Based primarily in the Bay Area, I am a hit singer-songwriter and producer with over 15 years under my belt and training from Berklee and Boston University. I'm well-versed in many genres including pop, R&B, rap, rock, folk, and even traditional Chinese music and opera/classical.
A singer-songwriter and producer hailing from the Berklee College of Music, my primary style of songwriting is pop, worship, and indie folk. Having studied with renowned songwriting professor Andrea Stolpe, I possess a wealth of knowledge of the rules and conventional practices to write a hit song! I earned an Advanced Professional certification specifically in commercial songwriting, creative production, mixing as well as DIY music marketing--so I have a good idea of how the music industry works! Based in the Bay Area, I run an at-home studio and spend half my time producing music for artists who dabble in pop, jazz, electronic, reggae, gospel, indie folk, and classical. If you need a power ballad to inspire a generation, a story song that memorializes a loved one and speaks from the heart, rap lyrics that define a movement, or an anthemic chorus with a melody that sticks to the backs of any listener's shoes, I'm your person!
Besides writing music, I am a music educator and am a professional opera singer who’s sung on world stages such as the Boston Symphony Hall, the Tsai Performing Arts Center, and the Forbidden City Concert Hall to name a few. I hold a bachelor's degree from Boston University where I studied music theory, ear-training, and composition. I'm a classically-trained-musician-turned-musical-polyglot who believes in making music inclusive for everyone.
Send me a note through the contact button above.
Credits
Languages
- Chinese
- English
Interview with Jonah Yang
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Ryan Tedder because of his amazing work ethics, wisdom in the music industry, and powerful songwriting/storytelling and musicianship.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: There is no such thing as a bad idea especially in music; a lot of times they're just stepping stones to an even better idea!
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Pop and indie folk
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Songwriting
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Strong memorable melodies, sticky lyrics, creative approaches to production, and an ear for compelling musical ideas.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: When songwriting, I typically start with a vibe that either consists of a unique beat, a chord progression on the guitar or piano, or a melody that's been sticking in my head. Then, I record a number of passes to nail a melody line with my voice, and once I've decided on a melody I usually work quickly to establish the song structure after that before moving on the arranging. Everything else falls into place after that--based on whatever may be going on lately, I'll either aim to write out the lyrics for the chorus or design a song map, and then I'll start "writing backwards" to flesh out my verses and any possible bridge. In terms of production, if I'm not starting from scratch and the song has already been written beforehand, I tend to first identify what the leading instrument is throughout the song and record that instrument to a mentronome before adding any other instruments, especially drums. Next is building a very strong instrumental foundation by adding percussion, keyboards, then pads or strings, and then finally I'll add lead vocals and any background vocals afterwards.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I run everything mostly in-the-box meaning all the signal processers (compressers, reverbs, delays, pre-amps, etc.) that I use to mix tracks are software-based. I use a Universal Audio Apollo as my primary A/D converter and own a number of microphones including a pair of AKG C414, a pair of Sontronix STC-3X, a pair of ribbon microphones, an AKG C12 tube condenser, as well as a Neumann U47 tube condenser.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Greg Wells, Sylvia Massy, Chris Lord Alge, Ryan Tedder, Wang Leehom.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Production and writing complete lyrics and melodies.
I was the lyricist, singer and producer in this production
- Songwriter - LyricAverage price - $100 per song
- ProducerAverage price - $200 per song
- Songwriter - MusicAverage price - $100 per song
- Top line writer (vocal melody)Average price - $100 per song
- Singer - MaleAverage price - $500 per song
- ViolinAverage price - $300 per song
- Mixing EngineerAverage price - $200 per song
- OneRepublic
- Adele
- Mumford & Sons
- Neumann U47 Tube Microphone
- AKG C12 Tube Microphone
- Universal Audio DSP and Apollo
- Pro Tools
- Logic Pro
- Ableton
- Upcoming Debut Album Planned!Feb 26, 2025
I've come a long way since I began this project, and I'm excited to announce that my first album is in the works with a potential release date this summer! Stay tuned for more details in the future, including the first single. It's been 3 years since I've released a song––feeling super stoked!
