Music Producer

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

A: Well my Mac. An OP-1 as a failsafe. Some really nice monitors with a sub (gotta have bass, subs changed my life). Some sort of MIDI drum pad. And a guitar, just because you said 5 pieces.

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

A: I've been doing this 7 years officially. But really I've been doing this since I was a kid. I got a guitar when I was 8 and it was downhill from there. I was in my school's jazz band and gave guitar lessons to other kids. One day I for whatever reason started recording in Cubase LE because we had an old disk lying around. Eventually I forced my Mom to buy me an interface, and I was the type of kid that had to tinker with things so I wired it up so an old stereo we had lying around. Then I graduated high school and got a better computer and some real gear and started producing bands I was in. A buddy of mine asked me to make some beats for him as a joke, and people liked it. So down the rabbit hole I went.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Quirky, but also groovy.

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

A: Logic. He just seems like a rad person.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Reference, reference, reference. And then reference again. 350Hz is a real bummer and also if you hear it fix it. Sounds simple but seriously.

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

A: Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, and EDM. Also the occasional Indie band.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Probably coming up with melody and finding chords that work well with those melodies. Also I have a pretty good ear for tone if I do say so myself.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Originality. Most people say my style is groovy or smooth. Personally I just do whatever I hear in my head.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Depends on the project. I usually have an idea what I'm going for before I start. So if it's some chords or a drum beat I'll lay that down and just play around and build on it.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work in Logic Pro X with a fairly well rounded setup. JBL monitors, several MIDI controllers and my PreSonus FireStudio. Other than that just a lot of instruments lying around here. Like a lot.

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

A: I'm inspired by a lot of modern Hip-Hop like Logic and Kendrick Lamar. Also the classics like Dre. But really what got me into this genre was Jazz. Smooth Jazz to be specific.

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

A: I typically make beats for my clients, and usually they come back for mixing and mastering.