Topliner, Musician,Producer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: At the moment, I’m working on a video-game backing track (arrangement), a rap-hip-hop/rnb backing track (recording) and a reggae arrangement to get it ready for recording.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: I know Kris Bradley and would totally recommend Boom Fox Productions! I’m taking her programs and have learned so much from her!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog and digital. Analog because it’s hands on to work with, but digital because of it’s ease of use and efficiency.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: My promise to my clients is that I will give it all that I’ve been given on any project I get to do for them because every job is a gift from above.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: What I like most about my job is that I get to do what I love and trade my expertise to those who value it; that it is a service to them.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: I’m not sure what the most common question a customer asks me would be. Sorry!

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: I’m not sure what the biggest misconception is about what I do, but I can say, one of the biggest misconceptions about production I’ve understood is “ being the visionary and aiding to make that vision happen”.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask perspective clients (depending on the job for reference tracks, tracks, lyrics and when they need the job done.

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

A: The advice I would give to any customer looking to hire me is that I aim to give 100% of myself in every project so prepare to be taken care of because your work matters and I only want to help it be even better than it already is.

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: A project I am especially proud of was one where a producer friend of mine asked if I would sing on his track. He sent me the lyrics and song to learn. I came up with an approach to sing the lead as well as harmonies and ad lib parts and enjoyed doing it so much! Besides my own projects, I believe this is the first time I’d ever done this kind of work on (even co-producing it) and it was alotta fun!

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

A: If I were stranded on a desert and could only take 5 pieces of gear, I’d have to take my Gretsch Honey Dipper (Resonator Guitar), Gretsch Boxcar (Resonator for Bottleneck Slide-including my bottleneck slide of course-I hope that’s not cheating), my Seydel Lightning Harmonica (Key of C), Low tuned Suzuki Manji (Key of Eb) and my Shure 55SH (with stand) to pretend I was singing through when I wanted to have fun!

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

A: My career path has always been music (when I had actually decided on one). I’ve been singing, writing songs, playing guitar, harmonica and a myriad of other instruments since I was a teenager. I’ve been a player in bands, fronted my own band, recorded multiple albums for myself and played, sang and produced on other peoples tracks. It was about 10 or more years ago I became a recording artist, did session work, toplined, learn to produce and recently have become an audio engineer as well.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I’d describe my style as being rooted in black-church-gospel-gospel music (blues, jazz, rock-n-roll, soul, r&b) as well as bluegrass & folk traditions meeting the intersection of pop punk (such as Panic! at The Disco) and singer-songwriters like Jeff Buckley

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

A: The artist is like to work with is Brendan Urie. First of all, he’s alive (most of my influences have passed away) and like I’ve said before, I’ve learned so much from him (singing, performing, producing, writing, attitude). I could only imagine how much fun it could be (to simply hang even) to work with and learn from him because it is my belief (especially for my kind of voice) he is one of the best singers & performers of our time not to mention recording artists. To work with him would be a mind blowing experience I’m sure and I’d thank God for it!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I know it sounds cliche, but the best production tip I have learned and therefor can give is “that when it comes to production the only rule is, does it sound good?” If it does, then it’s the right move to make in a production session.

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

A: It’s hard to pin down what music I usually work on because at the moment I’m working on a reggae/rocksteady project a video game sound design project and a hip-hop/r&b project so I guess it would be safe to say that whatever project presents itself to me, you will probably find me working on it-no matter the genre.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I’d have to say that my strongest skill is singing. I started singing in church as early as I can remember and have been singing since. I can sing leads very well; softly, loudly, with distortion, mid notes, high notes, low notes. I can do riffs, runs and enjoy singing and making harmony as well, but most of all, I love communicating the emotion of a song like a story teller would.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I’d like to think that what I bring to a song is getting out of the way of it-the performance, the lyrics, the music, the song are what need to be communicated; I’m simply a conduit of whatever needs to be sung. I find that I bring the most to a song when I get out of the way of it and I find when I do that, that I’m really there offering something worth listening to

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Depending on the job, my process is different. If I’m toplining, I make sure I create my lyrics and that I am rooted to the meaning of the words before I sing them so my performance communicates the emotions represented within them honestly and transparently. Once lyrics are done (if music is provided) I listen to the track and sing what comes to mind given the song key and what fits with what is being communicated through the lyrics . Once I’ve got a hang of my parts, then I throw down the main melody. After the main melody has been established (and depending on wether the song is major, minor or a free tonality) I start to sing harmonies to the lead line (starting with low harmonies of higher parts and seeing where to place them). When I’ve gotten all my harmonies done and figured out where to place them in my voice and in the song then I add any additional parts. After recording I do a quick edit, cleaning up the tracks, eq’ing, compressing, and adding effects if they are needed (such as reverb and delay (unless told otherwise).

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: For my audio set-up, I’m using a Windows Surface 7 running Ableton Live 12.1 (new update recently). For an interface I’m using a Zoom H6 with 4 channels and stereo condenser microphones (it has a dual use as a field recorder). For microphones I mainly use a Golden Age Project R1 MKIII Active Ribbon microphone, a Shure 55SM Dynamic microphone (both for singing) and for harmonica and effects I use a Bulletini harmonica microphone. I have a desk stand (with pop filter) for my microphones as well as regular floor stands as well.

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

A: Musicians, music production professionals that inspire me (one that’s alive), has to be Brendan Urie of Panic! at The Disco. As a vocalist, he has exceedingly been a blessing in teaching me how to do my craft better everyday and in the area of production, the fact that he was given the grace to make a #1 hit record on his own has truly been inspiration to me. In regard to those that have passed on, I’d say Jackie Wilson (for his emasculate singing, showmanship and sheer joy that comes through clearly in his performances) and Jeff Buckley for his freedom, purity and dynamic vocal expression.

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

A: The most common work I do for my clients is toplining (writing lyrics, melody, singing leads, harmony & coming up with parts) and instrumentalist work (guitar & harmonica mostly). I am a producer as well, being that I help direct a vision to its intended manifestation.