OUR CREW

Sure, this place is great, but it’s the people here who make it amazing. Every person you work with at Coupe wants your project to be perfect. And fortunately, they all have the skills to make that happen.

Scott Roche
Founder
Eric Singer
Partner / Executive Producer
Aaron Lasko
Partner / Production Director
Kip Kuepper
Lead Composer
Ed Kaufman
Senior Engineer
Greg McRae
Engineer
Aaron Garrison
Producer / Engineer
Libby Clearfield
Producer / Casting Director
Alex Hawley
Engineer
Jacob Sproul
Composer
Daniel Sproul
Composer
Taylor Marvin
Producer / Engineer
Kyle Shepard
Engineer
Chris Wright
Engineer/Sound Designer
Tess Van Laanen
Engineer

Scott_Roche: August 3, 1954 – June 17, 2018 — For Scott, it all started with an Epiphone Casino guitar, a Bandmaster amp, and a four-track recorder nestled in the converted chicken coop behind his house in north Boulder. Scott’s passion for creating world-class music and sound design, and for mentoring great musical talents is shared by his partners who continue his legacy at Coupe. His expectation for perfection and top-notch creativity is the reason people come from all over the world to collaborate with our team.

Eric_Singer: Eric’s path to Coupe includes stints in radio, magazine editing, ad agencies, band management, and even a few seasons of pro football in Europe. At Coupe, you can find him doing a little of everything. He’s the man to see for project scoping / estimating, and serves as the creative conduit between your brain and the composers’ instruments. Copywriting and music supervision also fall under Eric’s purview.

Aaron_Lasko: We imported Aaron from Pennsylvania to work with us as an engineer back in the late 90s. He had earned a reputation for being a bulletproof force of nature in the studio, and today he brings that same commitment to perfection to his work as our production director. With a resume that includes engineering in major live venues and large scale studio environments, Aaron’s technical knowledge helps keep us on the cutting edge of technology. Like everybody here, he’s a solid musician in his own right, and that ability lends itself well to his role as one of our senior music supervisors.

Kip_Kuepper: The phrase “renaissance man” gets thrown around a lot. But with a Grammy nomination, a degree in Russian history, a near-photographic memory, and proficiency on no fewer than two dozen different instruments; what else do you call this guy? Well, we call him Maestro. You’ll call him a friend after spending a day in his studio. Kip leads our composition team, crafting beautiful film scores, commercial music, creative sound design, and producing album projects as well.

Ed_Kaufman: Down since day one, Steady Eddie has likely engineered more commercial sessions than anyone between Chicago and LA. His many film credits include Oscar winners, outdoor adventure flicks and documentaries. Clients love taking advantage of Ed’s sharp ears and the insight he brings with him every day. When he’s not here, you’ll find him ripping on his Telecaster or wreaking havoc on the golf course.

Greg_McRae: We often hear from top film production companies like FORGE and Sweetgrass Productions; to the biggest names in Colorado music like Yonder Mountain String Band and DeVotchKa, \”we’d like to work with Greg on this.\” As an engineer / sound designer, Greg brings his creative sensibilities and humor to every project. He’s usually got some kayaks, a couple pairs of skis, and a bike or two strapped to his truck—which helps explain why film makers seek him out for truly authentic sound design on their outdoor adventure films.

Aaron_Garrison: AG is our Swiss Army knife. He’s a great drummer – lending his skills to our own compositions as well as touring with acts like Odesza – and equally great producer, sound designer and engineer. On any given day you’ll find Garrison behind a mixing board, doing a music search, coordinating a VO session in Mozambique, and mixing an immersive 360 video. Probably all before lunch. The man’s a machine.

Jacob_Sproul: Jake and his brother (and fellow Coupe composer) Daniel began creating music together in elementary school, forming the band Rose Hill Drive along with drummer Nate Barnes. RHD toured with The Who, Stone Temple Pilots and Aerosmith among others. They made records, made friends with Pete Townshend, but most of all they had a hell of a good time. Continuing his passion for music, Jake became immersed in original music and composition. A lover of all styles of music, he’s always up on the freshest tracks to stay on top of the modern direction of music. That said, he still spins the classics, and plays his grandpa’s jazz on vinyl.

Daniel_Sproul: Daniel picked up the guitar when he was five and never put it down. Daniel and his brother (and fellow Coupe composer) Jake grew up playing music together, and eventually discovered drummer Nate Barnes, forming the band Rose Hill Drive. Daniel also tours and records with Ryan Bingham and Hard Working Americans. He is an accomplished mixer, engineer, and producer, taking tips and tricks from his many experiences with acclaimed producers Nick DiDia and Jim Scott.

Alex_Hawley: The audio bug bit Alex at a young age when he was given his first guitar and recording interface at the age of 12. Since then, he’s become a fantastic engineer. After graduating with honors with a double major in Guitar Performance and Audio Engineering, we snapped him up as a sound designer / post production engineer. His years of experience tracking, mixing and mastering, combined with his expansive knowledge of professional audio gear and musical genres, makes him a perfect fit around here. You can also read his perspectives in Recording Magazine.

Libby_Clearfield: Libby comes to us from Los Angeles, where she worked as an actor, director and teacher, before deciding the traffic and smog were no longer for her. An NYU-trained actor, Libby’s own impressive acting chops give her a unique insight into the voice talent castings she conducts for our clients. She’s formed strong relationships with agents and talents around the world—count on her to find the perfect voice for your project.

Kyle_Smith: Kyle started out as a jazz pianist and live engineer for musicals, and quickly found his way into the studio world. As an alumnus of University of Colorado Denver’s Recording Arts program, as well as ten-time Grammy winner Joe Chiccarelli’s seminar at Mix With The Masters, Kyle is a full time studio engineer, mixer, and producer in the Colorado scene. Kyle focuses on helping artists and musicians obtain their best performance in the studio. Kyle knows how much hard work his clients put into their artform, and makes it his goal to always take their music to the next level.

Brandon_Calano: From the moment when Brandon hit record on his first four-track, this native Boulderite embarked on a quest to learn everything he could about music production. While apprenticing under all-star engineers at the Boulder & Fox theaters, as well as studio veterans including Fab Dupont (Shakira | Jennifer Lopez | David Crosby), Brandon developed a deep love for working with songwriters to craft heartfelt, musical stories that resonate with everyone. A musician himself, Brandon brings experience from both sides of the glass, which elevates his client’s projects to new heights. As an engineer, BC strives to bring the massive sonics of pop productions to every song he touches. His signature mixes have that crystal-clear top-20 sound you’ll love.

Taylor_Marvin: A Colorado native, Taylor started playing at blues jams at the age of 12, and was twice chosen to represent Colorado at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. In 2016, he graduated from the Berklee College of Music where he studied Music Production & Engineering. Whether you’re an accomplished touring act, or a singer-songwriter with some lyrics on a napkin, Taylor can offer arrangement ideas and music theory advice, and loves to lay down guitar parts to fill a song out.

Emily_Healy: After a childhood spent as a performer, Emily eventually found the behind the scenes world of music even more fascinating. While earning her degree in Music Industry Studies from the University of Colorado Denver, Emily began managing local bands. Since then she has also worked hundreds of music festivals and events at home and abroad, continually discovering new music from around the world. She’s also a regular contributor to Denver Westword. Her depth of knowledge across genres and eras of music lends itself to finding the perfect music for any project.

Tess_Van_Laanen: As a young violin player, Tess ate up every style of music she could find, from classical to Hungarian Gipsy fiddle. This lead her to the Duquesne University School of Music, where she fell in love with audio engineering. Today, Tess is an accomplished performer who has toured internationally as well as a versatile engineer and Foley artist.

Philip_Emma: Philip is everywhere in the music world. If you’re at a concert of any kind, there’s a pretty good chance he’s there, too. From his first show witnessing the Victory Tour with Michael Jackson, to just about every music festival of the last 15 years, his musical journey has made him an on-the-street advocate for artists everywhere. He loves playing matchmaker—bringing great artists to Coupe, and opening doors for licensing and other opportunities for musicians.

Sophie_Henry: Having thoroughly impressed us during a summer internship, we snapped up Sophie as soon as she graduated from Loyola University in New Orleans, where she majored in music industry studies. A fantastic ear and an encyclopedic knowledge of music from the past and present make Sophie a terrific music supervisor for our films and advertising clients.

Kyle_Shepard: Fresh off the boat from the faraway land of Connecticut, “Shep” is yet another one of Coupe’s touring-drummers-in-recovery, and another one of our Berklee College of Music alums, where he studied both Drum Set Performance and Music Production and Engineering. He records everything from hard rock to audiobooks here at the studio.

Chris_Wright: Hauling his father’s drum cases around Upstate New York from an illegally early age inevitably propelled Chris into a career in music. After almost 20 years as a touring drummer, “Shrap” made his move to the other side of the glass, and since completing a degree in Audio Production he’s honed his skills in sound design, mixing and recording.