Professional Mix Engineer

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

A: Gloria and Emilio Estefan produced a stellar Musical that opened on Broadway called On Your Feet. On Your Feet has since left Broadway and is opening up for regional performances. The Estefan's insisted that the accompaniment tracks for the musical be recorded with their band which included members from both The Miami Sound Machine and the band that played the show on Broadway. I have recorded and mixed many accompaniment tracks for Broadway Shows, but this was by far the coolest. The tracks were incredible to work with and mix. For that project I was the Editor/Comping Engineer, and the Mix and Mastering Engineer.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm currently doing a 5.1 Surround Sound Mix for an Independent Film being picked up for Distribution. I'm prepping sessions for some international recordings. And I'm sound designing stage production effects for Spamalot.

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

A: "Anyone can do that." I hear that a lot about mixing in general. And it's true to a degree. Knowing how an eq or compressor works can easily be learned in a 10 minute youtube video. But by hiring me, or really any other competent professional you are paying for SO much more than just the technical knowledge of how stuff works. Feel, Vibe, texture, tone, taste. Those are the things that make music stand out.

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

A: Don't hesitate or feel shy about making requests, asking questions, and being insistent. It's your art.

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

A: I was a musician for the longest time. Since elementary school. I played Clarinet, then Alto Saxophone, then Bari Sax. Once I discovered Bari Sax and Tower of Power I knew that music was the way. I loved and adored playing, but it felt like something was missing. I was in college on scholarship as a Jazz Performance Major and decided to take a Music Production Class and from that first class on I became obsessed with producing and engineering.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: In service of the music.

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

A: I would absolutely love to work with Snarky Puppy. Large format, live recording, improvisatory contemporary music that fuses jazz, soul, rock, pop... That's a dream come true. The challenge of prepping, recording, and mixing something like that is something I'm absolutely floored by.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: The single biggest thing that can be done to make a track great is to get it right in the songwriting and arrangement. A well written song with a clear vision and intent is the most important element. The foundation that you build all other elements of production on.

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

A: In terms of volume it's Broadway Musicals. But that includes so many diverse genres. Pop, Orchestral, Folk, Rock, R&B, Blues. I love and enjoy the challenge of being a genre chameleon.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Objectivity. I'm a trained musician who struggled to feel like performing was really going to check all the boxes for me. When I started taking production classes in College I was immediately hooked. Being a musician first means that I have a connection to the process of playing or performing the music, and in mixing try to preserve as much of that as possible. This helps me be objective about what the song needs or doesn't need in the mix to succeed.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: In my own personal music consumption I get obsessed with something and get lost in a deep dive. So there have been large spurts of motown music, Funk, Soul, 80's hip hop, the Jazz Greats, Classical music, Film Score music, and much more. This concept finds itself into how I work as well. That deep dive isn't just about artists and music, it's about production techniques, gear limitations, delivery mediums. So my typical process heavily relies on understanding the vibe and intent the artist is trying to achieve. I want to be able to quickly connect to how the artist wants their music to feel, and then I cater my production process to facilitate.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work in Pro Tools with an Antelope Audio Zen Studio + Professional Interface. Dynaudio LYD 48 Monitors. A big pile of plugins from Waves, Slate Digital, Fabfilter, Plugin Alliance. A smelly candle and a rock salt lamp. Comfortable and functional.

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

A: Al Schmidt is at the top of the list. I have been trying to listen to his entire discography which is absolutely massive. To me, he is the pinnacle of producing incredible sounding music. I look to artists like Snarky Puppy, Corey Henry, Tower of Power, James Brown, Jungle, Big Daddy Kane, Whitney Houston, Queen, Devin Townsend, Vulpeck, Toto, Steely Dan, Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder and many others for inspiration.

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

A: I'd say most commonly I'm comping, editing, and mixing for my clients. It's all over the place, and that's exciting. I just mixed the multi track recording of a Jazz Quintet's Live Stream Concert, while also working on a 5.1 Surround mix for a dramatic independent film, while editing and comping an Orchestral recording for a Broadway Musical.