I have been working as a music producer, songwriter and musician professionally since 2003. I’ve worked with hundreds of artists ranging from pretty well known in the world at large (Macy gray, galactic, foster the people, Irma Thomas, Kaleb Cohen, del the funky homosapien, and more) to many more mid-level and local artists. I enjoy opportunities to work with people with bigger audiences, but I also love working with people with no audience who are just getting started. For me, it’s all basically the same task : we have a song, we have a vision, let’s sit down and focus on delivering the song in a way that’s enjoyable and creative, with no real rules or limits. I don’t have any genre rules, I’m generally inspired by artists who tend to create a genre of their very own, and I think the ideal path for an artist is to be the only one of their kind… I have a philosophy that in the world at large, we already have so much of so many things – so let’s be something new and be the only one, and create our own lane, as it were.

I am most comfortable in the realm of pop or pop adjacent music, meaning I am generally interested in music that is written by a songwriter or a band who is looking to employ creativity to record their songs – meaning, we have a song, now let’s use an array of instruments and knowledge to make the song sound a certain way that’s fun to make and (ideally) fun to listen to.

Over the years I’ve become a pretty proficient multi-instrumentalist, engineer, and mixer. I am more than happy to sit down with someone and bang out a whole song in a day or less, with no other personnel needed. Some of my best and most listened to songs out there on the internet are the product of an inspired day, where we start and finish something pretty quickly. Of course there are exceptions, but I believe we reach a point where we have the skills to just do the thing we want to do.

I probably have a bit of left-of-center in me, the music I like is generally pop – alternative and vision – driven, meaning less Backstreet Boys type of stuff ( not for me) more Tame Impala, Beck, etc. I think creativity is limitless and I will generally be the guy with lots of ideas and no fear, and no real need to adhere to any rules.

I’m not that into technical stuff – I have a room full of instruments and a very straightforward recording setup – I don’t love spending too much time on technical things. I would much rather play instruments and jam and write than spend hours on getting drum sounds, although, I have a strangely powerful ability to focus on whatever task is in front of me ( some call it Virgo power) so if drum sounds are the goal, I’ll do it.

Um… not to sound melodramatic, but the last frontier for people like myself is that all I really have to offer is me. Everyone can get a laptop and a bunch of soft synths and a microphone and work on their own music, and we now have top songs on Spotify, etc, being made entirely on computers by people with very little experience – which I think is fabulous. But I have noticed that having someone around who has a whole different set of contexts and experiences to bring to music can be really helpful, and most of all fun. It’s more fun to work with someone and create together, than to do it alone, although I do it alone quite often.

Another thing I’m kind of into is collective and community. So when I get to know people, I tend to create relationships and generally find myself wanting to help them not just create music, but help it grow in the real world. I am constantly connecting people and making little suggestions at least in the Bay Area for how people can take their music and make it part of the world, and let it grow. I think of songs and music like little seeds we create, and then we throw them out in the yard and see what grows from it. It can be really amazing what happens when you create something out of your mind, and it leads to things happening in your life that wouldn’t have otherwise. Music is this strange and powerful thing and once you make it and put it out there, it can find its way places. So I’m a very “just do it” kind of person about music, and also feel like life is short, and we should all do the things we want to do , as soon as we can.

Tell Jim you found him on Bay Area Studio Pros!

Web: https://digitalchildren.net 

here’s my latest producer reel!

Chris McGrew is a Bay Area drummer, producer, and recording specialist whose work bridges the gap between musician and engineer. A respected figure in the local music scene for decades, McGrew brings a dual perspective to every session — shaping the pulse of a song from behind the kit while simultaneously crafting the sound that surrounds it. In his 10 year span as a part owner of Wally’s HydeOut at the legendary Hyde Street Studios, he has worked alongside countless luminaries, including Fishbone, The Headhunters, Mike Clark Quintet, Prairie Prince, George Clinton, Gary Bartz, Theo Croker, Isaiah Sharkey, Nicholas Payton, Karl Denson, Keyon Harrold, Kenneth Whalum

https://chrismcgrew.com/

I’ve always believed that great drumming is about more than keeping time—it’s about helping tell a story. Whether I’m recording in the studio or performing live, my favorite part of making music is collaborating with artists and helping finding the soul of the song and bringing it to life. Every song has something unique to say, and I love finding the right groove, feel, and energy to help that message connect with listeners.

When I’m not working with other artists, I’m writing and recording original music with my band, Pine & Battery. Being involved in the songwriting process has given me a deep appreciation for what artists are trying to communicate and how important every musical choice can be in supporting that vision.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of recording and performing with many talented artists throughout the Bay Area, contributing to projects across a wide range of genres and styles. I’ve also had the amazing opportunity to perform on stage with artists including Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Lou Gramm (Foreigner) and Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels of RUN-DMC as well as Vanessa Carlton, En Vogue, Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray), Steve Harwell (Smashmouth), Bret Michaels (Poison), Matt Nathanson, Tone Lōc, and The Sugarhill Gang. One particularly memorable experience was performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with singer-songwriter Jeff Campbell.

No matter the project, my goal is always the same: serve the song, support the artist, and create something that feels genuine, memorable, and inspiring.

https://www.instagram.com/rimshot_studio_sf/

Tom Draper is a British-born guitarist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, available for session recording, live work, and touring. With over 25 years of experience spanning traditional heavy metal, classic rock, prog, AOR, and beyond, he brings a melodic sensibility, broad stylistic range, and a reputation as a reliable, quick-learning professional to every project he takes on.

Tom’s career has taken him from the London underground club scene to some of the biggest festival stages in the world. As touring guitarist with Carcass – one of the most influential metal bands in history – he performed at Download, Graspop, Hellfest, and Psycho Las Vegas, as well as international dates spanning the globe. Prior to that he spent a year and a half as second guitarist in NWOBHM legends Angel Witch, performing across Europe including at the Up the Hammers festival in Athens and Muskelrock in Sweden. More recently he served as lead guitarist and full member of Spirit Adrift, contributing solos to their album Ghost at the Gallows and touring extensively across the US and Europe with the band.

Alongside his work with established acts, Tom has been an active presence in the Bay Area metal and rock scene since relocating from London in 2014. He is a founding member and lead guitarist of Hands of Goro, whose debut album received strong critical notices and who have performed at Frost and Fire festival and on a self-funded Scandinavian tour. He has also recorded guitar for all three Pounder albums, and contributed guest solos to a wide range of artists including Hammers of Misfortune, Star Circus, Black Sites, Cartilage, and Griev, among many others. He currently plays with Bay Area prog band Birth and continues to work with Canadian band Spell, including a guest appearance on their 2026 album Wretched Heart. Tom is also a regular presence in the Bay Area cover band scene, playing with bands such as The Butlers and Union Jack & The Rippers.

In the studio, Tom is comfortable working remotely or in person. His home setup allows him to deliver fully produced guitar tracks, dry stems for re-amping, or anything in between. He is equally comfortable with a high gain rock or metal sound, clean and semi-clean tones, and everything in between.

Tom’s influences span a wide range – from the foundational rock and metal players who shaped his early playing (Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Iommi, David Gilmour, Michael Schenker, Gary Moore) through AOR and melodic rock (Neal Schon, John Sykes, Steve Lukather), more shred-oriented territory (John Petrucci, Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert), and into jazz fusion and funk (Larry Carlton, Guthrie Govan, Al Di Meola, George Benson). That breadth shows up in his playing – melody-first and lyrical rather than flash for its own sake, but with the technical foundation to go wherever a track demands.

He maintains an active Instagram presence where he posts covers, original music, and his popular “how to ruin a song” series – rearranging well-known tracks into unexpected genres with results that have recently gone viral. It’s a good place to get a sense of his range and musical personality before reaching out.

Tom is professional, well-prepared, easy to work with, and takes every gig seriously regardless of size or profile. If you’re looking for a guitarist who will treat your project with care and deliver something worth hearing, get in touch.

http://www.instagram.com/tom_draper_guitarist

Jacob Light is a record producer, audio engineer, session musician, and studio owner based in the East Bay. With more than 25 years of experience as a musician and recording professional, Jacob has been credited on hundreds of commercial recordings and brings a musician-first approach to production, engineering, arrangement, and performance.

Jacob works with bands, solo artists, singer-songwriters, and independent labels across rock, punk, indie, blues, jazz, country, folk, pop, and other song-driven styles. Whether producing a full record, recording a live band session, or helping an artist shape songs from the ground up, his focus is always the same: capture the performance, serve the song, and make records that feel honest, exciting, and timeless.

As an engineer, Jacob combines classic recording techniques with modern tools and workflows. He is especially focused on getting the source right: the right instrument, the right tone, the right mic, the right performance, and the right feel before the mix ever begins. His approach is detailed without being precious, polished without being sterile, and always centered on the emotional impact of the music.

Jacob is the owner of ModernTone Studios in Lafayette, CA, where he and his team work with artists at every stage, from first-time recording projects to fully produced albums and label releases. The studio offers a warm creative environment, excellent-sounding acoustic spaces, high-quality analog and digital tools, a wide selection of instruments, and access to a trusted network of Bay Area session musicians.

Jacob is available for music production, recording, mixing, arrangement, session work, and full-service studio projects at ModernTone Studios, at select studios in Oakland, and remotely.

Website: Jacob Light / Producer Bio (https://moderntonestudios.com/jacob-light/)

Studio: ModernTone Studios Recording (https://moderntonestudios.com/recording/)

Credits: Muso.ai Recording Credits (https://credits.muso.ai/profile/a585d3a6-aaf1-4e1e-8a5c-1877d51c3467)

A veteran performer with a wildly diverse musical background, Damon has been chopping up rhythms across genres in the SF Bay Area for over 40 years, providing arrangements, textures and sounds in gospel, punk, and every language in between. He was a founding member of East Bay funk legends The Smoking Section, following suit with proto-Noise Pop stalwarts Engine 88; more recently he has been a core driver for SF psycho-soul outfit Seal Party, and alternative-Americana legend Sean O’Brien & His Dirty Hands. A stylistic and tonal chameleon, Damon brings the rhythmic drive of Nile Rodgers and David Byrne, the blistering feedback of Joey Santiago and Kevin Shields, and the attitude-first phrasing of Mick Ronson and Billy Gibbons to the table.

https://www.damonwood.com/blog/

Jaimeson Durr is a #1 Billboard charting producer, recording engineer, and mixing engineer based in San Francisco. Working out of his studio at 245 Hyde Street in San Francisco, Jaimeson has spent decades working with some of the biggest names in rock and beyond — from Sammy Hagar and Chickenfoot to Don Felder of The Eagles, Nancy Wilson, Joe Satriani, and The Head and The Heart.

His production and engineering work spans major labels including BMG, Sony, Reprise, Atlantic, and Mailboat Records, and covers everything from full album production and mixing to live recording and post-production.

Among his most notable credits, Jaimeson produced, recorded, and mixed Sammy Hagar and The Circle’s Space Between, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts. He has worked extensively with Sammy Hagar across multiple projects including Lockdown 2020, Lite Roast, and the live record At Your Service. His work with Chickenfoot — featuring Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, and Chad Smith — includes the RIAA Gold-certified debut album and Chickenfoot III.

Beyond rock, Jaimeson has mixed live iTunes sessions for artists including Pat Monahan, Wyclef Jean, Bowling For Soup, Josh Ritter, and Gomez, and has worked on TV and film placements for productions including 90210, The Mindy Project, Rango, The Lorax, Tangled, Ugly Betty, Crash, and Charmed.

Jaimeson’s discography spans hundreds of projects across rock, pop, blues, jazz, and experimental music, making him one of the most versatile and experienced engineers working in the Bay Area today. He is available for recording, mixing, and production at his San Francisco studio and remotely.

Studio: Wallys Hyde Out, San Francisco, CA Available for: Recording, mixing, production, remote sessions Contact: jaimeson@jaimesondurr.com

McKay Garner is a Bay Area-based mixing engineer, music producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist specializing in stereo and Dolby Atmos immersive audio. With over three decades of experience across a wide range of musical styles, from hip hop and rock to experimental electronic and Indie folk, McKay brings both technical depth and authentic musical intuition to every project. McKay has worked as an engineer or mixing engineer on records for artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michael Bublé, Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, Zakir Hussain, Flogging Molly, J Dilla, Styles of Beyond, Jesse Loren Strickman, and more. He was fortunate to spend three years as a consultant for Dolby Laboratories on their Expert Listening Team, where he helped develop Dolby Atmos technology for music. That deep, hands-on involvement in shaping the format gives him a level of expertise in mixing and arranging for immersive audio that makes his work special. His production and mix approach centers on emotional impact by crafting arrangements and mixes that feel like a world the listener wants to live in. Whether working in stereo or immersive audio, McKay takes time to really understand each artist’s vision and treats every project with the same care and attention to detail. He operates two dedicated studios for stereo and 9.1.4 immersive projects, fully equipping him for Dolby Atmos music projects of any scale. As a producer, McKay has worked across pop, rock, soul, folk, and electronic music. He studied music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and spent fifteen years in Los Angeles, where he owned and operated a popular recording studio before relocating to the Bay Area in 2009. McKay has served two elected-volunteer terms on the Board of Governors and as co-chair of the San Francisco Chapter Producers and Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy (the Grammys). He is an active and integral part of the Bay Area music community, offering career guidance to musicians and audio professionals alongside his daily studio work. McKay is available for mixing, production, Dolby Atmos mixing, composition, and remote sessions.

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