Session Guitarist/Composer

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

A: zaccaria m. I've been working with him for a couple of years and he's a very good producer.

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

A: I recorded mandolin in Paris for a French movie, "Profession du père" directed by Jean-Pierre Améris. It was my first gig with a mandolin and I didn't think I would make it as I had never played mandolin before. But I pulled it off and it sounded beautiful. I found it especially terrifying because of how good and professional everybody else on the date was. I usually don't have a problem with that level of professionalism but I was out of my comfort zone because of the mandolin.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Arranging/producing an album with music for kids. It's a a big production and most of the production and arranging falls on me. I had to write string quartet parts, record the strings section, write and record mandoline parts, tres parts, additional lyrics, arrange percussion parts, coordinate with everyone, check out copyright issues and last but not least, record guitar parts too. Other than that I'm also rehearsing with a jazz trio to start playing and promoting my latest album "Soko" live. I'm also working with Jahlisa Jade and her produer Zaccaria M. on some cool pop tracks.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: My musical equipment is all analog because for most things guitar it just sounds better imo. For practical purposes however the recording process (capturing of the analog sound source) is done digital, making it all much easier to transport and edit.

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

A: That I'll add swing/life to their track

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Listening back to the final production and meeting new people.

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

A: Do you think a guitar would fit in this song? My answer is usually yes, a guitar can fit mostly anywhere. The trick is to find the appropriate type of guitar/sound for that particular track.

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

A: Maybe that I can't do/play pop because I do so much Jazz and Latin.

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

A: I grew up playing heavy metal in high School. During my electrical engineering studies started focussing and playing Jazz and Latin music. After finishing my engineering studies I went on to study music at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague where I graduated Cum Laude in 2003. I subsequently moved back to Curaçao and worked there with a variety of bands and projects, while traveling up and down and doing some playing in NYC heavy weights like Paquito d' Rivera and Wynton Marsalis. I Moved to Paris in 2011 and then to Amsterdam in 2012. My first jazz album as a leader was recorded in 2019 and I'm doing a myriad of other projects on the side, like the soundtrack for documentaries and creating tracks with pop artist Jahlisa Jade.

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

A: Coldplay, because everything they do sounds amazing.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: When searching for a beat, or a topline...listen to them, as in the drums/rhythm sec with the topline, and see how they fit or not. Also, when editting....use the slowdown feature in the DAW.

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

A: Nowadays in the studio it's a lot of Pop and Latin. Live I do mostly jazz

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Human feeling if it's an EDM track, groove if it's a Latin track and swing if it's Jazz.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Listen to the track that needs guitar many times.The I brainstorm/record some options. When done I let a day go by and then I'll pick the best option(s). If needed, I'll edit the chosen option(s) a little and then I'll send the files over.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have an Apollo Duet x interface, a matched pair of AKG C414's and a Neumann KM184. For amplification I have two of the best amps ever; an original Fender Twin reverb of 1975 that I got as a gift from the great British drummer Trevor Morais ( Björk, Tina Turner). My other amp is a Mesa/Boogie Lonestar Special. Another piece of equipment I have which I'm pretty proud of is a 100 year old Washburn Mandolin.

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

A: Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Sergio Mendez, Quincy Jones, Miles Davis and many more.

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

A: Guitar recording on pop tracks and latin fills/tres on Latin tracks.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Deadline for delivery, sound/style wishes and what the production is for.

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

A: Be clear and specific in what you're looking for.

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

A: A Spanish guitar, my Gibson jazz guitar with my Fender twin and an Acoustic piano

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Eclectic

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Arranging and composing, also on a guitar level. So finding the groove/pattern that fits a song