Session uke player

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

A: At the end of 2019 and the first half of 2020, I was called on to write, perform, and produce a theme song for a sit-com pilot about an unlikely subject matter; homeless people. At first, my gut-feeling was WHAT??? But once i learned more about the project and that the writers/producers ran it by some homeless organizations and got encouraging responses, i agreed. And after the production team loved the theme song, they asked me to write music for the entire episode. The budget was very limited, so I played all the instruments: uke, guitar, bass, etc. and kept it largely organic and bluesy folky (except for one uptempo funk rock tune) and i also mixed all the songs as well. The show won Best Pilot awards at 3 film festivals and the writers/producers are hoping they'll get funding to make more episodes, get the pilot aired or sell it to a network.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: This very detailed interview.

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

A: I'm new to SoundBetter, but as I explore it further, perhaps I will add some names here.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. Dependability.

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

A: I'll be giving your project the same high level of care I give to my own songs and recordings.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The variety of songs, the different approaches to them, and the unique point of view of both the song and the client.

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

A: How quick can you turn my project around? Depends on the part you need and my schedule; both of which are going to vary. I harken back to a sign I saw hanging inside a restaurant many years ago, It said: GOOD FOOD TAKES TIME. My inner voice thought: "Hmmm...I wonder how long GREAT food takes. :-) I then came up with my own variation: GREAT RECORDINGS TAKE TIME. (and that's why i put 10 days as my turnaround time--in case I need it to do my best job)

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

A: My uke and guitar playing sound simple and effortless. It's usually not. And while i try to keep things simple, sometimes I play deceptively complex things. To do these challenging well and to record them as perfectly as possible, takes time. Sometimes clients think I can just throw down a quick uke or guitar part. And often times i can, but there's times when it can take 2-3 days or more to get I'm hearing recorded and pass my high level of scrutiny.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What overall mood are you hoping to set? Are there songs or artists that are in a similar realm that you can send me links to? Who's your target audience and what's the marketing objective you're hoping to achieve with the track? Do you have specific directions or input for me or are you deferring to my gut feel and instincts? Do you have a hard deadline?

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

A: Listen to and evaluate my work and make sure my skill sets are what will best serve the needs of your project.

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

A: I'm gonna assume you mean musical equipment, so I'll answer with that in mind. An exceptionally reliable great sounding acoustic guitars, a great sounding well-intonated uke, a plastic bag with replacement strings, a recording device that can run on solar power, and a conga or other rhythmic instrument.

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

A: I've been a professional musician and songwriter for most of my life. It's in my blood.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Soulful and heartfelt

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

A: Any artist who does music because they can't live without out and who puts their all into their work and strives for excellence.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: If you think you've performed or recorded the perfect take, immediately record at least one more take as "insurance" and in case you missed hearing a sonic flaw.

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

A: Blues, jazz, Latin, and Folk-Americana.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Innately knowing what will best serve a song.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: My succinct answer to that question is: "A lifetime of songwriting experience and a very high bar for what a great song should consist of." A more detailed answer is: I've been a professional songwriter for over 40 years and have won many awards for my work. I remain a very active songwriter and indie artist and have written in almost every musical style. That being the case, I am very familiar with the sometimes subtle and sometimes significant distinctions of many genres and factor those into my performances for both myself and my clients. I have also created and taught songwriting classes for 3 decades at various colleges, universities, and music schools.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When 'm hired to work on a project, I like to carefully listen to a project a few times with fresh ears. then i read and re-read what the client is asking for. Then, if there aren't any questions or concerns I have for the client, I'll mentally and musically forge out a plan for the track(s) needed and then try them out and then assess how my part is jelling and verify it's serving its intended purpose. If I feel my part or performance is working, I then listen even more discerningly for any musical, tonal, or sonic flaws and then address them as needed.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is simple, but extremely reliable and able to consistently render clean, clear tracks. But I don't credit mega-expensive, state-of-the-art equipment for those results. Instead, I largely attribute my high level of audio quality to my incredibly detailed "dog ears" (that enable to always hear things that many others might not) musical skills and experience, and uncanny musical instincts and the care I put into every job I do.

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

A: I'm inspired by professionals who bring a unique style or skill to the proverbial table; one that gives an audio project a distinct flavor or vibe. I'm equally inspired by any musicians or music service providers who approach what they do with the highest level of professionalism and devotion to high quality.

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

A: The most common services i provide to my clients (who are either singer-songwriters, musician/composers, production companies, etc) are clean, clear tracks of uke, acoustic guitar, vocal and whistling. Those clients either tell me specifics about what they want the performance to sound like or they defer to me to use my experience as a lifelong musician.