Music Producer

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

A: I recently recorded, produced, and mixed a tune called "Seasons Change" by an artist named Megan Chase. I am proud of this because I can see improvement in my mixing and arrangement skills when comparing it to songs I have worked on in the past. I will always strive to improve with each project I work on.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: An EP for 2 people, a short film score, and some of my own stuff.

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

A: I am new to the platform so not yet!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I think both are great and I wouldn't put someone down for using one over the other. Great results have been achieved with both mediums, what matters is the mind behind the gear.

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

A: I will to the best of my ability try to work with you until you are totally satisfied with the product. I wont just leave you with something you aren't happy with.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Watching a project evolve and come to life. I love listening to an early mix of a song and then listening to the final version.

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

A: People have asked if I can make their song sound similar or take inspiration from another well known artist. I always say yes and ask for reference tracks so that I can try to capture that vibe that they want.

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

A: People think you need to spend a lot of money to make music when you don't need to. You don't need to have a certain 700 dollar piece of gear. What matters is you.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is your vision? Do you have an reference tracks or sounds that I can study? What kind of music do you like? What genre is your tune? What kind of instrumentation do you want?

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

A: Don't be afraid to tell me exactly what you want. I want to work with you to make the product you envisioned.

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

A: A microphone, guitar, interface, and computer. My 5th item would be a pack of sound insulation so I can build myself a decent sounding room to record in!

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

A: My career path is to work on music in any way I can, whether that be in a studio or through free lance methods. I've been playing music for about 6 years and doing production, tracking, and mixing for about 2 years.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I try to make things musically interesting and sound pleasant to the ear. I try to do a lot of cool soundscape stuff. I also try to put a big emphasis on the instrumental aspect of a tune.

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

A: I would love to work with Jacob Collier. I look up to him a lot and I think being in a room with him would challenge me. I could learn so much from him about everything musical!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Treat your room. Room acoustics are extremely important for not only recording, but listening. I think so many people would rather spend 700 dollars on a new mic rather than a lot less on some great acoustic treatment and a more affordable mic.

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

A: I have mostly worked on RnB/Soul, Jazz, Alternative, and Funk sounding tunes. I am also starting to work on more Hip-Hop, Lofi, Rap, and even film scores.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I love creating instrumentals for myself and other people. I love making guitar and bass lines. I feel like my guitar playing and instrumental arrangement is my strongest skill right now because I've been doing it for a while. I still constantly try to improve and expand my skill set.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a little bit of my own musical personality to a tune. However what I really want to do is work towards the artist being completely satisfied with the product. I want them to watch their original vision for a project come to life. Too often have I seen people go to studios or producers who suck the artist out of their own song. They make decisions that they feel are right for the tune, even if it goes against what the artist had in mind. I never want to be that person. I always want the artist to feel like they can ask for something to be added or even removed from the tune. It's all about bringing the artists original vision to life.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: An artist will send me a demo of their tune. I will learn it usually on guitar or piano so that I can lay down a foundation track to build around. I will often write out a lead sheet for myself or other musicians if necessary. Once I have a foundation recorded for the tune, then I will work with the artist to start adding more parts. Once they are completely satisfied with the production, then I will finish up with the mixing. A lot of clients ask about mastering and I always direct them to a mastering engineer that I know puts out great work. However, I would not be opposed to mastering songs myself if I learned, which is something I am working on.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I am in a medium sized room. I have built my own absorption panels that are up on the walls. There is carpet on the floor as well to help with the acoustics. I also built a vocal booth that works really well. I run everything through a Scarlett 18i20 interface. Cubase is my DAW of choice. I have enough mics to record a small drum kit. My main vocal mic is a Rhode NT-1A. I also use an EV RE-20 to record guitar and bass amps. I have a stereo pair of Samson CO2s that I use to get a nice stereo acoustic guitar sound. I have a variety of guitars and 2 midi keyboards. I have enough of everything to do what I do for my clients comfortably. I am always expanding and looking for new ways to add variety to my sound or make my workflow smoother.

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

A: Radiohead is a huge part of why I started playing music. I am still inspired by them today. Also, people like Jacob Collier and Tom Misch really inspired me to start making music myself, from my home. My love for acoustic guitar comes from artists like Damien Rice and Sungha Jung. I try to listen and be inspired by a variety of music. I love Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, The Beatles, Vulfpeck, and loads of others.

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

A: I have mostly been producing, recording, and mixing projects for individual artists. I record most of the instruments with my gear and they record vocals or other instruments that they prefer, also in my studio. However with the COVID-19 situation I am getting a little experience working remotely with some of these artists. For example, they will send me a demo or even a voice memo of their song, I'll learn it and record the instrumental myself. Then we can work remotely to do vocals if they have a mic or some way to record themselves. This is a super great way to work with people who may live far away from me or for those who prefer to limit their contact with others.