Remote Pop/Jazz Mixing

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The devil is in the details - and I love getting into the nitty-gritty of it all. When it comes to lead vocals and instrumental solos, making sure that the subtleties of each phrase come across is one of my favorite things to do. (It's so satisfying when it hits just right!) Finding appropriate tones and effects to suit the style of the song can be a really fun process as well. The blend of left- and right-brain activities involved in mixing keep me in hyper-focus mode—that, plus a cup of coffee and a square of dark chocolate, and I'm in my happy place.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Who are your influences? What is the primary focus of your song/album (i.e. a specific instrument, lyrics, overall sound/energy, etc)? What songs or elements of a song would you like to use as a mix reference?

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

A: Be sure to choose a mix engineer who can understand your musical vision and your creative language. Communication can be one of the biggest aids or setbacks in the mixing process, so finding someone who sees where you're coming from and what you're trying to achieve can make all the difference.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I've always considered my ear to be my strongest asset. My dad is a mix engineer, and I can remember riding along with him during the "car tests" for his mixes when I was a child. "The bass needs more of a boost at 4k for more clarity," he would say, or, "The vocals still need to come up by about 2 dB on track 3." I started to notice those details, too, and loved the process of learning how to make those changes in my own productions. I began singing harmony at 4 years old, transcribed Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique at 13 and Steve Howe's solo guitar pieces at 14, and started my journey of music production/mixing at 15. Further development was gained during my time as a music performance major, as I took private studies in mixing/mastering and jazz arranging, in addition to advanced classes in 20th-century music theory and aural skills. Growing up with significant exposure to all kinds of music throughout my childhood and beyond has given me a strong intuition to hear which elements should be highlighted in an arrangement and how to make those moments really shine.

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

A: Some of my favorite mixes are on Wynton Marsalis' 'Black Codes (From the Underground)' (mixed by Tim Geelan), John Mayer's 'The Search For Everything' (Manny Marroquin), and Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' (Bruce Swedien). As an artist, my biggest inspirations are Esperanza Spalding, Becca Stevens and Joni Mitchell. I've found that the influence from their production and artistry can also find its way into my mixes if it's stylistically appropriate and suits the song I'm working on.