Music Producer

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is melodic and simply put "creation of the vibe". I would say most of my produced songs are not made for the nightclubs of today. But many only spent an average of 5 hours a week in a club anyway. Most listen to music in their car, at the Home, gym, or at work. My music is stylistically set for the regular 19 hours of the day... but don't get it twisted, if you want a club-banger... I'll give you one! LOL

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: My biggest production tip is don't overcomplicate a track and keep it clean. Sometimes I hear many producers add too many effects or try to add too many elements to a song to the point they drown out each other. A clean sound is a clear sound that is the best for listening enjoyment, especially considering 70% of music is now consumed through headphones. So you want the right music going directly into the person's ears.

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

A: I real talk work on things all over the board. All of my music has a hip-hop undertone, but I have had 2 award-winning house/EDM songs in the past 2 years as well as a pop hit in the UK. So great music and great sound... That's what I work on!

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Today Studio Setups do not have to be complicated. I work with the Full Ableton Live Productions Suite. I utilize a PUSH Live Midi Controller in conjunction with a Novation Launchpad pro. I have an Arturia KeyLab 88 MKII Keyboard to create melodies. Hardware is simple with 2 Macbooks (1 for DAW, 1 for resources). 3 LG monitors for full visibility of what I am working on and a set of JBL Studio Monitors. My studio suite is a fully acoustically designed 8x8 space made for 2 people. (Gives me the most immersive experience I need to get zoned in)

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

A: I am inspired by the production works of Freddie Joachim and Timberland (Both Ableton users I might add!). Their ability to create unique sounds and make melodies work within a track are amazing.

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

A: I mainly am acquired for song creation. Many have written lyrics and have general melody thoughts but need a vision for the complete song to come together. That's what a great producer does for many artists to make THEIR songs great. I also work with PERFORMERS that need a completed song labeled for them to call theirs and they go perform. I enjoy both forms of collaboration!

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

A: Worked on a project for a group out of Kansas City called Inspired. They had gone through a rough time as a group. They were tied to a producer/manager that took them for their money and ultimately stole all of their produced works and left them with nothing. I was reached out to by someone on their team to try and keep the team together. There was some hard conversations and a lot of trust-building, but the first song from their rebirth "Small but Mighty (ft. Inspired)" was a high success.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I have several projects brewing. I have a full album I produced for QB Music called "Dark Spaces" coming out July 29th! I also have started production on an instrumental hip-hop album coming out in December called "Around the world in 12 days". Just finished Executive Production of an EP "Closer to You" by Christian McKinney. Also working on a "remixed" album for TyMiracle409

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

A: If you are looking for a mastering engineer I recommend Jeff Sojka! I have worked with Jeff on over 5 projects now and his work is stellar. He is a Grammy award-winning engineer and producer and available here on soundbetter.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. Digital has made so many things possible to so many creative people. Yes, access has open the door to some watered down bad projects, but there are some really gifted artists and performers out there that have something to give to the world.

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

A: My promise is to delivery a fully mastered end product that fits your original concept and is fully developed and ready for digital delivery on all platforms

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love the creative process of making unique music that makes people smile, laugh, dance, and get the stank face all in the same track!

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

A: Question I get: How much do you charge for a beat? My Answer: Nominal if all you want is a kick/snare/808/hihat because THAT is a beat and you can get it from almost anybody. But if you are looking for a completed track/song/arrangement/project... I'm your guy. Question: How long is your creative process? Answer: As quickly as I get a full vision of what we are achieving with the song. I have got inspired and composed/produced/and written a completed song in two hours and I have been part of projects where it took 2 weeks. The speed is in the purpose.

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

A: That producers nowadays just make beats. Producers have to be able to "HEAR" critical points in the music and work with artists that are coachable to be pushed to make their artistic talents thrive.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Where did the inspiration of the song come from? What is the one prevailing thought you want to the listener to leave with? Who is your target listener of this song? Through these 3 questions, I can get a picture of my listener and the message I need them to hear.

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

A: Make sure you find a producer who is not just a "beat maker". There is a difference to a gifted beat maker and a song producer and song arranger.

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

A: - Macbook 13" w/Ableton Live - Sony WH-1000XXM4 headphones - PUSH Live Midi Controller - Neumann TLM 103 Condenser Mic - Nord Piano 5 88-Key

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

A: I have been involved in music production for 40 years. First as a your drummer, then as a sound engineer, before staring and selling a record label in my 20's. I recently founded SOE Entertainment Group in 2019 in honor of my brother to inspire music for generations to come. I want to continue to let SOE be a trampoline for artists who want to make a major impact in music.

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

A: There are very few true singers and rappers out there. If I could do a collab with Ariana Grande and Common it would be a hit overnight. Ariana has a natural voice that is powerful yet graceful in all keys. Common has a storytelling ability that is unmatched and carries a voice that draws your attention to every word.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is making all elements in a song talk together at the appropriate time. I have an ability to set the tone for a song based to the mood of the lyrics and the vibe the artist is shooting for.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring the timing and arrangement skills to understand the heights and emotions within a song. A great song has movement and feeling. Club DJs know this and a song that already has this built-in makes their job easier in the club and transports you to a club when you are riding in the car or at home.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My typical work process is to find the right melody and bassline first. A song without either of those is like making a beat off the cafeteria table. The melody and bassline will drive the song. The beat keeps the engine running, and the use of 808 and effects just smooths everything out in the end.