Drum Tracks and Programming

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: First, I listen to the song! Then, I typically start with playing a full kit, to dive right into getting a full sound, then ornament with loops and percussion. Sometime's that's not the move though. Sometimes I might program a loop to play along to, for added inspiration, or start with some simple percussion to get the vibe going. I always start with listening, then I let inspiration take it from there.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My mic/drum setup varies from song to song, but a typical mic/input list would look like this 1. Kick In - Beta 52 2. Kick Out- Subkick 3. Snare Top- SM57 4. Snare Bottom- SM57 5. Hi Hat- Shure KM81 6. Tom 1- Sennheiser 421 7. Tom 2- 421 8. Tom 3- 421 9-10. Stereo OH- KSM 137 11-12. Stereo Room- Cascade Fathead I have an array of Pearl, Ludwig, and Barton drums, a near endless stack of Zildjian cymbals, and no shortage of shakers, tambourines, hand drums, toys that make interesting sounds, whatever I need to make cool sounds.

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

A: I like drummers and producers who play without ego. It's not about having the coolest drum part (though it's always fun when you get one!), it's about drawing focus to the lyric and emotion behind the song. Aaron Sterling is one of my biggest influences in the drum world because of this approach

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

A: In short, I play drums on records. This can mean anything from programming pop and hip-hop style loops, laying down big huge drums on a rock song, playing that one brush part that makes your Americana song pop, or doing it all at once on the same song! Whatever the song needs, I've got the gear and the experience to make it happen.