John The Dropout on SoundBetter

What's up! I'm a music producer, songwriter, and mixing engineer based in Nashville, TN. I've been working in music since 2013 and have been playing/writing all my life. I love helping songwriters and artists take the music in their head and bring it into the real world.

Whether you need a hip hop beat, a fully written/produced pop tune, or just some help mixing your record, I'd love to work together to take your music over the finish line. If we're starting with a bare bones idea, I work with some of Nashville's finest songwriters and topliners to craft the song you want. Vocal tuning, timing, processing, track work, beat making, mixing, etc. Whatever it takes to get your music the way you know it should!

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

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Interview with John The Dropout

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I've been really fortunate to work with three incredible debuting artists on their first single that are coming out in the next few months! They sound amazing and being able to be there at the start of someone's career when you know they have a huge future ahead of them is awesome.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: A couple pop tunes and some darker kinda trap inspired pop.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both. I hate this argument. They both sound different and they should both be used at different times. Context is key!
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: This is your art and I promise to respect that to the utmost degree
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: There is literally nothing better than working on music. Especially when my dog is kicking it with me in the studio.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Questions vary but most of the time it's making sure I have the same vision for their art that they do.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: I have no idea
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What's the direction for the project, what do they need from me, how are they doing, budget, time line, and whatever else I need to ask to make sure we are working together to get them the best product possible!
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Get to know the provider. It's not just about whether the person makes good music -- a lot of people can make good music. But do they have the same vision for your project that you do. That is super super important in my book.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Machete, Harmonica, Fishing rod, Paracord, Margarita machine
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been writing music since I was a kid (thankfully i've gotten better since then) and I've been producing professionally since 2015.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Danceable and catchy
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Mac Miller but he's dead ssoooooooooooooooooooooooo
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Less is more.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: R&B & Hip Hop inspired indie-pop. But tbh it's all over the place.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Vocal production is something I take a lot of pride in. Drums that groove and catchy melodies are also on the list.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Critical ears and an over-caffeinated creative mind.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Definitely depends on the project and what's needed but typically I'm working with songwriters and artists building their vision from the ground up.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Currently working out of my home studio in Nashville, TN. We have a bunch of fun toys in the space: Piano, vintage Fender Rhodes, guitars galore, fender P-bass. Running everything into Ableton Live 9 via an Apollo Twin Quad.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Huge fan of Mac Miller. Dua Lipa is doing some really cool stuff right now. The indie-pop scene is really interesting as well. Oh and everything Ian Kirkpatrick touches is fire.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Most often I'm either doing production jobs or mixing jobs. But that often includes writing/recording, vocal production, and a whole assortment of other stuff.