Mix, Produce, Compose, Record

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Hybrid. Both mediums have their advantages.

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

A: I started playing guitar and writing songs at 13. Throughout high school I sat in my basement recording records on a 4 track. I then attended college for studio composition and production. After college I started the band Kiss Kiss. We were signed in 2004 to Eyeball/Warner ADA and toured relentlessly for 7 years. In 2010 I began to build a recording studio and now score music for film, tv and video games. I also mix for other artists.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Performance and composition are key. Without that foundation production can only do so much.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Composing and arranging. Finding unique sounds and ways to approach film score or song.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a strong sense of creativity. I like to think outside the box in accessible ways. I am also a trained composer and have had 20+ years of studio experience from the other side of the desk as an artist, so I can relate to how it feels to give your creative baby to someone else. As an arranger I can help add depth and intensity, or help declutter.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For film scoring I start by composing at the piano. Once I have a seed of an idea I will move to Sibelius and begin to score to picture. I usually will not start tracking until the score I have is arranged well and I know what needs to be tracked and how. I will communicate with the filmmaker prior to composing and spot the film to get a good sense of the filmmakers goals and aesthetic needs. From there I will submit early mockups and make revisions should they be required. For mixing I will again communicate with the artist and try to understand their goals and aesthetic needs. From there I will create a static mix and begin to shape the audio landscape. I am very open to artist suggestions and revisions within reason. At the end of the day when mixing I am here to serve the artists desires, not my own.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I currently run Pro Tools HD native with an Avid 16 i/o interface. I use API 312 microphone pre amps and Barefoot mm27 monitors summed through a Dangerous Dbox. I have an assortment of analog goodies like an original Arp Odyssey, Moog Liberation, Moog Rogue, Korg Delta, Optigan, and many many more. I have a solid microphone assortment from a Soyuz 023 Bomblet to vintage Beyer ribbons. Plugin wise I have many options from Sonnox to Soundtoys and many more. I also have a small group of vintage tube amps and guitars. As well as numerous misc. gadgets and noise makers.

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

A: Compositionally I really admire 20th century composers like Gyorgy Ligeti, Samuel Barber, and Eric Satie. Film composers I admire include Bernard Herrmann, Johnny Greenwood, Bruno Coulais, and Danny Elfman. Production wise I enjoy Nigel Godrich, Sylvia Massey, and Tony Visconti.

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

A: For the last 10 years I have been composing, performing, and recording film, television, and video games scores. Over the last few years I have open up my studio to remote mixing, producing, and arranging for other artists.