Composer, Bassist, Producer

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I like a mix of both. The hands-on approach to analog is very inspiring to me. Digital is fantastic for it's editing capabilities, but it doesn't inspire me the same way analog does or have the same character. I try to use real instruments when I can for this same reason.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: It's very creative, and it opens up a lot of interesting routes for different kinds of problem solving that are very unique to itself. It's like putting together a big auditory puzzle.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What do you want your listener to feel while listening? What is the goal or motivation of this piece of music? Do you need or want any distinct themes of motifs?

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

A: Make sure to have everything you think I may need (and even things you think I might not need), and have it packaged nicely so that everything is easily findable.

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

A: My upright bass, mandolin, acoustic guitar, and my baritone and tenor saxophone.

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

A: I started playing the bass guitar when I was in middle school, and I came up through my school's music program, which focused primarily on jazz music. I did play some rock music at home, but I focused on jazz a little more seriously. I auditioned for a couple music colleges before I graduated high school and decided to pursue Film Scoring at Berklee College of Music, and specialized in video game music, as I was (and still am) a fan of video games.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Cinematic, eclectic

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

A: It would be really awesome to work with Muse. They were a big inspiration to me growing up. I don't think it would ever happen, but I think it would be a lot of fun.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Separating your composition/writing workflow from your mixing and/or mastering workflows. For me, it helps me shift my perspective, and it also lightens the load on my computer if I'm working on a big project to mix with exported stems.

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

A: The music I work on is mostly orchestral, rock, jazz, or electronic.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I try my best to bring the culmination of my different inspirations, forming my own character to any track I work on.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For orchestral work, I work from a big template in Cubase with a bunch of my virtual instruments loaded onto tracks so I can access them quickly. All of my routing for stems is done in the template, and when I am finished writing parts for a piece, I export the stems from Cubase into REAPER to mix and master if I have the time, otherwise I will do everything in Cubase.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio setup is centered around an Audient ID14, my Novation Launchkey 49, and some JBL studio monitors. As for instruments, I have a 4-string Jaguar Bass (my main axe), a 5-string Warwick bass, a fretless jazz bass, and a Rickenbacker 4003 bass. As for guitars, I have a 6-string Schecter Diamond Series, a mini Taylor acoustic guitar, and a Fender Stratocaster. I have various random flutes, as well as a mandolin.

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

A: My biggest inspirations for composition currently are Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli), Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy), Austin Wintory (Journey), and Lena Raine (Celeste). For bass playing, my biggest inspirations are Chris Wolstenholme from Muse, and Mike Kerr from Royal Blood.

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

A: The most common type of work I do is orchestral music, and I work mostly for video games. Though, I have a degree in Film Scoring, and I have experience writing for other media, such as webcomics, as well as other interactive media.