Singer-Songwriter/Producer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I work on making beats and demos every day!

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

A: Yes! Marcello is one of the best vocalists and topliners I've ever heard and I would recommend him to any producer.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital! Admittedly I haven't had the opportunity to work extensively with analog, but according to all the research I've done, digital can do all the things analog can do but more affordably and completely portably as long as you have storage on your laptop.

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

A: That I will put forth the best of my abilities to get them a beautiful finished product.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The process of creating music never gets old to me. It's something that I just need, like healthcare, so it doesn't feel like work.

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

A: I get asked

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

A: That the drive to do it comes from ego. The drive ultimately is raising other people's frequencies as well as my own. It isn't devoid of ego, but for me it is not driven by vanity or coolness in the way that I sometimes hear people suggest.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is the scene comes to mind when you imagine this song? What is the setting? Who is there? What colors and textures do you see? How does your body want to move when you picture it?

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

A: Be discerning, but ultimately go with your gut!

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

A: My microphone, my laptop, my midi keyboard, my interface, and my monitors. It's everything I need to write and produce!

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

A: I have been singing professionally for the last 15 years (basically half my life) and have been producing music for the last 4 years.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: It varies and encompasses a lot, but a running theme, like Haute and Freddy, is one foot in the past and one foot in the present. Like them I pull a lot from the 80s. I also have a singer-songwriter, narrative-driven element that is reminiscent of the 1970s. I like to use chords and voicings from neo-soul and jazz, lyrical styles and melodies from 70s Laurel Canyon, and harmonies from 2000s pop. The result is often described as a cross between r&b and indie rock.

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

A: I really love the music of Haute and Freddy and would love to work with them. They are the perfect example of an artist who has studied the music of the past (in this case, the 80s) and have used it to forge a new sound altogether that feels very modern, but still honors the discoveries that past artists have made.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: To avoid stagnant and muddy mixes, focus on putting the spotlight on one element at a time. Good mixes have elements that take turns in the spotlight. This gives the listener new things to pay attention to and keeps their ear engaged and interested. In the most concise terms, the most prominent part of the mix should rotate throughout the song.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Singing! I have an exceptionally agile voice with total blend between my registers and a 3.5 octave range.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a sense of emotionality, vibe, and the skills and sensibility of a technically trained singer, writer, and producer. I am conscious of letting the song "breathe" so as to not steer it super hard in a direction it does not naturally want to go (unless the client asks for that).

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: If I'm starting from scratch, I start out by designing a beat, then write a bass part, then chords, one other element that could be atmospheric or some sort of ornamental instrument, and then vocals. Once I record the vocal, the song starts to really take form and then I go back as necessary to edit the past instruments to better fit the vocal.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a Neumann TLM 102 Microphone, a Kayotica Eyeball, Logic Pro 11, Beyerdynamic open back headphones, and JBL Monitors, Arturia 88-key full weighted midi keyboard

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

A: I'm inspired by my collaborators Emilia Ali and Arlo.

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

A: My most common type of work is vocals and toplining. I can create lush harmony stacks or just a single melody line and mix it professionally for my clients.