Pop Singer Songwriter Producer

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

A: I went to Berklee College of Music in 2009, and after that I moved to NYC in 2012 where I started working in music professionally. My first song placement was for VH1 when I was in college, and then I started writing for other shows like So You Think You Can Dance in The Netherlands, and a traveling company called STS. Then I started writing music for other artists as well as performing my own music in venues in like Webster Hall. I also featured on a few songs with Christian Reindl under my artist name, Atrel, that have millions of views! I loved NYC, but I decided to move to LA for more career opportunities, and that's when I got my biggest placement with the artist Namie Amuro, and the song went Double-Platinum! Since then I've been working in LA with a lot of up and coming artists, and I've been working on sync music for different shows for Universal. And I started a company called Sharp Edges Records and opened Sharp Edges Studio, a professional studio for the company in North Hollywood. I decided to join SoundBetter so that I can reach more people. I'm excited to be starting this chapter with SoundBetter.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: GEAR LIST COMPUTER Mac Mini M1 Pro Tools Studio Ableton Live 11 Logic Pro X Waves Diamond Bundle UAD Spark FabFilter Suite Celemony Melodyne Antares Auto-Tune Unlimited Spectrasonics Omnisphere, Keyscape & Trillian Arturia V Collection 8 & Fx Collection 2 reFX Nexus iZotope RX7, Ozone 9 & Vocal Synth 2 Valhalla VintageVerb, Delay, Room & Freq Echo Soundtoys FX MONITORING Yamaha HS8 Yamaha HS8S MICROPHONES Neumann U 87 Ai Blue Kiwi Shure SM7B HEADPHONES Sony MDR7506 Audio-Technica ATH-M20X (x2) INSTRUMENTS M-Audio Axiom Pro61 Alesis V49 Yamaha 61 Cajon OUTBOARD GEAR UAD Apollo 8 Duo UA 1176LN Limiting Amplifier Manley TNT 2-Channel Preamp PreSonus Central Station w/Remote

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

A: That I can only do one thing - make songs. I love that, but I offer a lot more. There's so much more to being a creative in the professional music industry than just that. I've invested in my education as well as my professional studio, Sharp Edges Studio. I run my own business, and that requires connecting with others and negotiating for yourself as well as the other collaborators I work with. I wear a lot of hats for what I do! It's not always easy, but I love it.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I love to ask artist clients what music inspires them, and if they have an inspirational playlist to send me if I'm working on their artist project, and what in their life is making them feel the most in that moment. If I'm being hired to record a song, I like to ask what vocalists the client likes as well to give me an idea of the style they're going for.

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

A: The more information you're able to give me on what you want and what you'd like for your project, the better! Communication is key. I also ask that a client puts some trust in my creative process. After that, I'm always happy to make any changes, and the more specific you can be with those changes, the easier it is to achieve the desired end result!

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

A: I would bring my keyboard, because that's my main instrument after singing, my violin because playing is a hobby I really enjoy, an Sm7 microphone because it sounds great in most spaces, an Apollo interface to boost the volume of the mic, and my laptop and headphones for necessity. I know that's 6 pieces, but still!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: When I work on music with no boundaries, I love to work on pop music that is vocal centric with unique, somewhat dark lyrics. I love dark pop, but I like a lot of pop sub-genres.

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

A: To put it briefly, my main work is singing, writing, recording, and vocal producing. A lot of my client work is recording songs, whether it's a demo or a song that's going to be released. I also write and record songs for television and ad placement. I get hired by artists to help them find their sound!

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

A: I would love to work with Jessie J. She crafts her songs so brilliantly and her vocals are stellar, so I'd just love to be in the room with a big singer like her, and be part of her creative process.

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

A: Most of the music I work on is based in Pop. But that's such a broad genre. There are so many sub-genre categories within that. So in one week I'll work on songs from J-Pop, to R&B, to Alt-Pop. It really just depends on the song briefs I get from companies that week, or the artists I'm working with.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I would have to say my vocal work is my strongest skill. I write all of the time, and I think what takes my writing to the next level is thinking about the performance in every step of the creative process. I believe a song and vocal performance have to be strongly linked. Even when I'm not recording it myself, if I write the song, I assist with the vocal delivery to really elevate that song to another level.

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

A: I am inspired by artists like Sia and Labrinth who write their own music and also write for others. They also have a super unique sound that you hear in their writing, even if another artist is singing it. I think that's so cool.

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

A: I am working for an artist named little luna, and it's the first song getting released that I am a co-producer on. I co-wrote it, co-produced it, recorded the artist, and arranged and edited all of the vocals. Bringing the creative that I've been doing for a long time as well as the technical elements that I've learned later on has been a great experience. I'm also learning production, and having my first professional product where I'm the producer is really rewarding. She is a great artist, and it's a beautiful song. I'm proud to be a part of it.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm working on a lot of independent or small label artist projects and helping them find their sound through writing and vocal production. I'm also doing a lot of sync music to get placed in television shows and advertisements.

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

A: Yes! I work all the time with Moises Zulaica, an incredible producer, mixing and mastering engineer. We work on a lot of projects together, and he always delivers top quality work. I also have the pleasure of working with Stefan PVDS, an incredible guitar player, songwriter and artist. He brings his A game to every project.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! I think that both bring so much to the table. Analog can bring a warm, human quality to a record, whereas digital can expand a song's soundscape and bring so much versatility. Both hand in hand delivers magic in my opinion!

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

A: My promise is that I will always provide high quality work, because I am meticulous about it, and what projects I take on. I have a lot of experience doing what I do, and I only take on projects that I believe I can provide the highest quality. If I'm not the right fit, I am always happy to pass that project on to someone in the music community that is better for the job!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I know this may sound cliché, but it's true: no two days are alike! Every artist I work with is different, every song is different, and I love having a chance to create in different styles. That way it never gets stale, and the passion stays. I also just love to sing, so when I get a chance to record a song, it's really fun for me. I've recorded and written thousands of songs, and every song still feels like an exciting puzzle to solve and unfold, from the writing to the recording and arranging. There's a reason musicians choose this career path. No matter how hard it can get, you love what you do. That's a gift.