Multi-instrumentalist and an arranger, composer, vocalist, and music producer, in addition to being an author/journalist. Based in New York City, he has also done some acting. His newest projects include having re-done an album from the 1960s by The Shaggs, plus he also wrote and edited a chapter in a book that’s coming out soon about the music business. He’s also planning a book of his own. He was a guest on this show four years ago on Episode 72.
"The basis of production and arranging is to take that idea and make it good. You have a song, you get a good groove, you get a good bass line, you get a good vocal, you add harmonies, at the end of it you have a song. So, the ultimate test in a sense was to do an album that was essentially an entire mess and make it good."
"I found these little snippets of melodies and these crazy rhythms that may have been unintentional, and that kind of spurred the creative process for the whole thing. And it all came pretty quickly from that. It was a strange muse, a strange form of inspiration."
"60's pop music... I think in some ways is the ultimate form of getting the most tuneful expression in a short amount of time."
"I actually covered a song on my YouTube channel by Prince and I had Prince's people sue me."
"I'm an artist. I want my work to get out there. I would rather 2000 people hear it than 200 people buy it."
"Being able to record is much easier, which is good and bad because now... there's much more competition, it's harder to be heard because so many people can and will do it."
"We all need music. Music is just a part of our lives."
"One of the things that I'm kind of proud of is, I wrote the questions for the last interview that was given to Robin Gibb, from the Bee Gees."
"MTV... took music from being imagery in the mind to being something visual. And that completely changed the landscape of how we approach music."
"If you're doing a show and you hand somebody a CD, they have something in their hand. They can look at the liner notes. They can look at the album cover. You hand somebody a download card, it's just not the same vibe. It's very impersonal and it doesn't seem to mean anything."
"People have to be true to themselves. They have to make the music that they want to make."
"The only thing that's going to sound organic and sound inspired is if you have something to say. That's what it comes down to."
"I don't think acting really requires a great skill."
"What Should I Do"
"My Pal"
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