Composing

Congrats with the new name. !!

Navid Lancaster, what is Musescore Studio used for?

I love film scores from folks like Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, Herbie Hancock or even stuff like Marvin Gaye's Trouble Man. There's so much good music out there and so many who do it so well.

I flipped when I heard that Mark Mothersbaugh was scoring films - beyond cool.

Will check it out later today

Okay just did it. Wow this is really different. Much easier to read and the Royalty Dashboard is very informative

Marsy Robinson Yep, I totally agree. But, for those of us not in a major "hustle, hustle" metro area, like myself, I'm looking for any effective alternative ways to hustle, hustle, hustle! (unless I totally misunderstood the context of your "hustle, hustle, hustle". ;) Thanks for chiming in either way, I appreciate any and all feedback! Now I'm just enjoying saying "hustle, hustle, hustle". Makes me feel like I'm playing football again. haha!

Linwood Bell that's hillarious, and rad!

Kerry Kennard hadn't considered IMDB Pro as a potential source for cold contact. Thanks for the suggestion!

Thank you Marsy Robinson! I totally get it, and appreciate your clarifying your comment. Thank you for your perspective!

Cheers!

Hey Brian, I find it useful as a research and networking tool - finding potential collaborators and learning about them, and maintaining relationships in a fairly low key way. Any jobs that do get posted on there are swamped within hours, so it's not good for that. IMDB Pro probably a better use of your moolah!

Have a great week ! - Kerry Kennard

Hey Kerry! Good question. I use both- tonal and non-tonal. Often times my samples will start off as non-tonal—then through processing and manipulation—I will end up with tonal sounds-or vice versa.

In context to film-it just depends. Sometimes it’s very much a textural component to a larger score, Other times (as in the case to a short “Collette” I just scored) it’s the entire bedrock and color of the score. I prefer to have my synthesis and sampling be the bedrock to my scores and “try” to avoid jumping into standard conventional instrumentation like strings or orchestration—however that’s often times not possible depending on the film.

Welcome Jeff Goldsmith You'll meet a lot of great people in the community. Be sure to drop a hello in the Introduce Yourself lounge as well.

Jeff Goldsmith , I understand. The sound palette will differ depending on the scenes and the period set in the Film. Your ideas seem to be a little like.Hans Zimmer ! I saw Dune 2 about 2 weeks ago and there were a lot of effects, though still within a tonal type score, written cue. I mentioned this one musical scene somewhere else on Stage 32 - hearing Djembes with more of a real orchestra type cue, though it did fit the scene - the dry dessert within side one of those holes.... if you've seen any of these movies. i like the action, .... and did not watch the original Dune before this movie.. It was still enjoyable and did follow the story most places. There were a few places where I didn't connect and said to myself, "Ah, this was probably the History I'm missing from Dune I. Have a great week. KK

Glad to have you here Jeff! Here’s a blog about composing you might like on Stage 32: https://www.stage32.com/blog/3343

There is not a single sound coming from Hans Zimmer creative space that doesn't work magnificently to the picture, and this is one of the reasons why, I think. Thank you so much for sharing, Florin Şumălan !

I absolutely adore Hans Zimmers work, and his whole collaborative way he and his trusted artists pull such passionate and moving works out of even the simplest forms!

Always bugs me when HZ gets hate on the other platforms.I get having an opinion that his stuff isn’t your cup of tea, but to be so negative? The guy has done something right, obviously. Just be happy for him and the army of composers that he’s helped propel into their own careers!

Amanda Toney Yes! He’s showing off a little, because he’s having a ball! But he absolutely creates space, collaborates with the filmmakers because they just love the stories so much, and lets the music shine when it should and then gets out of the way. (Chef’s kiss)

Just happened across this one today. Speaks with Zimmer’s primary sound designers and talks about the process of building the sound palette he has in his head BEFORE composing anything.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/05eZADjof1FBFQK6XuYR9v?si=M5yQG8gHQyaff...

I saw Dune 2 a few weeks ago and saw Hans Wrote the music for the film. I replied in another post about this, and one person said there were a lot of Fx going on - and of course there were many scenes where it’s needed.

Hans did create an Environment for many scenes within this Genre. One piece of music I still remember, had a nice orchestrated piece of music along with Djembes in the background, made for a great fit between the two scenes. Djembes usually have a dry sound, so the music fit nicely within the Sand dunes / sand scenes.

I always enjoy Guy’s videos on music and new sample libraries that I might be interested in. Making a living as a composer isn’t easy, but it’s doable. I’ve never done anything but music all my life. There’s never been a “ side job or a plan b”. I have to wear a few hats and be able to switch gears and do it right now, but that’s what makes it fun. It’s music and no one gets hurt.

Another great one from Guy Michelmore, thank you so much fro sharing, Amanda Toney!

Linwood Bell , I hear you :)

Love Guy’s videos. For me, making a living and working with people who love the process as much as I do for the rest of my life would be the most rewarding thing! I’m not a public person so the Hollywood “fortune and glory” doesn’t appeal to me.

I’m one of the tutors at Thinkspace Education. It’s a fantastic and very positive organisation.

Arhynn Descy awesome! Glad to hear good things from the inside!

Linwood Bell - Hmm, Nestico ? By Sam ?

So, Equal Intervals life changer ?

Who is the other of this book?

A lot of pages ??

The Complete Arranger by Sammy Nestico. Great book and I still reference it. The Equal Interval books were written by Spud Murphy. There are 12 of them. You have to study the course in order to get the books. so you can't just go out and buy them on Amazon. Lots of folks studied with Spud. Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, Q, Gerald Wiggins, Bennie Maupin, Dave Blumberg, Dell Hake, etc. You've heard Spud your whole life....he did Three Blind Mice for The Three Stooges. :) He had a great harmonic sense and understanding of all things music. He did lots of movies back in the day that required a unique set of chops. Crazy good composer/arranger......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUhhKELUxB0

I still try to learn from books as much as I can, but my brand of neuro-spicy makes it tough. I’m just a little bit jealous of those who absorb books like drinking water. Makes theory tough too, found a groove learning my own way. I can keep up when looking at a score, but don’t ask me to analyze it with traditional terminology.

Brian, I hear you !! Neuro- Spicy ... ohh nice ! We all have our own writing styles. [from this one collab., we have been calling it, Neo-Classical (Piano) and Contemporary / percussion.

Sometimes when I'm writing, I think like you do, if I understand your style, no theory really needed or analyzing - as we go for how it works with the scene / film / short or long form. I don't absorb books like drinking water, lol :~) but I did read a lot of the Guerilla Film Scoring book in almost a year. Most chapters (near beg.) has a video on Vimeo - kind of nice to have access to some of this (general) information.

Kerry Kennard nice! Haha. I think I’ve heard of the “Guerilla Film Scoring Book”. May have to check it out! I like to read, but apparently my “style” is retention adverse to the page.

Like I’ll read a script and love it! But I won’t retain it. Chopping it up (digitally

Great Q&A, Amanda Toney! Daily Bruin asked Laura Karpman "How do different instruments represent different characters in “American Fiction?" That's an interesting way of looking at music and character.

What a cool lady! I love her approach to starting with piano as the backbone of her composition based on the main character's name!

Ashley Renee Smith I absolutely LOVE that kind of creative thinking! Thanks for sharing that!

Amanda Toney Love it! Thanks for posting!

I had a director recently who was amenable to me coloring a bit outside the lines, and it’s so much fun! When she heard the cue for the first time she got all excited and was asking “What’s that killer sound??? What did you do??”. And the momentary silence when I sent her a picture of the shovel and hammer from my garage! I live for those moments!

Cheers!

Hi Pamela,

Is John Santana’s Orchestra music in this list ?

Is it near the top or bottom? Is there a certain date to look for?

Not sure about that, Kerry. I've not explored the whole site but I do enjoy listening to the show on KPFK.

Thanks for posting PJ Smith (working on your new nickname)!!!!

Thanks for the tip!