String Sections to Solo Violin

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

A: I promise to fully dedicate myself to your project, and treat it as if it were my own.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: My favourite part has to be hearing the final product - the feeling of getting a final master back, a year or two after recording it, is just amazing!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I always begin by asking about the background of their project - what influences do you have, who do you love listening to, and what is the meaning behind your music? It's so important!

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

A: String arrangers are like any composer - we all have a unique style, and you have to find the right one for your music. It's vital that you get someone who can understand your vision!

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

A: I have been playing violin since the age of 7, and after being classically trained from a young age at Chetham's School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music, my love for improv and arranging led me to becoming a professional session musician.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Fresh, imaginative and unique.

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

A: Too many to define just one!

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

A: Quite literally everything! Pop, RnB, hip-hop, rock, folk, indie, soul, disco, classical, Neo-soul, acoustic, house, jazz - you name it!

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is my ability to tastefully add strings to a song without overpowering the singer or main instrument (unless asked otherwise). This is a hard skill to refine, and I have spent years of my professional career satisfying clients by always giving the 'right' amount to their projects.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I like to think that I add a new dimension to a song - the sound of a string section has an incredible way of making a track sound more 'three-dimensional' and I always endeavour to do this! I also try to give people's songs a unique sound, something that they can use to stand out from others.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I often begin with an 'ideas' session where I'll improvise along to the track (if there isn't already an arrangement written). I then take ideas I like in each section and work on harmonising, improving and expanding on them, building up layers until I achieve the sound I want. With solo lines, I tend to improvise a few takes and then include any stand-out melodies in my final draft.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I like to keep a simple setup, that works extremely well for strings. I mostly use Aston microphones to record violin & viola, with a Scarlett audio interface and Logic Pro X in a sound-treated room. I also have access to professional studios in the North West.

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

A: I am always inspired by artists who use clever string arrangements in their projects - particularly Radiohead, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Sleeping At Last, Childish Gambino - the list is endless.

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

A: I work with a wide range of genres arranging strings & recording them in my home studio. This can involve full orchestral string sections, to fiddle solos, to RnB/neo-soul/disco riffs - something for everyone!