Mixing, Mastering and Bass

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

A: Recently I supplied music for a CVS employee training/advertisement video. I was able to collaborate with creative more closely than I have before for major brands and it was very fulfilling to give them exactly what they want, in a genre I don't usually get to write/produce in. But my proudest work has to be my various songs with Sesame Studios. I've worked on multiple shows for them and every time I'm able to contribute directly to Elmo's performance, it's a total thrill.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: What matters is what you're doing with your gear. Analog or digital doesn't matter to me honestly, as long as you're serving the song and adding who you are to what you're doing. The tools are only the means to get there!

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

A: I promise to hear your vision and deliver a professional service in a timely manner. I promise to serve your song to my full extent, with radio ready contributions.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love living in the world of music. I've been analyzing, recreating and studying my favorite music since I was a toddler. So being able to help other people reach their creative vision is so fulfilling, collaborating to make a finished piece of art.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Do you have any song references so I know what your vision is? Would you like to include vocal tuning in your mix? What genre would you consider your music? What other songs do you sound like?

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

A: I started as a songwriter, getting picked up by Sesame Street, writing songs for Elmo and the whole gang. This led to more television compositions, which led to producing and recording entire songs myself. Instead of only writing the compositions to be re recorded, my skills developed and I was able to record the instruments and do the mixing for various TV projects. I've since done various commercials and TV shows, as well as countless non-brand works. I've been playing bass for over a decade, going to a performing arts high school for music and vocals. I'm always sending pitches to brands and in my free time, I've written, performed and produced hundreds of songs for Songfinch, supplying professional custom songs for happy customers.

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

A: The Lemon Twigs are everything I love about new music right now. They pick up where the Beach Boys/Britpop left off, with catchy songs and well recorded audio. On a more major scale, I'd love to mix Green Day, as I love their loud and exciting feeling.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Mix with your ears, not your eyes! Often mixers can get lost in the plugins and the presets without really listening to the music. Not over producing is the difference between intermediate and pro! It is part of the job to recognize when to change a sound or keep it the same, don't feel like you have to DO something to everything!

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

A: There's not one type of music I work on in the world of TV/Brands. My mission is to simply bring to life the creative vision I'm given. When working on other people's music or my own music, it can lean more towards Rock or Pop as my greatest music influences live in that world. Though I've been known for my Country, Funk, Soul and Rap productions, the sky is the limit!

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I have a musical ear that won't only service the song technically, but creatively. My greatest skill is understanding what the song should be by the end, and I bring my own flavor to that whether on bass or on the production side of things.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: First and foremost, I bring character and energy to my songs. On the bass, I bring foundation and melodic bursts that will always serve the song without over/under playing. Overall the mix should feel balanced, in the right feel of the song, and the magic of the song should be brought out. I use my creative ear to do just that.

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

A: The Beatles top the list of inspirations, along with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. My bass playing draws from McCartney, Carol Kaye, Steven MacDonald, Tim Smith, John Entwistle and more. Production wise, I'm inspired by Chris Lord-Alge, Tom Lord-Alge, John Fields, Jack Joseph Puig and many more.

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

A: It started mainly as songwriting and playing all instruments, but over the years I've gained the skills and trust with major brands to do all aspects of the song, including mixing/mastering.