Artist & Music Industry Experience

More Than 29 Years of Professional Music-Making


I have spent more than 29 years working professionally across performance, songwriting, recording, production, touring and music education. My career has included independent music, major-label recording, international touring, studio production, collaborative performance, interdisciplinary projects and artist development. I have worked both onstage and behind the console — as a vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer, mixer, music director and educator. That breadth of real-world experience has given me an unusually rare and complete perspective on how music moves from an idea to a finished recording, onto a stage and ultimately into the world.


VATTICA

Recording Artist, Founder, Vocalist, Songwriter & Producer

I founded and led VATTICA, serving as the project's lead vocalist, primary songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. The project became an internationally touring recording act and worked within the professional label ecosystem through Century Media, Another Century, RED and Sony Music. My responsibilities extended far beyond performance.


I participated directly in:

  • Songwriting
  • Composition
  • Arrangement
  • Pre-Production
  • Vocal Production
  • Recording
  • Engineering
  • Editing
  • Mixing
  • Mastering
  • Rehearsal
  • Live Performance
  • Touring
  • Creative Direction
  • Artist Branding
  • Release Strategy
  • Target Audience Development


I also collaborated with Grammy-winning producers and professional label teams.


International Touring & Live Performance

where are we and what time is soundcheck

Touring teaches things that simply cannot be replicated in a classroom or recording studio; consistency, adaptability, musicianship, stage awareness, communication and the ability to perform under constantly changing conditions. My professional performance experience has included international touring and a wide variety of live contexts. That experience continues to shape both my artistic practice and my teaching. When I coach musicians in performance, rehearsal or ensemble work, the advice comes from direct, real professional experience.


Songwriting

Building Music From the Inside Out

Songwriting has remained central to my professional life. My work crosses contemporary songwriting, alternative music, experimental practice and electronic music.


I approach songwriting through the interaction of:

  • Hooks
  • Melody
  • Harmony
  • Rhythm
  • Lyrics
  • Structure
  • Arrangement
  • Sound
  • Performance
  • Production


The strongest songs  emerge when these elements are applied to artistic ideas with surgical precision.


Recording & Studio Practice

that was perfect. now do it again.

I have extensive experience across the complete recording process chain, including:

  • Pre-Production
  • Tracking
  • Vocal Production
  • Instrument Recording
  • Engineering
  • Editing
  • Sound Design
  • Mixing
  • Mastering


My work has involved professional recording artists as well as independent, experimental, multimedia and interdisciplinary projects. The studio is not simply a place where performances are captured, it is a living, breathing artistic collaborator in its own right.


Artist Development

WHO are we?

Artists eventually encounter questions that have little to do with whether they can play the notes:

  • What makes this project memorable?
  • What should this song sound like?
  • What belongs in the arrangement?
  • What should happen onstage?
  • What distinguishes the artist from everyone else?
  • How should recordings, performance and visual identity correlate with each other?


Having led recording projects through songwriting, record-label relationships, production, touring, promotion and release cycles, I understand artist development as a complete system, and I bring that perspective into both professional collaborations and music education alike.


Music Direction

Good Trouble Makers

As Music Director for Good Trouble Makers, I  directed interdisciplinary performance work combining music with stage production, experimental media and emerging technologies.


My responsibilities  included:

  • Composition
  • Sound Design
  • Arrangement
  • Ensemble Direction
  • Rehearsal Leadership
  • Recording
  • Performance Preparation
  • Creative Collaboration


This work expanded my practice beyond conventional band performance and into interdisciplinary and experimental forms.


Independent Music & Production Work

grinding into the wee hours

Alongside band and faculty work, I have maintained an independent practice as a:

  • Composer
  • Producer
  • Audio Engineer
  • Mixer
  • Mastering Engineer
  • Multi-Instrumentalist
  • Songwriter


Projects have included professional recording artists, film, multimedia, stage work and experimental music.


Professional Practice in Music Education

CAN'T HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER

I fundamentally believe that professional, real-world experience and music education strengthen each other. My experience in recording studios, touring environments and professional creative teams gives anyone who works or collaborates with me access to knowledge that is impossible to learn from textbooks alone. At the same time, teaching requires me to continually re-examine how musical knowledge can be explained, demonstrated and transferred. The result is a practice in which music education and professional music-making remain inexorably intertwined.


Selected Professional Experience

I did some stuff

Recording Artist, Founder & Producer — VATTICA

Century Media | Another Century | RED | Sony Music

2012–2024

Music Director — Good Trouble Makers

2017–2026

Independent Composer & Audio Production Specialist

1996–Present

Faculty — Music & Production

The Los Angeles Film School

2020–2024

Music Educator

Various Institutions & Programs

1996–Present


Selected Recognition

aw shucks

California Arts Council Creative Corps Fellowship

Best New Artist — Alternative Rock, Indie Originals

The Artistic Impact Award — Invertigo Theatre

Artist in Residence — The City of Los Angeles

Artist in Residence — Pieter Performance Space


Professional Opportunities

help me help you

I am interested in opportunities involving:

  • Professional Music Education
  • Artist Development
  • Songwriting
  • Music Production
  • Recording
  • Audio Engineering
  • Mixing & Mastering
  • Band Coaching
  • Music Direction
  • Live Performance
  • Guest Lectures
  • Workshops & Masterclasses
  • Creative Direction
  • Interdisciplinary Music Projects


For professional inquiries: