violin, viola, cello, vocals

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

A: The albums I've written and recorded with my partner, Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Frechette, are among my proudest achievements. They showcase the broadest range of genres and skills I've ever put into a project, and we've been honored to tour them all over North America and Europe.

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

A: I'm happy when my client is happy.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Creating and capturing magic. Interpreting and performing parts already created, like we would in Classical or fiddle music, is rewarding too, but creating something from scratch, that never existed before fills me with awe and grace.

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

A: If you already have ideas about what you'd like, maybe even examples you've found in another song, please share them! Many clients want to see what a musician will come up with on their own, which is absolutely fine, but if you already have a strong vision, let's save time and focus on making that a reality.

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

A: Violin, Viola, Cello, a viola bow (because, though far from ideal, I can get by playing all three instruments with that), and of course some rosin!

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

A: My career as a musician began at 14 when I started teaching private students and playing for weddings around the California Central Coast. Now over 25 years later, and I still have never had a "real job." I've never had a fallback plan and I've never looked back.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Emotive, dynamic, stylistically flexible.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: For strings, we of course want to sound like we're in a beautiful hall or cathedral, but reverb can have the effect of making an instrument seem further away. It can make a player's articulation and vibrato sound washed out, and previously dynamic and convincing lines seem weak. I've gotten around this by either recording with two mics - one that I won't add reverb to in the mix, one that I will, or doubling the violin track in the mix - one with reverb, one without. The result either way is a string sound that still has articulation and subtlety, but also warmth and dimension, and depending on which is emphasized, the violin can sound far away, or right up close.

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

A: Americana, Pop, Folk, Rock, World music flavors.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Besides my patience, I'd say my intuitive ear. I listen carefully to the mood, the lyrics, the other instruments that have come before me, and parts just come.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Professionalism, dedication, and string and vocal parts that a client can use with minimal mixing. I play and sing well in tune, have a strong sensitivity to phrasing, dynamics, style, and tone, so mixing my parts is usually just a matter of figuring out the right overall volume and adding a bit of reverb to match the rest of the track.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Sometimes I listen to a song and instantly hear string parts or harmony vocals. Other times I might need to digest it a bit more, so I find it helpful to take the track on a drive and vocalize ideas. I figure, if it's singable, it will be memorable. Once I'm in the studio I usually start by recording myself playing/singing along with the whole track. I listen back, and I might repeat this a number of times, discovering what each moment of a song really needs. Sometimes it's a single drawn out note. Other times it's something more complicated - a solo, or a fill that plays off vocals or other instruments. After a few takes I'll start to create a compilation of lines that I love (and hopefully my clients will love too!) in my multi-track software. Depending on the quality of those performances (sometimes a first take can be the keeper!), at that point I might be ready to share my progress with my clients, or I might need to record the new compilation arrangement. In contrast to my Classical music background, my arranging process tends to be very "off the page" and ear focused, and quite intuitive, but if a client wants layered string parts, that's when I'll grab paper and pencil, a chord chart, and write out actual sheet music.

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

A: Those who take the time to listen and reflect. What does a song need? I appreciate musicians, engineers, and producers who serve the music and don't let pre-conceived ideas or egos get in the way of creating memorable songs and performances.

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

A: Most of my studio work involves recording violin, fiddle, or viola parts for singer-songwriters, ensembles, or bands. On occasion I'm approached to flesh out an entire string section, in which case I might also create and record cello parts. Increasingly, I'm being invited to record harmony vocals, as clients find that my voice blends easily with a wide variety of both female and male leads. In a recent recording situation, my voice somehow acted as the "glue" to blend a chorus of disparate voices together. I simply follow my ear and do what feels right.