Mike Papagni on SoundBetter

Mike is a versatile session drummer with 25 years experience. He's played on countless recordings, has decades of performance experience and mixing/editing sessions.

Mike has a bachelors of music from Musicians Institute and has been a recording artist for 20+ years in many different styles ranging from rock to pop to jazz and latin jazz to funk. One of his current projects is "Baila Nova" with a huge following on youtube (234k+ subscribers, 100+ Million views). He's also played in countless bands that range in style and sound.
Mike records weekly for various artists in his studio. He plays a Tama Starclassic kit with bosphorus cymbals and has an extensive mic collection including Lauten Audio, Electrovoice, Lewitt, and Shure, leaving plenty of options to go as detailed or as minimal as you'd like when it comes to microphones on the kit. He can also provide raw or mixed files depending on your needs.

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

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Interview with Mike Papagni

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I started Baila Nova around 16 years ago with the singer and it's gone sooooo much further than I ever thought it would. We never expected this project to become what it is today and have the amount of fans that it does. Blows my mind.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I have a hip hop album in the works with a friend of mine, my own drums and synth album, another funk/jazz album with Ted Taforo and more stuff with Baila Nova.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Ted Taforo - Saxophone and woodwinds.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I wish I had the money to be more analogue, but maybe someday. I don't mind digital though. Lots of emulation out there, but analogue is definitely cooler (preamps wise).
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: You'll get a great take with some great drum sounds.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I get to play drums all the time!
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That a simple beat can be played by anyone.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: I like detailed descriptions of what they are looking for in a track. Leaving things open is cool too, but being picky with this method isn't productive.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Be cool and clear.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My kit, baby!
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: My whole life has been dedicated to music. I have my bachelor's of music and have 40+ students. I perform multiple times a month with various groups and I also have a youtube channel where I do some "Rational Funk" inspired drum lessons. I have been playing drums since 1998, so do that math on that...
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Versatile and consistent.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Adam Rogers because I absolutely love his sound and style.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I play a lot of funk/jazz, jazz swing, and rock styles.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I am a highly skilled drummer, so my playing is stylistically authentic no matter which style I play. I'm a passionate musician and have spent a lot of time working on my sound and recording abilities.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a lockout where I record. I have an extensive mic collection and 16 inputs, so I can get as detailed or as minimal as you'd like for drum recordings.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Nate Smith, Brian Mantia, Matt Cameron, Brian Blade, Jay Lane
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I record drums for various artists in various styles.

Live drum trackAverage price - $125 per song

I allow 1 revision, additional revisions will have fees due to set up time of all mics/session. I can have a track back within a day or 2 depending on the material.