As a music producer and composer for various media, I believe that storytelling is always enhanced by great music. I want to help make art that resonates, leaving a lasting impact on an audience, and the world.

Growing up in Maine I started playing shows and make records in basements when I was just 14, and it was in those formative years that I discovered my passion for helping others express their artistry. Years later, after attending the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy and earning my BFA in Jazz Studies from The New School in Manhattan, I found myself immersed in the vibrant music scene of northeast Brazil, where I spent lots of time and even co-wrote an instructional drum book (published by Hal Leonard).

This diverse background fuels my unique approach to music production and composition. Genre’s can act as restrictive creativity-killers, and the universality of music is feel - how it feels to you, and how it feels to the audience. I love blending sounds and textures both organic and ethereal to create inspiring landscapes for stories to take over.

As Allmusic has said, “Producer Aaron Shafer-Haiss blends the powerfully atmospheric textures with a more straightforward instrumental approach that serves the truth-telling of the songs beautifully”

Through years on the road with artists such as Nicole Atkins, JD McPherson, Ron Pope, Elizabeth Cook, Molly Tuttle, Andrew Combs, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Margo Price, and that one time with Bruce Willis (yes, that Bruce Willis), I’ve learned how to quickly and efficiently hear and deliver on an artist’s vision and intent.

As a producer this has translated to recordings on labels such as Warner UK, Rounder, Single Lock, and YepRoc, that have garnered millions of streams, landed TV placements in places like ABC, CBS, HBO and Netflix, and received praise from outlets like NPR and Rolling Stone, and influential radio stations like KCRW, KEXP, WXPN and WNXP.

As a music fan I love finding a new record that instantly grabs my attention then begs for repeat after repeat. I want to be part of the team that crafts that new favorite record, or scene, for some listener out there - what a gift we can give.

Bold stories deserve to be brought to life with the same level of care and creativity that you put into crafting them, so that they can connect meaningfully with your audience in a lasting way. I love cracking the unique code of every project that makes everything levitate. If this sounds like something you’re looking for too, I’d love to hear about your project.