High quality compositions, arrangements, mixes, and finished products.
Mike Thompson (ASCAP) is an active composer, arranger, producer, engineer, and concert percussionist from Boston, MA. He has experience working with singer-songwriters in arranging, producing, and engineering., Originating from Mansfield, MA, Mike has gained invaluable performance experience from the world-renowned Mansfield High School Percussion Ensemble. Currently enrolled at Berklee College of Music studying Composition, he has access to some of the best facilities, faculty, and musicians in the world.
His goal is to always tell a story through music. Just like any other art form, music is about telling a story in the right way. Whether Arranging, Producing, writing for commercials, film, TV, or new media, he'll deliver the best product possible to tell the story in the vision of the concept creator.
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Credits
Interview with Mike Thompson Music
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I just finished a project, Black and Blue, songs written by and performed by Sam Nickson. He's a great friend, and writing charts for him was super fulfilling!
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I'm working on a Jazz Combo and Big Band Record, with original compositions and arrangements.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital. While I do like using analog outboard gear, I just don't have the space for it. I'd rather run as much in the box as I can.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: To provide the best product I can, and to augment your story.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love getting in the studio and seeing things come together. Especially if I didn't know what to expect.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Why do you do what you do? Because I couldn't live with doing anything else.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: An arranger writes music, they don't just move things around an ensemble. Most of arranging is composing.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What are you looking for in an arrangement? What's the story behind your song? What vibe do you envision?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Be open. Communicate, and if you don't like one of my ideas, don't be afraid to nix it!
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started my own business 3 years ago writing music!
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Laid back, creative, and innovative.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Don't overcrowd your tracks! Leave some space. Don't just compress the heck out of everything.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Jazz, Pop, Neo-Soul, Classical, and Fusion.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Communication!
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: An augmented version of your story.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I typically start with playing around on a piano, or conceptualizing harmonic ideas in my head, and then I move to Pro Tools. Sometimes, I will write directly into Sibelius. When time allows, this is how I prefer to work. If I wrote a project in Pro Tools or Logic, then I export the instruments to Sibelius and prep parts for players.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I run a Mac Setup with a Pro Tools Rig, Logic Rig, with Vienna Symphonic Libraries and Native Instruments Komplete. I have a variety of condenser and dynamic microphones as well.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I work a lot in the Pop music world, writing arrangements for Singer-Songwriters and Bands.
- String ArrangerAverage price - $200 per song
- Composer OrchestralContact for pricing
- Full instrumental productionContact for pricing
- Pop-Rock ArrangerAverage price - $200 per song
- EditingAverage price - $40 per track
- Mixing EngineerAverage price - $300 per song
- PercussionAverage price - $100 per song
