Composing

thank youu ! @Maurice vaughan

You're welcome, @Federico Gasparini.

Of course, Federico Gasparini :)

Thank you Geoff!

Great job, Federico! We should have all done this one for Halloween!

Xochi Blymyer ! Cool name:)... ooh, well, you found some good questions of your own!

Well.... I firmly believe that doing anything SUPER well is equally difficult... and often equally rewarding... but in terms of meaning? Not everything has equal meaning... attempting to do something WELL... like, better than well... more like GREAT... is hard enough, but when that thing has to do with guiding and shaping another human being from baby to grown man? Well, that's not only difficult, but carries with it so much meaning, purpose and responsibility... so I guess that's harder, because it's more important than any song... BUT, I will say that anything I put my entire self into gets ALL OF ME in that moment.... so whether it's a song or raising my two lil boys (8 and 3)... while I'm doing either, it's my whole world... everything... it gets all my effort. Max effort.... Heart effort... Brain effort... Soul-effort. It's the only way to do anything pn a super high level; near obsession levels of commitment. (or total obsession levels!.... But, that's not necessarily recommended haha... hard to sustain:).

How do I organize it all? Well... depends who you ask... I've realized that, "it takes a village" to have a career like this... it can feel like I'm often alone, or just inside of a tight little collaboration... the reality is; I couldn't have gotten here without a supportive family... and I wouldn't be able to continue being here without a supportive wife... and great friends and collaborators.... So, for the past 3+ decades, while I'm off in creation-land, someone is usually holding down the fort or has helped enable me to do so... so that's part of it... support systems.... but also, I'd like to hereby than what my naturopathic doctor calls "Hyper-Focus ADD".... which she casually (maybe too casually) knighted me with last year... I suppose the shoe fits! I realized that I'm not anything close to calm or happy unless I have 3 to 10 different things going at once... if I'm not multi-tasking I'm not only bored, but I start self-destructing... my brain doesn't do well without problems to solve.... it would rather create a problem (or make one worse) than just sit there doing nothing... it's a good thing to know that every mini-super-power has a super-weakness!

And thank you... yes... I can't WAIT to share the FOLLOWING FIREFLIES world with you all... best case scenario, we'll start releasing the book series early next year, while we dive into making the film.... we're about to start taking meetings and finding a production company partner now that our initial 20-month development period has garnered a ton of IP... we're ready for the next step. It's gonna be so so cool. I feel this one in my dang bones!

Hi Adam, Thanks for doing this! How do you approach writing for yourself vs writing for someone else? Do you use different techniques or try to stick to the same methods?

Hey Niki H You're welcome:) This is weirdly complicated question to answer accurately! I'll give it a shot... Fundamentally I approach both writing for myself and writing for someone else in as much the same way as possible... but that's rarely possible! Whether that "someone else" is an artist, or a film or tv show, my best work is going to be work where I can bring my entire self to the process: not just my skills but also my tastes and my... well, heart/mind/soul (as cheesy as that may sound!).

There are two main differences between writing for myself or someone else (or another project):

1) When I write for myself, my goal is to accurately express something... I'm just trying to express myself and please myself while creating. When the song is done, I HOPE other people connect to it... I really do... it's incomplete without that piece... but WHILE I'm creating, ANY thought of what ANYONE else might think is 100% a negative to the process and result. If I stay within myself, the outcome will always be more pure and of a higher level of overall quality. I know that if it's more pure in that way, then it's more likely that it'll go deep for those who might connect to it. BUT, if I try to people-please, I'll just be guessing what others will like and screwing up my process... I'll either pander or go outside my own sensibilities and end up with a lesser piece of work.

2) Business: especially in recent years, there's almost no business agenda that enters into the equation with my solo music. It's the musical equivalent of writing in myth journal... like a diary entry... with the added element of seeking to make it something artistic and with benefit of knowing that I'll get to share it with people... and that if they connect to it... that will feel really good.

When I write for or with others, it's always for some external purpose... so I HAVE to take those considerations into account... and the further those considerations are from my own personal tastes or instincts or goals, the more I have to essentially "police" myself artistically so I stay on track!!

It's an incredibly delicate process... and I've spent the last 2+ decades figuring out how to bring AS MUCH OF MYSELF (the best of myself) to a project and yet, be careful not to let my own instincts take me away from the project's known goals. I've certainly made that mistake and experienced how I got in the way of myself by accidentally pulling something toward my own tastes when it needs to be something else... a High School Musical or A WEEK AWAY song isn't SUPPOSED to have a Jeff Buckley, Sting, Radiohead, and Chris Cornell vibe:).... but I think the upside is that sometimes there's a little something of those personal tastes that seeps in, that gives the work a little something different... some extra weight maybe... I did notice that Disney started coming to Andy and I more often for the "big emotional moments" in the films... and I think that might be a part of it.

My own tastes only partially align with most of the songs I've co-written that I've built my career around (especially most of the Disney stuff)... sometimes they only align a tiny bit... so it's essentially like being a character actor and I'm tasked with playing a role that is almost nothing like who I actually am... it's a fun challenge... and I have to use my intellect and imagination to get outside myself and create something that works... It's quite the psychologically complex feat!... at least for me... it's a whole thing:).... I've thought a lot about it... the goal is to internalize all the criteria and then bring as much of myself to it as possible... how much of myself? It varies widely!

In cases where I've been able to bring more of myself, the result (I've noticed) is always better....not because I'm awesome... but just because I think any artist's best work is the work that is a natural extension of their own tastes and internal experience.... that said the imagination can do some wonderful tricks... am I a girl named Gabriella that is about to bail on Troy in High School Musical? No. lol. But if I have to imagine what that might be like... and imagine what the goal demographic would want to FEEL while watching that scene... (that song was "Gotta Go My Own Away" from HSM2)... there are ways to get there that have more to do with a kind of artistically focused empathy that is a key tool in the professional songwriter's toolbox. Writing those kinds of songs with a collaborator (in that case Andy Dodd) is also helpful; we keep each other on point.

I think that's what I've spent this long response trying to find...haha... it's about a kind of ARTISTIC EMPATHY that makes writing "outside myself" such a fun and worthwhile challenge.

The boxes analogy (in one of the above answers) applies here.... Before I start co-writing, I try to find out (and make it conscious for myself and my writing partner) what's in the box.... then figure out how much of that aligns with my own tastes.... once I get those answers, I then see how much of my own thing I can bring to it that will positively effect the song, and not get in the way!! Then I can find my way in from a place of passion... then it's not just work... at least in some way, even if it's small. It varies widely on each project... but honing this skillset has allowed me to work in a super broad range of music and projects and have fun doing it.

Adam Watts , thank you so much for your detailed answer! I am hooked! " the definition of success as "fulfillment and a sustainable healthy lifestyle with good relationships with family friends and associates" truly resonates with me. I am looking forward to finding your book underneath the Christmas Tree :)

What a fantastic answer, thank you Adam Watts. Artistic Empathy is a great way to put it. I think a lot of what you are saying is experienced by the masses in "selling out". Such a loaded and negative term, that is often misused. But I think the heart of it comes from people who can see that an artist has stopped putting themselves into the work and are putting others wants and desires in instead. Separately, I'm here for a Chris Cornell High School Musical :)

Yes. Saw this feature some time ago. The remastered audio will be fantastic.

Very interesting, thank you so much for sharing, Geoff Hall ! Added to my bucket list ;)

It was beyond cool then and it is beyond cool now. Thanks, Geoff Hall - this made me smile.

Sam Sokolow me too, Sam. It’s such a joyous film

If anyone is interested I created some piano sheet music for the Main Theme. It is available here: https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/se/ID_No/1190331/Product.aspx

Linwood Bell , this is one of my favorite main titles of all times! Thank you so much for sharing. Nice hearing from Britell about "jolting" the theme adding those notes that don't belong to the scale or creating dissonance in the harmony. One of the most valuable tips for Film Scoring! Also, about his reference to the great classical composers from the past... when I first heard this theme and the underscore I thought immediately of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez0kqVShFEs. :)

An iconic score

Linwood Bell b6, b5, mM. I love it when you talk secret code, Linwood!

That was an awesome share. I’ve never seen Succession (wrong streamer) but especially loved the theme for season one, that scratchy beat box thing. Cool.

Wow, Linwood Bell! Nicholas Britell is really talented! When the video started, I thought about classical Horror movies like FRANKENSTEIN, then at 4:10 of the video, Nicholas talked about late 1700s dark classical universe/music. I guess the music in classical Horror movies was influenced by late 1700s dark classical music.

It was great. Glad I attended and made new contacts.

Thank you for sharing, Navid Lancaster!

Cinema Paradiso is one of my faves! Linwood Bell

I had the good fortune to do a few string arrs for Josh Groban and one of the things I got from his book was Jeremy Lubbock's arr of this for JG and J. Bell. Jeremy was sure something special. Harmony for days...

Beautiful. I want to watch "Cinema Paradiso" now, Linwood Bell.

Ok, as an Italian and half Sicilian ( Cinema Paradiso was almost entirely filmed on the island) this post is calling my name… LOL! Thank you so much for sharing, Linwood Bell ! I can’t express how much and how deeply Ennio Morricone’s work inspired my choice to become a Film Composer and Cinema Paradiso is one of the finest Italian films ever! Maurice Vaughan , you’ll love it! A little trivia: the projectionist of the theatre is played by Director Giuseppe Tornatore himself ;)

You’re very welcome Greg Kirschhoffer . Nice to meet you, too!

Hi Greg, great questions! One of the best things you can do for your career long term is exactly what you're doing right now. Networking and letting people know you are available is great. The more you put it out there that you're available and interested, the more connections you'll make. And don't forget about film schools. If you're looking to build a portfolio you could contact local film schools and let them know you'd offer your services to the students for major projects.

I recommend this Stage 32 webinar taught by the great Terrence Blanchard.

Masters of Craft: The Film Composer's Process With Grammy Winning, Oscar Nominated Composer, Terence Blanchard (Spike Lee, George Lucas)

Here's a link so you can check it out: https://www.stage32.com/webinars/Film-Composing-Master-Class-with-Terenc...

Hi Greg,

I agree with Niki -

Networking here in different areas of Stage 32 is a good first step.

I had a guy contact me back in July.

He only wanted two short pieces, though good experience.

One of my Film books said to Look for Directors,

Though think in the 21st century, there are more options.

On the Track, the above book, said in the

Working with Directors chapter,

- it’s either here (LA or London).

It’s really stay with me, though we all know we can create music in our in our own towns.

Persistence and learning the industry from many different organizations can help.

Being a drummer / musician, I tend to check out the big cities - ie, Columbus & Cincinnati in this State. C’Bus has MOFA and Cincinnati has SOFA -

South Ohio Film Association.

Then there’s Pete’s jazz Jam in C’Bus on Tuesdays!

Thanks all of you. Cheers.

Very cool William C. Raustler! This got me in the spirit for Halloween!

I dig it. Check out this horror-themed band. I followed you on SoundCloud as well.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh6jsBH-qf8Lyh3B7L4HRhg

Great job on the experimental project, Elena Maro. It definitely fits the Halloween mood.

Thank you so much for listening, Maurice Vaughan !

You're welcome, Elena Maro.