Composing

Hi Libby. For me the answer is: "Anything John Williams". Aside from that, I love the interaction of scene & music of "AS GOOD AS IT GETS". The whimsical score decidedly sets the mood and pacing of the film. How about you???

I can't really pick just ONE favorite @Willilam! I just love the personality and energy that comes from so many different composers!

There have been several scores that have been inspirational in my life. Here's one of my all-time favorites, Symphony #7 by Gustav Mahler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEUMRl9_jj4 (The recording by the Chicago Symphony under the direction of Sir Georg Solti I'd received in vinyl form, when I was in high school and playing bass in a youth orchestra. I fell in love with the piece, when I first heard it at a concert given by U.C. Berkeley's orchestra at a time when my sister was in the viola section.)

The entire score of five movements form the arc of story of the passing of an evening. The first movement starts with the rowing of boats at dusk, but the rowers get more of an adventure than they bargained for.

The second movement suggests a nightwatchman makinig his rounds with a herd of cows in the distance.

The third movement is a wicked scherzo with spirits of the night wantonly celebrating in the moonlight.

The fourth movement is a romantic coach ride in the wee small hours, and the last movement is a bustling marketplace, after sunrise.

Can't wait to take a listen. Thanks for the recommendation Colin Hussey !

It's so great you want to dive into this. I'd say find someone who wants your feedback and collaboration as you go through your creative process :)

I actually love this question because the best composer-director relationships usually start before the music is written. A composer can understand the story, character and emotional arc first, then help translate what the audience should feel—not just fill the silence. The conversation between filmmaker and composer can become part of the storytelling itself.

Hi Shayla White , you don't need to have any knowledge of music theory or terminology to communicate with a composer. When I start a project, I hear the director's thoughts on the film and what type of score they'd like from me. I read the script, make musical cue notes for each scene, pitch ideas for those scenes, and then get to work. So really all you're having to do is review my first pitch, tell me what kind of changes you'd like to make and we let our work together evolve from there until it's finished.

Great points Michael Teisan, @Ayomide, Mark, & Collin! There are many ways to approach this, I think at the end of the day, it's really about finding someone who truly wants to create with you and is open to understanding what you're really looking for!

Whatever you do, DON'T use musical terms if you don't REALLY understand them. I am not a music guy, but I have a great relationship with my composer.

I can't speak to song curation, but when it comes to score, isn't it usually about emotion? Describe the emotions - even subtle shifts. And doesn't it seem like music has texture? It can be smooth, it can be frothy. I tend to describe emotion AND FOOD (no wonder I'm overweight). Food references bring texture emotion to mind for almost everyone (most of us DO in fact eat food from time to time).

For instance, my composer once wrote me a cue that was kinda right, but was tonally off. I realized that since he had been writing mostly for younger filmmakers, this cue had a youthful energy to it, but the couple in my story was older, they had kids in middle-school already. I told him that what we had NOW felt like the high school cheerleader and the star quarterback, like lemon meringue, but this couple has been around the block, they've had their ups and downs, but when it's good, it's GREAT - what we need is more of a creme brulee (I had no idea what I was talking about but he got me!!) I was STUNNED at what he gave me - NAILED IT! Tonal BULLSEYE! Find a common language with your composer that you BOTH understand (it doesn't have to be music). If you have some musical references, great, but what you really need is to describe how you want the audience to feel (and you don't want that audience to know you're manipulating them - what we're doing here is black magic). HAVE FUN WITH IT!!

Appreciate the insight, Ayomide! That hybrid approach really is the sweet spot having a guide track for direction while still leaving space to layer harmonies and textures. What kind of projects do you usually compose for?

Mostly Feature Films, Shorts, and faith-based projects, along with arranging and producing for church worship teams and gospel groups. I love building thematic soundscapes for screen and blending full cinematic orchestration with modern gospel dynamics. What kind of projects are on your plate right now?

Good posts. As a 5-decades + jazz organist w/o film experience, thanks for posting your thoughts and experiences.

Appreciate that, William W Dilks Sr! Jazz organists bring such incredible harmony and feel to music. Great to connect with you here!

Agree completely, @Ayomide!

PS: Since Old Henry was about the legendary Billy the Kid, here's Copland's music for the ballet, Billy the Kid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7chKWxMAAM . I wish the director of Old Henry had heard this piece of music prior to post-production.

Yes! I guess it goes to show that music can transcend language,culture, and time when you see how he embodied Americana, Colin!

Hi Wyman. I'm wrapping up a piece that's been on my mind for a few months: a musical exploration of particle physics.

I've always been fascinated with quantum mechanics. I think I would have been a physicist if I could have conquered the math! I've been reading a lot of books about quantum physics, and have been especially intrigued and dumbfounded by the idea of entanglement.

That led me to start wondering: what would a musical interpretation of this sound like?

I'm putting the finishing touches on it now.

Congratulations on your song being played at the Jamaican parade! Can you message me a link to it? I would love to hear it.

Sagar Jethani, thank you. Particle physics? The only thing I know about particles involves the dust bunnies living beneath the bed. I know nothing about quantum mechanics, but I did enjoy the TV show Quantum Leap. I am curious how your interpretation will sound. I guarantee that Pah Roo Lah Noos involves nothing related to math. Please let me know what you think if you listen.

Awesome track. You completely capture the Caribbean spirit throughout. The production is also incredibly strong!

My new piece is called "ENTANGLED", and it's the first one on my site:

https://baba-sah.bandcamp.com

If you can, try to listen on headphones or earbuds. I introduce some unusual things in the stereo field that are best heard that way!

(And I wish I could understand more about quantum mechanics than I do!)

Sagar Jethani, hi. I apologize. I have no idea how I missed your comment. I am glad that you like Pah Roo Lah Noos. The production is unfortunately A.I. I have written around 1,200 tunes in 17 months. Not one word has ever been A.I. generated. However, I have no production capabilities. I write songs and scripts.

I listened to Entangled with headphones. That is definitely the best way to listen. Entangled has an amazing feeling. Thanks for sharing.

Love this!!!

This was one of the first tunes, along with DONNA LEE, that was a jam seesion requirement that you had to know at Berklee in Boston. This tune takes a ton of work for improvisation, due to its harmonic complexity and movement. Thanks for sharing.

As a 5-decade jazz organist, I find it varies. If I have a need to create something, I start with a feel of what's needed (I'm Count Basie based). and work from there. If I'm practicing, sometimes I do something that hits, and work it out. Or other times I get a melody or fragment in my head while I'm away from Viscount Legend Soul 273 doing something completely non-musical, and hit the keys to see if it goes anywhere. I guess it depends on the mood. But it's always churning away, and that's the fun part.

Yes, you're right! For me, writing and composing is all about deeply feeling the emotion behind the words and riding that specific energy. What's beautiful is that this doesn't just apply to the singer but everyone in the music session, from the instrumentalists to the producers, has to lock into that same feeling for the song to truly come alive.

It's all about the inspiration, right? The creative journey to get to the final destination :)

For me it always starts with the melody. sometimes it takes only a hand full of minutes, sometimes a hand full of days. In either case the melody is the backbone, the bedrock of the tune!!

PS: I just finished listening to the entirety of Ravi Coltrane's 2nd album, From the Round Box. That album on its own would make a great soundtrack for a hard-boiled, film noir thriller.