1. Artistic Statement
My intention as a music producer is to be the conduit by which artistic creations are
delivered. Just as conduits facilitate efficiencies for water to flow, electricity to energize,
and air to breathe, I am the conduit for creation to realization. Presented with a diverse
and dynamic collection of creative material to choose from, my work is always exciting
and challenging. To me, there is no greater sense of accomplishment than being the
means by which artistic dreams and creative endeavors are realized.
First and foremost, my approach to every project begins with you, the artist.
Understanding the connections, inspirations, and reasons behind your work is critical to
preserving, clarifying, and presenting your truth, your reality to the world. Using the
conduit as example, imagine trust and confidence forming a firm, yet flexible exterior
and sincerity and safety providing a smooth interior lining. The image I want you to see
as a producer is of a friction-free, creativity pipeline; available in many shapes, many
lengths, and not always in a straight line. Our journey of creation to realization can have
many turns, but arriving at the destination together is always my goal.
My years of experience as an entertainer, musician, songwriter, and recording engineer
provided the technical knowledge, provenance, and confidence to do what I do now with
ease. And while music production can be learned, the mere possession of technical skill
does not guarantee success; to that degree I believe some things are inherent.
One of my most treasured family mementos is a recording my grandfather made of me
singing the Alphabet Song when I was 4 years old. As a 4 year old boy my grandfather
had placed the first stone, intentional or not, on what would become my path to becoming
a record producer; and if I was ever uncertain, for my birthday, a Sears Roebuck & Co.
portable tape recorder. When he died, very suddenly and young, I inherited his Concord
4444 tape recorder, and his library of recorded music. Listening to those recordings
revealed to me a previously unknown musical lineage and confirmed a birthright I could
never explain; talent. Its no surprise that most artists I meet tell me that music, or
whatever their creative medium may be, has always been an integral part of who they are,
and when pressed, equally as unlikely able to tell with specificity why. It’s that
unexplained, inherent, creative embodiment that all artists seek to tap into and what truly
separates the learned from the natural. Music production is as much an inherent talent as
it is a technical skill, if not more so. As a Producer, I carry a natural love of music into
every recording project and continue to be inspired and respectful of the memory of my
grandfather, the awe of a 4 year old boy, and the power of a tape recorder.