Hip Hop/Pop Mixing Engineer

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

A: My career in the music industry has been going on for close to 10 years now and I still feel like I'm just beginning. It all started with my love of DJing at a young age which quickly moved into the music production side of the industry. It has only been about the past 3-4 years or so that I've taken more interest into the Mixing/Mastering side of what completes a record. I've always been intrigued, even from a young age, with putting pieces together to make something complete. This is exactly how I view mixing a record. You take a complete idea and add what's needed to create something virtually brand new. The more you get deeper and deeper into song analysis and the industry itself, you quickly realize that the post production of the record is if not the most important step to completion.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: The best music production tip I have ever received from someone I looked up to for so many years would be to always always always don't be afraid to try something you've never heard before. In the history of music, the most influential and successful music has always been in a realm of its own. In this day and age with the access of media and music itself to be so easily available, a lot of artists tend to try to make the most "viral" song that will ensure success. While yes, this is a tactic that has been known to have a substantial success rate, I always try my best to make music that gives me the feeling of hearing something never before heard for the first time.

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

A: The type of music I typically work on from a mixing and producing standpoint would be in the Rap/R&B category. It's a genre I've been listening to for as long as I can remember and have also studied the most. Growing up I was surrounded with every genre, and I enjoy them all, although my strong suit would be in the Hip-Hop/Rap/R&B spectrum.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My typical work process begins with talking to my client and asking questions such as, "What are you trying to achieve with this record sonically? What are some inspirations that come to mind when you envision the final product?" I then proceed to spend some time listening to the demo sent by the client, trying to figure out how to push this record based on the answers my client answered previously. From there begins the mixing process. I typically have 2 different bounces for each draft I send to the client. One with a limiter on the final bounce and one without. Most clients enjoy matching their mix up with another artists track to compete on all around loudness and fullness, so I provide both bounces per draft. From there just take any notes the client has provided and come to a final mix based off what the client wants the record to sound like.