How did your love of music evolve as a kid?
When I was really young, my musical experience was whatever my parents or older siblings played. That ranged from Al Green, The Isley Brothers, Grover Washington, Herbie Hancock, Earth Wind & Fire, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Curtis Mayfield, or Stevie Wonder… to David Bowie, Parliament-Funkadelic, Billy Idol, Christopher Cross, Toto, Fleetwood Mac, Prince/The Time, Michael Jackson, Sugar Hill Gang, Cameo, Def Leppard, George Michael, Hall & Oats, U2, Luther Vandross, Bobby Brown, Sade… and so many more…. But all that being said, I feel like these producers and songwriters across genres gave me a pretty vast understanding of music and creative expression. When I think of these artists and their music, there’s an emotional connection to my life at that time.
When did you realize that you wanted to be a composer?
It’s funny. When I was a kid listening to a favorite artist or album, I didn’t know what a producer or composer was. I remember singing since I was 4 years old, but I was super shy. I never walked around singing songs all day, but I took pride in my ability to use my voice as an instrument. I may have been about 8 or 9 years old when my brother and I used to goof around with an old-school cassette recorder and make up songs, but to me, it was only playing and just for fun. I never thought about the process of songwriting. It wasn’t until I was about 16 years old that I explored songwriting. I had a friend from high school that played guitar, and I played bass. We probably thought we’d end up in a “band”, but that fizzled out when we graduated. I was about 21 when I joined my first band and really explored live performance and eventually songwriting and production. My real transition into composing was during the time with my first band, when digital technology emerged and we went from analog to digital instruments. Most everyone in our band was a singer/multi-instrumentalist, so during our shows I went from playing my bass, to synth keys, to lead vocals, and guitar. We built a recording studio and I built my own home studio. Because I was able to play various instruments and midi-recording became popular, I was able to record my own songs by myself more efficiently. No more playing keys or bass parts throughout the whole song – sequencing and sampling became revolutionary. It was a pretty amazing time and really fun to learn.
If you could only take 2 instruments with you to a deserted island to compose and record a score for a drama film what would you take and why?
If only two… I would take a piano and a cello. Not only do I think those instruments are dramatic, but they’re extremely versatile in the various way they can be played to relay emotion.
What is one piece of advice you would tell your 20 year old self knowing what you know today?
I was recently thinking about this question. I’d say to trust your ability to create and stay focused on what’s important to achieve your own goals. Everything happens for a reason, so continue writing your story!
Where do you look for inspiration when starting a new project?
Many times I’ll research the style of music required and the origin of that particular genre. I’ll also think about the instruments used and see what resonates and inspires me the most and do research on other similar projects.
Can you tell us the process of composing a piece for picture and maybe how it differs from commercial work to films?
The process of composing is a bit ambiguous. Scoring or composing a piece to picture can typically be just that – finding the best tempo and emotion sometimes only happens when I’m experiencing the visual and playing along in real time. Identifying cue points, tempo changes and the mood is always an interesting process. I don’t think there’s only one “right” way. Commercial work can be the same process, but it depends on the type of spot and the role the music is playing. Many commercial projects may rely on editing an existing music track in post. TV can typically rely on custom cues, or existing stock/library music to support the visual.
Songs with lyrics are also important in the composing process of a score. And often collaborating with other songwriters and artists is important to find the right recipe for each project.
How can a director and or editor best prepare to work with a composer?
Because the creative process can start at various stages, some directors may not have given the music or score any thought at all. In most cases, the director or editor will have an idea of the genre and era of music they’d like in any given project or scene. The editor may temp the project as they’re editing and that’s typically the best way to relay any musical ideas. The script is a general roadmap or guideline but I always rely on the director’s vision. In some cases I’ve had the liberty to score a project as I saw fit, but I always remain open for any suggestions or comments from the director or even the editor. It’s usually a back and forth process.
What does inclusion and equity look like to you in the tv & film industry and what do you believe we can do to get there?
This is a loaded question, but for starters, it’s pretty simple. If you want to solve the diversity problem – just hire people of color – intentionally. To solve the equity problem isn’t as straight forward, but providing the resources for creative musicians and filmmakers to produce their own projects is a good start. Equity is built by creating opportunities of advancement. Access to capital and grants to build film/media studios owned by people of color is the ultimate goal. Just being hired isn’t working and it isn’t sustainable.
What is your favorite sound?
My favorite sound and instrument is a voice.
Do you have any interest in going to Mars?
Yes! After seeing some of the recent Rover images, It would be dope to go 4-wheeling on Mars.. with a Yeti cooler of snacks! I have my Sena connected in my helmet, so my audio issues are already solved… lol! (I’m being very serious tho.)