Collaborative Session Vocalist

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

A: I was commissioned in the last year by the Texas Music Educator's Association to write a chamber work, which we then premiered at the San Antonio Convention, in February 2022. This was my first composition and commission since having gone into teaching some 8 years ago, so I was particularly excited to get back into the swing of things, and write what was on my heart for others to hear and perform.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Establishing a commissioning consortium for a new musical composition for Concert Band, grade 3-4 difficulty. If interested, please visit williammaymusic.com/home for more details! : )

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

A: Some are upcoming for sure. I'll let you know.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. As the occasion calls. Usually use one to the means of the other.

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

A: We WILL create good work, that we BOTH will be happy with!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: It makes a difference!

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

A: I am a bit broad in the types of projects that I have undertaken, and don't really have an answer to that question, yet.

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

A: That it is free. It is not. It's the opposite : )

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Depends on the circumstance, but it has been my experience that often times what the client wants is up in the air, usually until the moment I hit the "send" button. Then we're off to the races. What I consider a much more positive and productive experience is for this phenomenon to occur *before* I hit "send". In working to facilitate this, I will ask questions until we've narrowed down and identified EXACTLY what the client truly is looking for, which I find the client usually appreciates when all is said and done : )

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

A: Knowing what you want in advance helps, but is not prerequisite to working with me : )

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

A: My French horn, a solar powered generator, a phone with a few gigs of free space, a laptop with a few terabytes of space, & some headphones

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

A: Went to school to study music. Taught music for 8 years. Composed & Songwrote in-between. Now woriking in music industry, full-time. All of this sounds pretty standard to my ears...what perhaps may sound a bit different is the fact that I happen to be an African-American male. This narrows it down, quite a bit, so I've come to learn. Hopefully, I can help to chart a path forward so that someone else can follow without the pitfalls, mistakes, and/or pressure that I and others have had along the way.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Fred Hammond meets (Disney's) Fantasia.

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

A: Lauryn Hill. Her music could use a tune-up (and I mean this as perhaps one of her biggest fans)!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Ask questions. Upfront is always better than handling things on the back end. Not just in our profession, either. Oftentimes it's not so much about getting the right answers, as it is about asking the RIGHT questions!

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

A: Classical, Gospel, Jazz, Blues, Rock, R&B, Contemporary

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Discernment.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Me. LOL I've been called many things, as has my work. I am not sure how to answer this without a 50-pager. Seriously, listen for yourself and get back to me : )

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: If I am composing, I tend to like to interview the client first to get a feel for what they might be after - at least that is what I tell myself, lol - why I more often try and do, is write to the strengths of the players, incorporating and hopefully capturing some aspect of their character within the work that I write. If I am arranging, I try and start with a raw transcription of whatever the original source material may be that I am endeavoring to draw from. If I am producing a recording, I work from sheet music, whenever possible (not to infer that I am beholden to it an any limiting sort of way, as jazz is one of my main idioms to work in, with improvisation one of my favorite and most frequent go-to's), using the music on the page as a sort of springboard from which to begin the really fun work of invention and improvisation that I typically will add to my work. If I am editing, I try to be pretty exacting in my process, and will request a musical score whenever one is at all available.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I am working with Logic Pro, Finale, BandLab, a 2018 MacBook Pro, a Behringer XENYX 1204USB, with a C-1 Mic. Multi-Screen Visual setup, as well. My happy space, at the moment : )

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

A: John P. Kee, Stravinsky, and everything in between, I guess. LOL!

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

A: I write original music, arrange, and produce recordings for clients. These have been the most frequent serve that have been requested, lately. Although I do more, and would enjoy the opportunity to do so.