Music is the language of my Soul. It’s hard for me to describe it any better!

Directly below is my story of how I began songwriting and how I’ve grown in Music Production through the years. You’re also welcome to skip further down the page to see my list of credits. Thanks for reading and learning more about my life of music!

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My Creative Journey…

From the earliest age I can remember, I felt a deep and powerful connection to music. It became especially real when I got my first keyboard at the age of 3 (a Yamaha PortaSound PSS-150) that I still have to this day. I cherish that childhood keyboard and love that I literally followed the joy for jamming that I fostered on the instrument through the rest of my life. I had no idea I would go on to get a degree in Jazz Piano from Cornish College of the Arts, let alone earn a GRAMMY-Nomination from my work with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. It all started with that simple connection that is still at the core of everything I do today.

I’m very lucky and fortunate for all the experiences I’ve had through the years of my professional career - especially the opportunities to work on GRAMMY and Multi-Platinum selling records. At the foundation though, I love to jam and play music in the moment…being inspired directly by the Muse and the vibe of the people I work with. For me, there’s no award or accolade that compares to that joy of authentic creation. And, of course, it all starts there anyway!

History of Songwriting and Music Production…

I basically started writing music the moment I started playing piano. In Middle-School there was some music notation software called Cakewalk that I enjoyed penning out some of my Easy-listening / Pop inspired songs. I would sing and play on tape recorders for my own enjoyment and practice during those years. By the way - I hated the way my higher singing voice sounded when I was in middle school! It’s probably why I still play a lot of instrumental music.

In High-School the Internet was getting faster and faster and there were all kinds of new music programs emerging. I worked with early music editing programs such as Cool Edit Pro (Now Adobe Audition) on PC. Soon after that I got into Sonic Foundry’s software: Acid Loops, Sound Forge, and other DAW’s of that era. I started making my own productions that were somewhat a cross between EDM and Acid Jazz - just what I was listening to a lot of at that point in my life. I was experimenting a lot on the computer and also writing original Rock/Pop songs on guitar and drums as well. These formative years in Music Production helped bridge my way into recording in actual professional studios shortly after High School and pursuing an undergraduate degree in music.

After about 3-4 years of actively focusing on the craft of live performing and climbing the ladder as a local working musician, I started slowly coming back to Music Production. In college between 2001-2005 I learned how to use Finale notation software which enabled me to write a lot of sheet music for the songs I was composing at the time…also a program I still use for writing and scoring sheet music today. I also learned how to use Digital Performer by MOTU as a more modern DAW that was popular then. I also made the BIG switch to using Apple computer’s in college which meant that I started using GarageBand and later Logic Pro.

Fast forward to 2010 when Ableton started becoming very popular. I was starting to become much more interested in Music Production, beat making and being able to record my own music again after years and years of playing live. I felt drawn to Ableton over ProTools and Logic because I remember seeing some live musician friends use the program in a live performance that felt very flexible and exciting. It took several more years of until working with producer Ryan Lewis that I really took to using Ableton and dabbling in ProTools as well.

Currently I do all my music production, composition and recording using Ableton Live as my main DAW of choice. I’m really happy with the work-flow that Ableton provides for my creative process and the fact that I can achieve really solid sounding demos and mixes of my ideas and songs. I’ve developed an addiction for Plugin’s and Sample Libraries now, but have honed in on a lot of great analog gear, microphones, keyboards, and the choice Plugin’s I use regularly in my creative work.

I’m still working and recording with producer Ryan Lewis, Macklemore and several others. I’m essentially a “gun-for-hire” studio musician / co-writer / co-producer. I’m happy with the work that keeps trickling in and being able to maintain relationships with many of the folks I now consider close friends.

In 2020 I co-wrote and released music with Angela Angel’s & Jessie Sawyers for the first time. It was my first time putting on the Producer hat and seeing the entire process from beginning to end. When it comes to Production today, I either work on small projects for clients, friends or I mainly produce my own music. I’m enjoying the balance of performing live again and being called to write and record as projects arise.

If you’ve made it this far. Thank you truly for reading. I would absolutely love to hear what music project you’re working on next and have you consider me to help record or write with you. It’s such a gift to be creative…especially when it’s all your soul really yearns to do!

Paz y Amor!
- Josh