Ask Him Anything

Why do you write songs?

Music is the language I master the most. It helps me translate how people and life experiences impacted my life. It's a lasting way to share life knowledge with my kids and keep "recordings" of the good and the bad for them. I want my kids to press play and know their father is there to support them, share their joys and sorrows.

What kind of piano do you play on?

When I was 10 years old, my father drove me to the Archambault music store in Montreal and bought me a 6' Yamaha G3 Grand Piano since I was becoming a professional musician. It's been with me ever since. However in my recording life, I mainly use a Roland RD-2000 combined with a Maschine MK3. My first experience with an electronic keyboard was with a Korg Triton in the mid 90’s. I was fortunate enough to play on some great pianos in concert: Steinway, Bösendorfer, Fazioli and Yamaha. But the best piano I ever played on was the Fazioli at the Chapelle du Bon-Pasteur in Montreal, hall destroyed by a fire in May 2023.

Which software do you use to produce music?

I’m a big fan of free and open-source software and have been using Cakewalk for several years. It’s stable and flexible enough to answer my current needs. I use different plugins by Izotope for mastering and Native Instruments to complete what’s already integrated in my RD-2000. However I pick and choose and rarely use full software suites. As for scores, I write everything down with MuseScore before I start recording.

Which microphone do you use?

The best microphone I found to fit my voice at the moment is the Ashton Spirit. I like its precision and sturdy construction. The next microphones I might experiment with are the AKG 414 and the Neumann TLM 103, but they are at a different price point.

Which composers did you play when you were a classical musician?

I still listen to and play my favorites weekly: Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Szymanowski, Ravel, Liszt, etc. I practice almost every day to keep my reflexes sharp. Lots of tears and sacrifices went into studying and developing those reflexes, so I'm protecting this important part of my culture and use the same discipline when I write songs.

Why do you sing in English only?

I was born and raised in a family that spoke only French. In my teenage years, I started having friends who spoke English so I began English classes, read lots of books, started to live and work in English. I feel more comfortable singing in English by habit, but I'm currently trying out new songs in French to get out of my comfort zone.