Teacher from Ableton Certified Training school with 20+ years of production experience and 10+ years of teaching wants to help YOU get your ideas out through your speakers and to your future fans!

Find out more about Dave

• When did you first develop a passion for music and your favourite instrument?

  I have been listening to electronic music since the age of 5 thanks to my cousin’s foray into Napster. I was hooked the moment I heard dance music, and the moment I heard Paul van Dyk’s Amnesia closing set live on Nova 96.9FM, I knew I wanted to be a DJ and producer. Unfortunately, I do not play anything beyond my mouse!

• Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  I could listen to Burial on repeat. These days would be Sully or Imanu.

• Explain to us the most difficult or 'riveting' lesson you could personally give to one of your students.

  I love diving into modulation and automation. As I believe it is the key to interesting electronic music, I typically deconstruct popular songs and show how those artists create their sounds.

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  The first thing I can think of is the modern DAW. It is the modern-day musical instrument that you can
  "play." DAWs are being constantly updated with new features, and everyone has a say on what is the best way to use them. My approach is to show different angles and try to reveal the mindsets to how people use DAWs proficiently. The first hurdle is to figure out what tools do they have and where they are located. Next you need to understand the mechanics behind recording audio, sequencing MIDI, and finally engineering your ideas to get a high-quality result.

• What are your keys to success?

  A common theme is self-doubt. Whether it is writer's block or fear of an artist's ability to express themselves, I find the best way is to keep things simple and create binary choices to help build momentum.
  Another key to success is a big-picture mindset. It is so easy to get bogged down by the vast amount of techniques and technical jargon. Ultimately you have to remember that you are expressing yourself and creating a moment in time, so you MUST enjoy the process! It beats the typical day job :)