Vocal/Guitar/Songwriter/Editor

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

A: I wrote and produced a song for a wedding venue. They wanted a song to represent their history and what the property has meant to so many couples getting married their over the years. I wrote the music and lyrics, sang on the track, contracted a violist and pianist to play and arranged a really beautiful song. The client was so happy.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Releasing some of my own original music. Finishing producing an album for a client.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I love both for what they have to offer. I primarily work in digital in my home studio.

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

A: To listen to what they are trying to accomplish and elevate whatever project they entrust me with.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: That I get to be creative and also help bring other people's ideas to life.

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

A: How quickly something can be finished? I will be honest and tell them if I have any other work in front of their project and give a realistic timeline. If I am writing lyrics and recording vocals, I will usually send a demo ahead of time to make sure the customer approves the lyrics, then I will go back and sing final vocals.

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

A: That it can be done quickly. Recording good vocals and guitar takes time. Editing can also be time consuming depending on how many takes you need to go through to comp and then tune.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is this song or project being used for? Do you have references of how you'd like it to sound? Is there anythings special I need to know about this track or project?

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

A: Don't be afraid to ask questions and if you have a specific sound in mind, send me references. At the end of the day, I want you to be happy with whatever I am helping you accomplish.

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

A: Assuming this desert island has electricity, I'd bring an acoustic guitar, a microphone, an interface, a computer and a midi keyboard.

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

A: I started singing about the time I was able to speak. I started playing guitar when I was 10. Music was always a hobby. Post college with a theatre degree I was auditioning, playing gigs and writing songs was just something I did to pay the bills. Next thing I knew, I was writing songs, playing gigs and being hired as a session vocalist and I was a full-time working musician. I added productions/editing skills into my arsenal 5 years ago and haven't looked back.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Searching for the highs and the lows. I'm a belty singer and that's all I did for a long time. Until I had a producer tell me that there was more to my voice than just the loud parts. So now as a singer and an editor, I search for the moments that bring out the high and lows. Life in general is full of those peaks and valleys. I think when music has the ability to reflect that, people listen.

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

A: I would love to work with Brandi Carlile. I love her music, her songwriting, and her collaborative spirit. She gives credit where credit is due and only wants to love and improve everything she works on whether it's her own music or someone else's.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: When editing vocals, moving the crossfade can create a whole new vibe, don't be afraid to get creative!

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

A: Indie Singer/Songwriter, Pop, Folk, Americana, Country. As an editor, I can comp/tune just about any vocal. Depending on the style of vocal, I play close attention to know whether to use Melodyne, Autotune or sometimes a combination of the two. I try to make vocals sound as natural as possible without tuning. Unless the song calls for it as an added effect.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: People. I love people and I am genuinely invested in creating great spaces for people to work in. Musically speaking, I am strongest as a vocalist.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Intention. I care a lot about everything I work on. I feel lucky that I get that I get to make music for a living so I make each opportunity count.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Each project is different, but it generally starts with listening. If a client sends me something to sing or write to, I listen to it repeatedly. If a client sends me reference tracks, I also spend a lot of time listening to them to try to figure out what aspects of the references I can bring to my clients project. I try to let each song tell me what it needs first. Sometimes I will write and sing lyrics first, other times I will record guitar first. If I am editing, a lot of the same is true. I listen to everything very intensely before I start editing anything.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have wide range of mics that I use depending on what I'm trying to accomplish. For vocals I mainly use a Sony c100, AKG c414 or Shure SM7B. For acoustic guitar I usually use a stereo pair of KM 184s or I use one KM 184 and one AKG c414. I really love the combination of large and small diaphragm mics on acoustic guitar. Electric guitar depends on what a song calls for. Sometimes I will record direct with plugins other times I will mic my Vox AC30, Fender Blues Jr. or Boss Katana Artist. I work in Protools to record, comp and tune. I prefer to write in Ableton Live; I appreciate the creativity of clip view.

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

A: Hugely inspired by Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, Bonnie Raitt, Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, Tracy Chapman, Ani Difranco, The Indigo Girls, Joni Mitchell, and Sarah McLachlan in my earlier years. The list of other influences is long - Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, The Pretenders, Bruce Springsteen, Brandi Carlile, P!nk, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Billy Joel, Elton John, Kacey Musgraves, Sugarland, The Cranberries, Lady Gaga, Lake Street Dive, Sara Bareilles and so many more. As a lifelong learner, I am always inspired by other working professionals to improve my recording skills. I love the YouTube creators Rachel K. Collier, Mary Spender, Andrew Huang and Taetro. They have all inspired me and my in home set up and workflow has improved drastically thanks to them.

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

A: I am a vocalist first so the majority of my session work has been singing; lead or background. I also work frequently as a songwriter. Writers will send me tracks and ask me to write lyrics and melody which I then record. If there is a need for guitar on the tracks, I would then record acoustic, electric or both. I have always comped and tuned my own vocal and guitar tracks, but since receiving production certifications, I now can comp and/or tune any tracks needed and sometimes am strictly hired to edit. I have also done a number of song dedications. People have hired me to write original songs, or arrange cover songs to be recorded as gifts for their loved ones. Sometimes this comes in the form of a video, other times just a well recorded version.