Producer/Arranger/Performer

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

A: I've alternated between lessons and self-instruction on guitar and piano since the age of nine. By the time I entered Berklee College of Music I'd already learned a lot about music theory, orchestration, and playing guitar. But just as I'd predicted, my sphere of influence opened up one hundred fold after meeting so many uniquely talented individuals. Through the film scoring and composition majors I learned a great deal about working in a DAW, getting the most out of recording sessions, score prep, and a lot of other must-have practical skills for any composer/producer. Around that time I was getting work arranging for orchestra, and I was scoring some short films. But towards the end of my time at Berklee I began to fall in love with the indie genre and the emotional catharsis it provided. So eventually I started to write my own songs and was using what I had learned to arrange the music and create a unique world for it. From there, artists in that genre began seeking me out regularly to produce them, record on their tracks, or play in their band for live performances. I love doing it, but I also never turned my back on my roots. I still do work in the indie film world and play instrumental/improvisational music. In my mind, all these different things are related in one way or another and every new project I work on expands my palette and makes me a better musician.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Dynamic expression can change everything in a track. When I'm recording a skilled vocalist, for example, I'll often encourage them to use their entire dynamic range to shape their phrases and to create contrast between sections in the track. Then when I play it back for them, they're often amazed at how much more alive and interesting they made the piece simply by opening up their expressive palette. Same goes for every other part of the production.

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

A: Indie folk/rock, film, or just about anything that features orchestral instruments.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Unique and sophisticated arranging that compliments the emotional concept of the track and aligns with the client's vision (and I tend to do a good bit of the instrumental performance as well if necessary.) A highly experienced ear that allows me to coach singers and instrumentalists alike to squeeze every last bit of emotional depth from their performance to help the track come to life organically. A bag of time-acquired production tricks using plugins and tracking techniques to enhance an arrangement beyond the written instrumental parts.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I'll often start the process by importing the demo track or whatever material the artist has given me into Logic Pro and spending some time just getting acquainted with it. I'll fool around with a few different rudimentary ideas for instrumentation and melodic ideas. Then, once I start to get some form and more solid feel for what I'd like to try with the project, I'll send over a rough sketch demo to the artist to see if we're on the same page about the ideas. Then I refine, refine, refine. Tweaking parts, getting feedback, communicating with the client, adding, subtracting, listening and being honest with myself about what's working and what's not. By the time I deliver the final, polished, work, it's been very well thought over.

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

A: I'm a huge fan of the experimental indie-folk/chamber pop genre including artists like Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, and Mid-Air Thief. Even though these guys tend to write in a style that's deeply introverted, personal, and vulnerable; some of their productions and concepts are absolutely massive and almost symphonic in scale. (See: "Bon Iver, Bon Iver"; "Illinois"; "Crumbling.") They explore so many different sonic textures but it's ultimately always in service to the composition. I also adore Ravel and the French impressionist composers of the early 20th century for their ability to perfectly capture an immersive "vibe" through their extremely sophisticated orchestrations (and they didn't have software to help them out!)

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

A: I am most often sought out for in the production process is my arranging skills, and by this I don't just mean choosing instruments for a track and writing parts for them. Often times an artist will come to me with a specific "vibe" or "world" they have in mind for a track, and I translate the words they've used into musical gestures that compliment the composition. Through subtle arranging, performance, and production tactics I help the artist to flesh out the best parts of the material they've written, rather than obstructing it or building it into a huge production that overshadows the original vision.