What I wish I knew - Composer Video Transcripts
Video 1 Transcript
What I wish I knew or what I wish I would have known earlier is that you don't have to do everything on your own. I always try to learn every single software and learn every single program from designing albums, designing covers. I did not outsource in the beginning at all. I did everything. And what I wish I would have known earlier is that it's actually more beneficial to you if you can find someone who is very good at what they do, and then you can delegate and you can have someone design your cover for you. You can have someone who... I used to do all of my own mixing and mastering, so then I had to learn how to do the software for mixing and mastering. It took so long. Now I'll mix, but then I'll send off to have someone else master. Have others help you.
Video 2 Transcript
What I wish I knew? Everything. I scored so many pieces for films and wished that I had written something better. A lot of people come up and give me compliments. I've won awards. I get other jobs because of the music I've written previously. But for me, I'm not satisfied with what I've written. And that's what keeps me alive, is that opportunity I hope to get to write something better next time. I think that's a common feeling among composers. Maurice Ravel mentions that in his history, that he said, if I wrote the best piece, I would be done and never write again. So that's what I wish I knew.
Video 3 Transcript
I wish that I had not been maybe as afraid. I was super afraid to put out music at first. It's a very vulnerable thing, and you know that not everybody's going to like it, but honestly, you have to be bold and put it out, or you can't be in this business. Do the best you can. It doesn't have to be perfect. Do the best you can and put it out there and go forward, and if you have a song that just kind of bombs and it doesn't do what you wanted it to do, that's okay. There will be other songs. There are other opportunities in the future to do a better song, so don't be afraid.
Video 4 Transcript
I remember scoring a film in London and I just wasn't satisfied with what I had written. So I came home dejected because I thought the music wasn't that good. Everybody loved it, the orchestra loved it, the director loved it, everybody loved it but me, the composer. Years later I was sitting in my kitchen and the TV was running and by total coincidence that film came up and I didn't know what it was. I listened to the music from the other room and I thought that's really good music, wow, that is, wow, good job, I like that and I went through the whole thing. So finally out of curiosity I went into the living room to see what was playing and it was a film I had composed the music for earlier and had rejected it in my mind and now I loved it. It took all those years.
Video 5 Transcript
Early on in academia, I felt like I was always being pressured to compose in a certain style that wasn't necessarily me. Ultimately, I think once I embraced who I inherently am as a musician, what I gravitate towards, the types of music that I like to write, that's when I think I really flourished, right? I think the most important thing, and this is challenging for any young composer, but it's to take everything with a grain of salt and to really look for your own voice as a composer. I think, you know, when you're in school, your professors might want you to write in one way or another way. You know, maybe you feel drawn to other composers that you admire, and you try to, you know, mimic them. I mean, I think that's all fine for a while, but ultimately, you really need to discover who you are, and the sooner you can get there, the better, I think. So find your voice, find your brand, get it out there, and don't try to be a second-rate version of any other composer.
