in the middle of production sessions so I can nail down a section before moving on. Then it's on to mixing! Most of my mixing happens on headphones, and I tend to be pretty fundamental with it; I stick to EQ, compression, and adjusting the volume of each track, occasionally adding other subtle effects. My masters go through rigorous processes with every tool at my disposal to ensure they are as competitively loud, exciting, and dynamic as can be. I test all my masters on many playback systems, like phones, headphones, earbuds, monitors, TV speakers, and car stereos.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I use a Shure KSM 44 into an Arturia AudioFuse interface. I have access to a baby grand piano, an upright piano, a Blueridge acoustic guitar, and a Fender acoustic with nylon strings. I mix on Rokit KRK5 monitors and AKG K240 studio headphones. All of this happens in Logic Pro on a 2013 Macbook Pro!

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

A: I love Zedd, and his infectious, supersaw-based productions. Jon Bellion inspires me with his off-the-wall sounds and hard grooves, as well as his dedication to perfection. Combining the two approaches has given me a relentless drive for authentic drums feels, and high-impact choruses that make even slow songs make you want to dance!

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

A: I take their demos and transform them into unique, syncable, radio-ready pop tracks. I try to give each song the attention it deserves, and make it shine with my own specific style of sound design and attention to detail.