Songwriter,Guitarist,Producer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am currently wrapping up the mix on my latest album, on which every instrument is entirely performed solely by me. At the same time, I am simultaneously recording parts for my next album, which will be recorded entirely over the internet, virtually, with many musicians from all over the world, to create an entirely different sound. I am also contributing production music to Scorekeepers Music.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Analogue because seriously....it sounds better. And digital because seriously....it's easier.

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

A: To make them happy while having a good time doing it. I enjoy what I do...and I want to spread that around.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Making music. Whatever it takes. Whatever that means. I'm there to help make it happen. And have a great time doing it. Period.

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

A: "Why are you always so calm?" My answer: I'm a huge fan of the space program and the quote that rings in my head most is from Gene Krantz, who, during the Apollo 13 accident, famously said, "Let’s solve the problem...let’s not make it any worse by guessing.”

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

A: I work with a lot of professional musicians who have really crafted their skills, learned their instruments inside and out like being fluent in another language, and STILL take the time to practice everyday and get better at what they do...those are the musicians that inspire me the most.

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

A: As songwriter, I'm often asked to create songs that sound similar to another artist, or to just write what I think fits best in an artist's existing style. In both cases, I pay special attention to the details: instrument choice, genre specific mix options, etc. And I give multiple options to make sure the artist can be a part of the process, if they wish, as I always enjoy creating music and love to share that with anyone who wants to take part.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: It's always evolving. I adapt to whatever a project needs and love to analyze new styles to sound like. However, personally, as an artist, I like to combine many aspects of different genres to create something new and refreshing.

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

A: Eric Johnson. He's a guitarist that has such great tone and I can't stop listening to.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Yes. Always remember, there is no right or wrong in music. But if it's not AMAZING...it's wrong. Do it again.

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

A: I write a lot of pop/rock and hard rock music. But I love to write in many genres, and do so often, so nothing is off limits.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Having a great time, while maintaining a high level of professionalism in my work.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I make every song I work on the best it can be. I bring all my effort to each and every song. Every detail is handled quickly and decisively. I never want to walk away from a song without making it sound amazing. I also love to think outside of the box. I don't ever want to sound cookie-cutter-ish, so I strive to find the individual voice of every song I work on.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: RECORDING: SOFTWARE: ProTools 11 Digital Performer 10 Waves Gold Bundle Plugins Guitar Rig 5 Pro Kontakt Ultimate 10 Recording/Mixing HARDWARE: Motu 828MkIII Hybrid Interface Blue “Robbie” Preamp Blue Baby Bottle Mic Behringer FCB101 Midi Foot Controller SAMPLE COLLECTION: Air Creative Suite Bluegrass Banjo East West Choirs Giga Studio Pro Edition Orchestra Motu MachFive 3 Omnisphere Reason Strings Reason Abbey Road Drums Rammfire Retro Machines Mk2 Library Slide Lap Steel Stylus RMX Drum Loops TinyBox Music Box Custom Baritone Horn Dobro Dulcimer Binca Sounds Custom Sample Library SoundFX Pack INSTRUMENTS: ELECTRIC GUITARS: Line 6 JTV-59 Variax Electric Guitar Ibanez RG7421PB 7-String Guitar Binca Custom Guitars - F1 OTHERS: Taylor 714ce Acoustic Guitar Fender P-Bass AMPLIFIERS: Peavey Bandit 112 Teal Stripe Amp PEDALS: SYNTH Boss SY-300 Guitar Synth DigiTech SDrum —————————— PITCH DigiTech FreqOut Natural Feedback Creator Electro Harmonix Pitch Fork Digitech Whammy Ricochet MXR Bluebox —————————— TONE MXR Studio Compressor Dunlop Jimi Hendrix FuzzFace Chicago Ironworks Tycobrahe Octavia Electro Harmonix Triangle Muff Land Devices HP2 Harmonic Percolator Boss BD2 Blues Driver Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer ProCo Rat Distortion Friedman BE-OD Overdrive Seymour Duncan Palladium High Gain Distortion —————————— MODULATION Dunlop 535q Cry Baby Multi Wah Boss VO-1 Vocoder/Talkbox MXR Phase 90 Fulltone Deja-Vibe MXR M-117R Flanger Red Panda Bitmap 8bit Electro Harmonix Ring Thing TC Electronic Pipeline Tap Tremolo Electro Harmonix Lester G Deluxe Rotary Speaker Leslie Cabinet Simulator TC Electronic SCF Stereo Chorus —————————— TIME Ernie Ball Stereo Volume Grand Canyon Strymon BlueSky Reverb —————————— EQ MXR M108 10-band EQ Boss EQ 200

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

A: For 15 years I have had the pleasure and honor of working for Barry Manilow. In my tenure, I have had the opportunity to produce his vocals on a couple of recordings. A simple, well placed bit of advice, earned me his respect as a musician and vocalist and thus, gave me the opportunity to do several songs for a project he was working on.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My work process differs for every project. But when I work, I love to work differently all the time...I feel it keeps the energy moving and stirs creativity. But no matter what, I strive to give every song exactly what it calls for.

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

A: The biggest misconception is that music is a throwaway item: as if it takes almost no time, effort, or money to make something great that isn't just filler. That music can be done for free because a production has run out of money due to all the other production costs have eaten through someone's budget.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I really love to know about their timeline and expectations. I'm a stickler for meeting my deadlines, and I want everyone to be happy...including myself with a job well done.

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

A: Go with your gut. If you feel someone is the right fit for your project, go with that. And if that's not me, I don't take it personally. None of us should: it's your project and you always know what's best for your music.

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

A: On a desert island, I wouldn't need 5 pieces of gear, just 2: a guitar and my iPhone to record everything I would write...as I'm ALWAYS writing.

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

A: I started jamming with friends of mine in our basements and garages, then went to Berklee in Boston. Graduated there with a Bachelors Degree in Music Production & Engineering, then moved to Los Angeles about 20 years ago. Here in LA, I've worked in every creative and production aspect of the industry, from post production editing, to playing guitar live on stage, and recording in studios both as a hired musician and an engineer.