Film Composer

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I honestly can say that I am proud of most projects I work on. In their own various ways, they all are unique and engaging.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Several albums, a feature documentary and I am soon to be working on a TV show.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: I just started my journey on this site, so I am unaware of people on this site thus far.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: They both have a considerable list of pros and cons to their name, so both.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: That I won't quit until you think that hiring me was the best decision you made about the music.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Wow, I love to write music, and I love being intimate with the process of how it interacts with visuals. I am endlessly fascinated by it.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: I can't say there is a common question I am asked.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: People usually don't realize that I most often play everything in the scores I deliver.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What they want to communicate in their production. I then investigate if they are flexible about what they wish to articulate in this phase of the narrative, as music is the last step in telling the story, the last chance at tweaking how the film is ultimately seen. As such, I find it useful to explore what can be said musical, if only to reaffirm that the initial intention was indeed the most desired.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Come at me with either great communication skills about your musical vision, or have references. This is a shortcut to my understanding exactly how you intend to approach the musical narrative in your production.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: A guitar, a versatile percussion, a wind instrument, a computer with endless power, and a microphone.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I've been writing music and lyrics since I was 11. From there, I began scratching at all instruments that came my way. Eventually, I went to university for music, and saw that this fascination translated well into the world of music for Film and TV, as, wanting to experiment and try out different sonic landscapes was well encouraged in this field. I kept getting jobs in this field, and as such, I grew further into it.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Organic.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: David Bowie would have been good. I didn't love everything he did, but I always loved how he did everything.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Most of the time, you're going to want to cut 200Hz off of most of your tracks.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Orchestral, film scores, textural, rock, urban, electronic, and vocal.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I'm difficult to please artistically, and this translates well when I am making a piece of music.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring thought. No matter what, I won't sign off on a song or piece of music, unless I feel it has something useful or special about it.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Almost always, I connect with the director (or main creative on the team) and we begin by discussing their intent, narratively. The next part of that conversation leads to what musical world can help to bring this out in an elegant fashion, and I then get to work. I begin this work by first realizing sketches to give a better idea to the director of where the process is headed and once the project takes shape in this way, the musical whole is made more unified. The final step is to polish, mix and make the files ready for delivery via (these days), the internet.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio setup is as minimalistic as possible in terms of gear. I have a fantastic (UAD Apollo) front end, with a great selection of microphones, that allows me to record anything up to 10 inputs at the same time with a phenomenal sound. Anything more than this, in my esteem, is kind of gear porn. The most special thing about my setup is my collection of instruments. I much prefer to record those than program in "real" instruments. There is something immediate about a real instrument, that I feel comes across in a beautiful way within a musical production, that I am unwilling to part with. As a result, over the 25 years I've been producing music now, I have taught myself a mosaic of instruments that have made their way on my productions. These instruments range from traditional (guitars, pianos etc ...) to unique and extremely rare (bowed guitars, marxophones, Ukelin etc ...)

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: So many musicians, past and present are inspiring to me! Though an obvious one, Mozart has never ceased to brighten my senses with his perfect blend of seductiveness, playfulness and inventiveness. I find his sense of melody clear, and beautiful gripping. Erik Satie, Debussy and Steve Reich speak to my love of tone, of which they are masters. Painting the air with sonic canvases that tame and soften the soul, though esoteric sounding, I find this to be quite true. Then came Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Rabih Abou Khalil, Yann Tiersen, Kurt Kobain, The Cardigans, The Beatles, Serge Gainsbourg, Phoenix, Air, Arctic Monkeys ... the list is endless, ever growing, and across a virtually limitless boundary of styles. There is so much inspiration to be found in so much of the world! It really is refreshing to delve into the arts to counter the all too cacophonous notion that the world is a dark place.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: I most commonly score narrative fiction and documentary films, as well as commercial spots.