Van Isaacson (@vanmusicful) on SoundBetter

I work out of Lovegrove Studios here in Nashville - inspirations and samples below. I take pride in honoring each artist's story that I work with. It's not just about "getting it done" so you can "put it out". It's about crafting an environment that represents the story so perfectly that you relive it every time you listen.

Production:
As stated above, I work out of Lovegrove Studios in Nashville, TN. My genre is generally Indie-Pop but I've found myself on the Rock/Americana side of town sometimes. I'm a multi-instrumentalist (violin, guitar, bass, piano, synth, etc.) so I keep costs low by generally playing most of the parts. Lately the only person I've needed to hire is an electric guitarist if the song calls for more complex lines. I play everything at a professional level but I know my limits and will do what's best for the song.
Strings:
I've played violin since the age of 6 and studied it all through college. I'm also able to arrange a great string section should you need that as I'm well versed in composition. Most projects end up being an all-violin section recorded entirely by myself which always ends up nice.
Bass/Synth:
These are my secondary instruments. I don't do keyboard solos (I'm no virtuoso) but I can find great sounds to compliment your tracks and absolutely love designing them.
Background:
Music has always been my interest. I spent 6 years in Chicago grinding as an instrumentalist and solo artist. My time there was fruitful enough but I decided to move for a change of pace. Since arriving in Nashville, production has fallen into my lap and has turned out to be the balance that I was looking for all along. I don't take your trust in me lightly - hope to talk soon

Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Credits

1 Reviews

Endorse Van Isaacson (@vanmusicful)

by Sandy K.
Verified
Van is not only a knowledgeable producer, but also a versatile musician (keys, guitar, bass, etc.). It's amazing to work with him as he brings my music and the story of my songs to life, which right now is through a Zoom call. He's a pleasure to work with; I would definitely recommend him.

Interview with Van Isaacson (@vanmusicful)

Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Lots of EPs and a full length album at the moment.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Tell me about this song.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Come with an open mind and a good attitude. Songs usually only get produced once, let's enjoy it.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: Career path is in my description.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Indie-Pop or Folk-Pop -- pretty sure I typed that above..
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I think it would be a dream to either work with Phoebe Bridgers or Haim
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: I would say to remember to zoom out often. It's easy to be lost in the moment of whatever you're working on but be sure to pause, remember the story and relax.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Indie-Pop, Folk-Pop, Rock, etc.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Playing as many instruments as I do really helps. One, I'm super hands on so I like to tinker with different things until we land on the right sound. I then have a college degree and the chops to back up whatever needs to be performed. If I'm hearing something that I think someone else could play better, we try to hire them. Simple.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I've been told I have great sensibility when it comes to part writing and performance. Everything is about the experience for me. You can almost feel when a part is supposed to be there. Everything should have a place - nothing more, nothing less.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: First, I hear the story behind the song and get reference tracks so we're on the same page. Then, I get isolated vocal and guitar (or piano) tracks to work with. Then we start finding the right sounds for the story. After all is said and done I send to my mix engineer.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a humble home studio but all the gear and instruments needed to make great music.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Aaron Dessner and Ethan Gruska are huge inspirations
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I usually do full track production for artists. They come in with the song on piano or guitar and we craft it from there. Secondarily, I play violin on plenty of tracks and arrange string section parts

Allison Mahal - October

I was the Producer, Instrumentalist, String Arranger and Violinist in this production

ProducerAverage price - $500 per song
ViolinAverage price - $250 per song
String ArrangerAverage price - $250 per song
Bass ElectricAverage price - $200 per song
Keyboards - SynthAverage price - $200 per song

The only additional cost that is mandatory is the engineer that I use. She is US$200 for mixing and US$50 for any vocal tuning (if needed). Mastering through me is optional but an extra US$100 if so.