Congratulations on your Grammy nomination for “The Answers Always Love”! What was it like working on an album for Diana Ross?
Fantastic! This was a song I co-wrote with the incredible Siedah Garrett, who wrote a few hit songs, including “Man in the Mirror,” for Michael Jackson. We were introduced by Quincy Jones, who thought we would make a great writing team. We wrote this song five or six years ago. Originally, it was going to be on Siedah’s solo album.
We truly believed in this song. Our respective publishing companies went into full gear and started pitching it. The next thing we knew, Diana Ross heard it and absolutely loved it. She said she wanted to record it right away. Since it was in the middle of Covid, we couldn't get together with Diana, so she worked with Troy Miller, the producer who did the bulk of the album. We were able to hear the rough mix when he finished the vocals. I was absolutely floored; Diana sounded so good.
It was so exciting to hear Diana sing it because I've been a fan of hers since I was a kid. I loved The Supremes and enjoyed watching them on The Ed Sullivan Show. As a songwriter, this was a dream come true. Having one of your idols record one of your songs, and do a great job with it, was fantastic. To receive a Grammy nod is the icing on the cake.
What do you teach at NYU?
I teach in the Songwriting Program, both masters and undergrad students. My Songwriting classes encompass songwriting and theory because I have a background in composition and arranging. I’m a piano player as well so am able to give my students suggestions for different chord progressions and go through everything from Jazz, to R&B, to pop, and electronica.
It's a lot of fun teaching. It's not just writing a song, but how to take it to the next level. Should it be recorded with live drums? A drum machine? Is it all live musicians? We talk about things like the arrangement of a song, tempo, and the best key for the singer. These are things I've been working on all my life.
What brought you to the Songwriting Program?
It started with Phil Galdston inviting me to be a part of the first NYU Summer Songwriters Workshop. There were 24 students the first year, and we spent two weeks with them talking about songwriting, guiding them through assigned collaborations, and giving them prompts to write to. We taught them the steps we go through as songwriters, and taught about how we write and rewrite a song until we get it to the point where it's just perfect.
After two weeks, I realized that I very much enjoyed teaching. It was so nice to share some of my knowledge, but to hear what these students were coming up with was fascinating! They were writing some great, great songs and they would share ideas I hadn’t thought of. Phil approached me the following year about teaching full time. I've been doing the Songwriting Workshop for 11 years and teaching for ten. It's a great program and Phil leads an amazing staff.
Can you share a brief overview of what your career has been like?
I'm always writing and producing with new people. I'm working on a Brazilian record right now, which is fascinating. I’m also writing for a new pop artist as well as an older artist Freddie Jackson, who I started my career with.
I did my first big hit record with Freddie, You Are My Lady. We've gotten together again, years later, and we’re working on a new album, which is turning out great. I think it's going to be phenomenal.
I never like to do the same type of project twice; I’m always changing direction. I’ve played in all kinds of ensembles as a young pianist coming up in the business. Because of this, I feel comfortable working in many different genres.
Can you talk about the contributions you’ve made to the Songwriting Program that you are most proud of?
Coming up with new ideas about how to teach students in different ways. It's amazing to see how much the Songwriting Program has grown. There is such a large demand that we have to turn students away unfortunately.
It’s the same with the Summer Songwriter’s Workshop. It's grown so much from when we first started. What I love most is that the students attending are often younger than our NYU students and they have a real passion for music and songwriting, which is so exciting to see.
What made you choose songwriting as a course of study?
I started in the business at a young age. I studied classical music. I was in the Julliard Prep division when I was seven years old. I studied classical arranging, composition, and all kinds of other things. I never thought I could make a living as a songwriter, I always thought I'd go on the road with an artist and be a musical director.
At one point I did go on the road and when we returned, the artist asked me if I had any songs because they were getting ready to record an album. I told him to give me a day. I went home that night and came back with a track. It became my first cover.
How did you end up at Julliard Prep at the age of seven?
My mom was a pianist. She had a rule in our home: when my brothers and I reached the age of seven, she would start teaching us. One day she heard one of the pieces she had taught us being played and assumed it was my older brother. She was shocked that it was me, since I was only four. I figured out the melody by ear. She immediately started teaching me more seriously, and I was a sponge.
After two years, she said she had taught me everything she could. At age six, she found a great teacher from our Brooklyn neighborhood, and I studied with her for a year. She was the one who suggested the Juilliard Prep Division. I auditioned at age seven and got in and that was my schooling for the next six years. I later studied at the Manhattan School of Music.
What inspires you now?
My family inspires me. My wife inspired my first big hit record, it was a tribute to her called “You Are My Lady,” by Freddie Jackson. I'm inspired all the time. I am so thankful to be able to do what I love for a living, and that's one of the reasons I'm at NYU. I feel like I have knowledge to share. I do it in a way that I think students enjoy because I make it fun. At the same time, I let them know what the real world is like.
It can be very tough, but knowing the way the industry works is important. Rewriting is the most important part. Going back into the song and dissecting it to make it stronger is the basis of what we do, and I enjoy that so much. Phil and I have worked on some big songs together, as well, and it was such a great experience writing with him.
Favorite parts of working in the Songwriting Program?
I like the fact that we're constantly changing, evolving, and making the program better to give students more of an experience. Phil and his team make it a point that when you leave this program, you are ready to enter the real world and start songwriting as a living.
Any advice for someone contemplating a degree in Songwriting?
Get that degree, then the real work will start. You have to go out there and prove yourself. We’ll give you all the tools you need to make it, whether it's songwriting or production. There are some wonderful internships available, as well.
You have to go out there and network. Having a mentor always helps. I tell my students to reach back out to me after they graduate. I love to see their progress over the years. I'm so proud of them.
I had a student who opened for the Indigo Girls. She performed one of the songs we worked on in Songwriting class. Before she began, she said, I would like to thank and introduce my professor who is here at the concert tonight. I was blown away.
Anything else you would like to add?
This is one of the best, if not the best, program out there for students who are looking for a career in songwriting and production. I think we offer everything they’re looking for and could possibly want. It just keeps getting better, it's constantly evolving, and it's growing so quickly we are having fun trying to keep up.