TV and Film Composer

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

A: I think it's easy for people to underestimate how much time goes into composing. It's not as simple as "have it to me by the end of the day". It can take hours to create a minute of music depending on the complexity. By all means cues can be churned out more quickly but something has to give -- the mix, the depth of orchestration... these tend to suffer in the exchange.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What music do you like? What should the viewer or end user be feeling right now? These two questions inform my choices of sounds/instruments as well as content.

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

A: Don't be afraid to know what you want. If you have a specific idea in your head I want to hear it. The more open you are about what you're looking for with me the better I can get a picture of how I can best serve you. That being said, keep an open mind. I've had clients be so completely locked in on every detail of how a particular cue should go that any suggestion either myself or others make gets dismissed outright. What I'm trying to say is maintaining an open dialog is important.

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

A: Doesn't the desert island have power?? Assuming this island has power I would take a Mac, a UAD interface, a decent mic, an acoustic guitar, and some headphones. I'd see how many sounds I could sample and redesign into other sounds from what I could find on the island. Scenario #2: No power. I would take some swim trunks, an acoustic guitar, and call it a day.

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

A: So I was originally a jazz guitarist living in the DC/Baltimore region. I've been a performer ever since I was young and I love improvising with other musicians. Over time I became fascinated with production. Composing has always been a passion of mine but I didn't start really pursuing it seriously until I moved to Nashville.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When someone approaches me to compose for their project we first have a conversation and determine the scope of the project. Is it a 30 second ad or an hour long documentary? If after our initial conversation both parties feel good about moving forward we will set up a working timeline of sorts and schedule any deadlines and meetings we need to have along the way. If no spotting session is needed I will usually start sketching ideas. I like to have a 1st draft ready as soon as possible to make sure the music fits the client's vision. Once the music is agreed on content-wise I will have the music mixed and mastered before delivering the final version to the client. If there are any issues at this point or if the client decides they need alternate mixes or cut downs we will address them.

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

A: Too many... Sufjan Stevens, Sigur Ros, Brad Mehldau, Flying Lotus, Thomas Newman... I find inspiration in a lot of different kinds of music.

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

A: If we're talking about scoring or sound design probably short films and ads. I do a good amount of general composing for various libraries out there as well. Those briefs are usually for cinematic (big strings or emotional piano) or some electro pop type of music. I love to do acoustic cues, but I don't get those briefs as often these days.