Session Drummer

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Clean, tight yet dynamic

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't be afraid to experiment with sound! Your ear will get accustomed to a sound if heard enough times.... test the sound by adjusting the EQ or compressing particular frequencies. You'll hear something and it will often inspire a change to a certain instrument or tone.

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

A: Pop-rock like sounds

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I definitely have more experience drumming, but I spend a lot of time engineering and love it!

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I do this because I love music.... I love making it, listening to it, supporting it... I bring that passion to my work. I also pass on songs that I do not connect with as I'm certain that there's someone who can bring a passion to it instead of my forced performance.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When playing drums for a track I like to get to know the song really well. I will typically listen to it many times in a row then begin playing on top of the track. I record my practice sessions and listen to them to help me compose a final draft. For custom songs I often play the song 100 times before I find the most dynamic beats and fills then master the best takes.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I play with Roland Electronic drum equipment and use their "SuperNATURAL" collection of recorded analog sounds. Using this equipment brought my work to a whole new level. The sounds I can produce are equal to those I take an entire day to setup and tweak in a traditional studio. .... As for sound engineering I use Steinberg's Cubase and Focusrite products.

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

A: Ben Leinbach is my future clone - a drummer turned producer making inspiring music.

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

A: Primarily I compose and play well balanced, dynamic drum lines for various types of music. Secondly, I have become known as a "sophisticated ear" and after learning Cubase DAW I also help musicians mix and master their tracks to get the cleanest and most symphonic sound for the records.