Producer/Song Builder

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

A: One of my favorite projects was a dramatic orchestral piece for a promotional ad campaign for a travel agency. I used sampled orchestral libraries and various sound effects and the client was blown away. Everything was digital with the exception of a few live strings tracks. Technology is rad, folks. I composed it from the ground up and it's still my baby, I love that track.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: My biggest project right now is a children's music album. I'm essentially arranging folk songs to fit an outdoorsy kind of vibe by using acoustic instruments like guitar, banjo and mandolin as well percussion such as cajon, shakers, tambourines, spoons, pots and pans. It sounds rad.

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

A: Not yet! I'm looking to expand my network here.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! Analog sounds good and digital works good. Most of my clients prefer digital. It's cost-effective, it's efficient, and your listeners won't be saying "I just wish this was recorded on a neve console, the vocals need more warmth." I promise, they won't.

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

A: I promise that I'll work with you to help you get your dream sound. I don't care what it sounds like as long as it sounds like you.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love music, I love people, I love working with musical people. Enough said.

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

A: "Can it sound like (insert any artist)?" This really is my most commonly asked question, and the answer is always yes.

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

A: A lot of clients wonder how much I can ACTUALLY do in my home office studio.... I don't have any secrets, but there's a process to production that can be applied with any resources in any studio. I've worked in studios with analog consoles with patch bays hooked up to any piece of outboard gear you can think of, and while it's great to have those resources, it just isn't necessary in this modern world with incredible technology. It just takes vision, passion, and grit.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I have three questions. 1) What do you want your project to achieve? (radio ready single, release for family and friends, something for you to have, gift for someone else?) 2) What's the timeline? 3) What's the budget? With these three, I can decide if we're a good fit for each other. I'm proud of what I do and I can work with anyone on any budget, but on the other side of the coin there are a lot of producers out there that might be a better fit!

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

A: I would just suggest keeping true to what you want to do and to try to be as dead set on your vision as possible. Have what you want to sound like in mind. Are there any songs you want to sound like? Any musicians in specific? Tell your producer about your needs and leave no detail unspoken! With the write producer, your music will come to life quicker than you know it.

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

A: I would take a laptop, an apollo twin, my DSI Prophet Rev 2, an AKG c414, and my acoustic guitar.

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

A: My career path is that of a musician! I've been studying audio at my community college for the past two years and I'm going to be taking my education to the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences in 2022.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I think my style floats around any genre of pop. I think that's mostly because it's the genre that fits my talents, my vision, my resources, and my interests. Is that what this question is asking? I'm not totally sure.

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

A: I would love to work with Cory Wong. His music is unreal and his artistry is unmatched.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Compress/EQ/Saturate/do whatever processing with your eyes closed. I literally put my hand on the knob, close my eyes, and move the pot around until it works. Visuals are good, but sometimes they detract from what we hear! Our ears are the most important thing when it comes to music and that in my opinion is not debatable in the slightest.

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

A: I typically work on pop and all of its sub-genres! Pop rock, acoustic pop, funk pop, electronic pop, you name it. I also do a lot of instrumental work for ads and commercials for real estate agencies, travel agencies, and music education programs.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is my ear. It's rarely a challenge to "hear" the artists vision when it comes to melody, harmony, countermelodies, and the overall vibe of their perceived song. Aside from my ear, my strongest skill has to be my instrumental capabilities. Playing what the artist is hearing in their head comes naturally and helps push the creative process along without cutting any of the corners.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring my musicianship. Music has been a big part of my life even before I was born! I sat through countless voice lessons in the womb. My mom taught private voice lessons throughout the entirety of her pregnancy with me and studies support that my ear was being trained the whole way. I started playing piano and learning theory when I was four and I haven't stopped learning yet! I've written a lot of songs for myself and for other people which has helped me gain a lot of perspective and different kinds of visions for unique projects. I'm a firm believer that everyone has their own sound and so far I've had success with unlocking that individual flavor that everyone has. My dexterity between instruments such as piano, bass, and guitar helps me get ideas for clients' songs and it makes the recording process all too easy and fast.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I typically start with the creative process. The song has to be finished before we start laying down tracks! We talk about the song structure, the artist's references (songs and artists that have the same vibe we're going for), and ideal instrumentation. From there, I work alongside the artist to achieve the best performance when we record. Once tracks are laid down, we get creative in the mix process to get it to sound clear, emotionally driven, and ready to master.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I operate in a decked out bedroom studio. I use a lot of samples/digital instruments to take the music that I create to a whole other level while still recording a lot of live instruments. I have a modest and versatile collection of microphones to record electric and acoustic guitar, electric bass, various analog synthesizers, string instruments, horns, and percussion.

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

A: I'm heavily inspired by pop music all around. I think it's so cool how music is constantly changing and the art of creating it is progressively getting better. If I were to name artists, I would go with Vulfpeck, Bruno Major, Daft Punk (rip), and Colony House

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

A: I build songs for people! My clients generally have an idea of what they want their song to sound like, and sometimes they even have it completely written with instruments and vibe in mind. We normally get a little creative together and I might help write part of a song or help with arrangement and instrumentation. From there, we go to work! We lay the foundation for the song with basic tracking, add any instrument overdubs, put on vocals and mix it all together. The main type of music I create for people is pop and all of its sub-genres, instrumental music for commercials, and I've dabbled in some children's music albums as well!