altering emotions with sounds

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

A: i would tell a customer to really, really try and be sure that whoever they hire needs to genuinely love music just like you do. if there’s no genuine connection between two people, you’ll never open up as much as you want. make sure that you’re comfortable with him/her, and make sure that he/she isn’t judgmental while you’re in your music mindset. in my own experience, the comfortability and trust you have with your customer WILL reflect in the music and the process of creation!

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

A: i was an opening act for a hip-hop artist named “Montana of 300” when i was 21 years old. i was in charge of all the electronics for our set, the playlist, transitions from song to song (DJ’ing), and i even performed two of my own songs on stage that night! i had a great time, and i was flabbergasted at everyone that night who came to see the show!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: currently, im working on learning “smile, tho’ your heart is aching” by charlie chaplin, and i’m perfecting the “maple leaf rag” by scott joplin… just with memory! no sheet music. musical memory is important to me.

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

A: unfortunately, there is not.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: either is fine with me! i’m able to read both perfectly fine, so i don’t mind. if i had to choose, i’d say analog because digital possessions can just disappear or break at any moment. with music, i’d rather have my collection be ALL vinyl records as opposed to CD’s. CD memory can just go bad for nothing! vinyl… nope. it’s scratched in there forever. keep it put away, you’ll always have that music in physical form. it’s a safety measure!

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

A: i promise every single one of my clients that i care just as much about their music/art as they do. i always want my clients to feel emotionally safe when working. i need my clients to KNOW that i respect their art just as i would respect my art. time will tell my clients. establishing long term client relationships is a strong point for me, and i believe it’s all trust based.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I truly, truly feel blessed that i discovered music can make you money… even if it’s just a little bit. i don’t have to dread anything else in life if i love my job, and i love my job. i love teaching people, and seeing the face of someone light up with a smile as they play their first chord on a guitar. it’s motivating beyond belief.

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

A: Often, i can even say almost weekly, im asked , “if i email you some vocal stems and my instrumental, could you maybe arrange it differently and give me a new perspective?” my answer will ALWAYS be, “yes”! Unless, i believe that by doing what you’re asking will take away value from what you already have. but, i personally think that this is exactly why we as musicians make TONS of demo tapes.

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

A: people often seem to believe that just because you can make music so readily and/or at a quick pace, that is must be “easy”. this couldn’t be further from the truth. the pace at which you work on a project 100% affects the finished product. trust your ears, and don’t spend too much time. IT IS NOT EASY! it’s so easy to overlook almost anything when you’re in front of a .DAW program/software for hours on end. you have to stay sharp, stay moving, and never overthink.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: i would try and do more listening. with a prospective client, listening may get you much further than talking.

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

A: • a LARGE stack of paper • a pen • a compass • a water bottle • and, of course, my guitar or ukulele! without music, and without any form of expression as a distraction, i’d lose my mind on a desert island!

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

A: i played division 1 collegiate baseball for 3 years. while at university, i studied general business and minored in spanish. i had good grades, however, i HATED it. i’m a musician, and i’ve become so much more at peace with myself, and with identifying as a musician as opposed to an athlete. I never thought I would say it, but I would throw my baseball cleats away any day to pick up a guitar!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: edgy, somewhat grungy, but totally introverted with my thinking. socially, i am extremely outgoing and easy to get along with. i believe myself to be an intelligent, respectful young man. physically, my style of clothing is usually black jeans with some holes, doc martin boots, and probably like the coolest shirt i could find at the thrift store that week. definitely more of a (modernized) 90’s grunge style, but not in a grimey way. i love cardigans, music, and coffee. oh, and only the COOL cardigans.. nothing too bland, or too girly. haha!

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

A: it’d be a dream to work with Glenn Miller. the music is very old, but Glenn Miller changed the music industry with his amazingly catchy, swingy, brass/horn melodies. he was the start of an era!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: absolutely! in a technical sense, always pay attention to your mixer tracks and where they’re being routed to. mentally, trust your ear. the BEST, most high quality music comes from the pure simplicity of the track overall. it’s always an amazing feeling to hear an awesome new song and think to yourself, “i know exactly what that producer did, and why he did it… that’s so simply genius”.

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

A: being a younger guy, I have really been focusing on building the perfect toolbox of sounds and techniques to make my sound MY OWN! i have 3 laptop computers that are 100% out of storage space solely due to my collection of samples, drums, and my own rough demos and concepts. to me, it’s important to have my own arsenal of sounds. in my opinion, technique and resources are just as important to the overall production of a song than “top of the line” equipment. equipment is still very important… but, not more important than my god given ability, and my knowledge in music!

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: my ability to forget the world around me when i’m doing anything musically inclined in my life is a huge skill in my opinion. music is mindfulness to me!

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: i bring an alter ego. i will fully make myself believe that whatever the song feels like, i will become. i do my best to genuinely rattle some emotion within me. that way, real emotion comes out. if i’m truly convinced that i am the character in that song, and that the situation is happening to me, RIGHT NOW. it’s my way of getting true tone and emotion across to the listener.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: depending on the inspiration, i will focus on finding some original, catchy melodies on the piano or guitar. if i start with a sample (Hip-Hop), i may build around the sample with complimenting VST plugins/electronic instruments! truly, each song is different for me, and i appreciate how each project can come together in the end having such different starting points! it’s very fascinating and fun!

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: computer (Razer ‘Blade’ 15) [i9 processor], focusrite scarlett 2i2, Shure SM-88 microphone, FL Studio 20 Producers Edition (11 year’s experience), AKAI Midi controller(s), KRK Rocket 6’s (studio monitors)

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

A: Charlie Chaplin, Scott Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Lil Peep, Eddie Vedder, Layne Staley, charlie puth, killstation, heylog, Jimi Hendrix, $uicideboy$,

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

A: ghostwriting, vocal engineering, sit-in during studio sessions, and produce custom instrumentals using real instruments. often times, i am simply asked to come and “use my ears” for people before they finalize their own projects!