Our Roster of Creative Collaborators!

Dylan Charbeneau (aka BLVKSHP) began composing at an incredibly young age and joined the Score a Score roster in its early years after many years of touring and producing successful albums. His compositions span a seemingly limitless range of genres and land in a variety of mediums, from trailers to ads and beyond. Some of his most notable credits include Disney Universe, Quaker Oats’ “Off You Go” campaign, the LORO trailer, Pretty Little Liars, Cover Girl, promos for HBO’s Ballers, and Fastest Car on Netflix.

When did the journey start for you?

When I was four years old, I started playing classical piano. I fell in love with it immediately, and everything stemmed from there.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

Bach, Thelonious Monk, Gustav Holst, Radiohead, Jay Z, Bon Iver, Tom Waits, Phil Beaudreau, Flume, Nine Inch Nails, Leon Bridges, Sufjan Stevens, James Blake, Amy Winehouse, and hundreds more composers/artists.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

To make an eerie and unique low atmospheric tone, I set up mics in my old Los Angeles recording studio parking lot and rolled an old busted piano off the roof. Then I took the crash, which sounded amazing with all the wood and strings reverberating from the fall, and time stretched it from about seven seconds to two minutes in length. Overkill but awesome.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

The Korg Radias synthesizer

Other than your studio, where does inspiration most often strike? (or rather, “Where is the second most common place you come up with ideas?”)

Even more so than in the studio, inspiration strikes the most when I go on my daily walks through the streets of Barcelona. The architecture here is detailed, spans centuries, and is full of inspiration.

What’s your favorite score of all time?

Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Who is your favorite composer, and why?

Stravinsky. He innovated classical music by effectively combining Romanticism, Neoclassicism, and Serialism to create a sound that was uniquely his. I find his work to be some of the most interesting and moving music ever created.

Who is your “guilty pleasure” artist?

Robyn, all the way.

If you were stranded on a desert island with one album on your Walkman that somehow never ran out of power, what would it be?

Channel Orange, by Frank Ocean.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

Surround yourself with great people. You always want to continue learning and to be challenged, and the people you surround yourself with serve as the conduit to your future.

Matt Beilis is a singer-songwriter and piano player, having toured internationally in support of multi-platinum artists like Secondhand Serenade, Smokey Robinson, and Jay Leno. As a composer, Matt’s music has been featured in commercials for companies like Victoria’s Secret, Mastercard, Reebok, Honda, Jeep, Volkswagen, LinkedIn, ESPN, and many more household names. He also produced the official movie trailer for Disney’s brand new movie Stargirl starring Grace VanderWaal. Matt’s songs have racked up over four million spins on Spotify, 35,000 subscribers on YouTube, and received shout-outs from superstars like Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, and Ashton Kutcher.

When did the journey start for you?

I started playing piano when I was just under four years old. I took classical lessons and played my whole life. I first started singing and performing as an artist when I was about 22, which organically led to me producing songs/compositions around five years after that.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

I’m heavily into Louis Capaldi and James Blake right now. I tend to go toward stripped-sounding piano music in general but I pull from tons of different genres.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

I walked around Central Park with a stereo recorder and a stick hitting all kinds of different things. But that was the least weird thing happening in Central Park at that moment.

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

I tend to watch lots of YouTube cooking videos… in front of the same monitors.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

I’ve always been a piano guy growing up, but now I think it’s playing electric bass on a keyboard. Nothing lets you feel the same groove with just one instrument.

What was your latest gear purchase?

I recently bought the Novation Launchpad. It’s more for live performances than anything. So now it’s a beautiful coaster.

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your studio?

I love my Slate Digital VMS mic. It’s super versatile and sounds great everywhere.

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed. 

On the musical front, I’d say it’s being able to call myself a professional musician and making a living doing what I love. It was always my dream. On the non-musical front, I’d say I’m most proud of my little fam – my wife and son!

What’s your favorite score of all time?

I would have to throwback to Jurassic Park. I mean, come on.

Who is your favorite composer and why?

For the previous reason, I’d say John Williams overall as cliche as it is.

Who is your “guilty pleasure” artist?

I would go with Lil Dicky on this one. He is a low-key (or not so low-key) genius!

What’s the oddest job you’ve ever had?

I had a few internships at Morgan Stanley & Bank of America which were soul-dissolving (my college Plan A was Finance & Computer Science, an ever so slight difference from music).

If you were stranded on a desert island with one album on your Walkman that somehow never ran out of power, what would it be?

I think I could go with The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill for a pretty long time.

Jonathan Paulsen grew up in a musical family and started writing music in early high school. He created and arranged pieces for his marching band-mates, where he played the tenor trombone – and he also began learning the nuances of digital audio creation. This turned into somewhat of an obsession, and going on to attend the University of Oklahoma on the National Merit Scholarship, he received a degree in Music Composition under the instruction of Dr. Marvin Lamb, graduating with distinction in 2012. During those years he wrote both for the OKC student film circuit as well as his electronic side project, PrototypeRaptor. This project has taken him around the country performing shows and has generated over 3.5 million streams to date, eight albums, and numerous remixes and singles. After graduation, he focused on his production and composition endeavors while living in Dallas, Texas. Working closely with Score a Score on custom music and library tracks has led to placements in major campaigns for Android/iOS and Windows, as well as uses in Shameless on HBO and Shadowhunters on Freeform.

When did the journey start for you?

I started with piano lessons in elementary school, but I didn’t get into writing music until I was 12. I ended up dropping piano to play trombone in middle school band class and wanted to do brass arrangements for my friends to play. This led to the discovery of DAWs and then lots of (terrible) early-2000s-inspired electronic music.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

I have a didgeridoo I use more often than I should to get samples for experimental basses. It works surprisingly well.

Other than your studio, where does inspiration most often strike?

Almost without fail, as soon as I get up and start a chore, or have somewhere to be and can’t write, I’ll get some kind of idea. It’s always a matter of remembering it until I get back! I use a voice memo/journal on my phone to try and keep some record of things. Also, during showers. Zoning out is paradoxically the best thing for productivity I’ve ever done.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

I listen to a lot of different music. I try to absorb whatever I can to be ready for anything and to pull ideas from radically different genres for tracks.

I usually have radios going on Spotify to try to find new music to check out. They made it so much easier than crate digging. Straight from my recently played list:

Debussy, Stravinsky, Trent Reznor, Rachmaninoff, Aphex Twin, John Murphy, Holst, Martin O’Donnell, Pendulum, Nobuo Uematsu, Ghost in the Shell, deadmau5, Porter Robinson, Two Steps From Hell, Zapp & Roger, Muse, Justice, Chic, Bruckner, and Feed Me. This is already too long I’m sure so I’ll stop there.

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your studio?

My secret weapon is the Silver Bullet by LouderThanLiftoff. It’s the closest thing I know to a ‘betterizer’ that keeps me from spending a whole day tweaking a snare drum or trying to get a vocal to sit right.

Who is your “guilty pleasure” artist?

More of a genre, the 2000s europop I grew up with. Cascada, Eiffel 65, Scooter, Basshunter, Caramell. So sugary and sweet, it hurts so good. Also, Smash Mouth. Fush Yu Mang is legendary don’t @ me!

Max Farrar is an LA native who grew up surrounded by music. His father John is a successful songwriter/producer (“You’re the One That I Want” and “Physical”), and his mother Pat is a talented singer and pianist who toured the world in her twenties as a solo act and as a duo with Olivia Newton-John. His brother Sam is also a talented songwriter/producer and is part of the music group, Maroon 5.

After spending his early twenties in a band, Max eventually tried his hand at remixing. This led to producing and writing songs both for artists and commercials. He is a platinum-selling songwriter/producer with two Latin Grammy nominations, most recently writing and producing songs for Lewis Capaldi, The Script, and Au/Ra. His songs have been featured in major video games such as Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Death Stranding. His commercial compositions have been licensed by clients such as Lockheed Martin, Verizon, and Activision.

When did the journey start for you?

I started playing piano when I was very young, so that was the true beginning. But when I was probably nine or ten years old, my dad let me borrow his Roland synth, which was the first time I used anything with a sequencer on it. I had no idea what I was doing, but it was the first time I could record and layer tracks, which really blew my mind. That was when I went from wanting to learn more piano to wanting to be a producer/composer.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

There was one time I couldn’t figure out what to use as the main looping instrumental bit under a pop/rap-type track, and was getting extremely frustrated. In an attempt to step away from ‘work’, I was showing my wife a new plugin I was trying called Zynaptiq Pitchmap, which would let you shift an entire piece of audio in real time to fit a scale. I told my wife to sing something, but she isn’t a singer and just made some gibberish sounds that were completely atonal. But I threw them into Pitchmap with the song’s chords, and magically it became this really interesting flute-like melody. So, massive accident, but it worked!

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

Video games and binging TV shows!

What was your latest gear purchase?

Avatone Mixcubes, although I’ve been building a new home studio, so I haven’t actually used them.

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your studio?

I got a Prophet Rev2 a few years back and while I don’t use it all the time, I always turn it on if I’m looking for inspiration. Fantastic sounds and the oscillator slop knob is so cool.

What’s your favorite score of the year?

The last two years I guess, but I think the music on Killing Eve is phenomenal. So unique!

What’s your favorite score of all time?

Oh wow! I’ll say a few… John William’s theme to the movie Sabrina always blew my mind. Random, I know. I’ll always love Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” and “Reverie.” Lastly, the music of the first fifteen minutes or so of Up… I cry every time, without fail.

Who is your favorite composer and why?

It’s hard to nail down a favorite composer but I do think Hans Zimmer was probably the most impactful for me, especially with the Inception soundtrack. It really sparked a renewed interest in composition for me and drove me to learn a lot more synthesis.

GHOSTLAND is the brainchild of Nicolle Chirino and Aaron Fishbein offering a never-ending well of music and creativity for the world of entertainment and advertising. Placements include Google, Trolli, JanSport, Crest, Western Union, Audible, Verizon, Eliquis, TikTok, Salesforce, Cisco, Wawanesa Insurance, Zillow, Direct TV, Reverie, TrailheaDX, Bydureon, Bauer Healthcare, MasterCard, Sprint, Theme for The George Lopez Show, and more.

Nicolle is a Miami-based singer-songwriter/producer, daughter to renowned Latin musicians, Willy Chirino and Lissette Alvarez, and granddaughter of Cuban music & TV stars, Olga y Tony. At a young age, she started playing the Miami music scene as a guitarist, singer, backup singer, bassist, and even a drummer with local and global acts. She attended the New World School of The Arts for musical theater in high school and studied music production at SAE Institute. When she was a teenager, she and her four sisters formed a band, The Chirino Sisters, who were signed to Sony and won the global song and music competition, the OTI, for the US; the second time ever in its long history.

She also won the very first Florida Grammy Showcase as a new artist and then signed with Universal Music Publishing as a songwriter for 15 years. She has written songs for acts from the U.S., Sweden, Europe, and Latin America and composes music for film, TV, and ad campaigns. Nicolle’s solo music merges several genres blending her sultry voice and acoustic guitar with pop music, indie rock, bossa, jazz, and classic rock & soul. She also has recorded, toured, and performed with several groups, both as the artist and as a backing musician with well-known artists.

Aaron grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio studying classical music and graduated from the Creative and Performing Arts High School, then attended Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music studying music composition. He ultimately moved to Miami and got into the recording studio at Miami-Dade College, which opened many new doors. As a recording musician and writer, Aaron has worked with famed producers Scott Storch, Rodney Jerkins, Big Bert, and Kara Dioguardi, and has learned along the way working with leading recording engineers Jimmy Douglas, Dave Pensado, Bob Rosa, Dave Way, Tom Lord-Alge, Dave Ivory, and Gary Noble.

Aaron is well known for his work as a musician and writer on platinum pop albums. His talent can be heard on recordings with megastars such as Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, Enrique Iglesias, The Notorious BIG, and Quincy Jones. He has also written and produced ad music for many major international brands. Before he entered the production world, Aaron had a strong stint in the reggae music scene as a guitarist. He recorded and performed with various Marley family members, performed at Sunsplash Jamaica, toured with Austin, Texas band The Killer Bees, and recorded with legends Sly and Robbie in Kingston, Jamaica.

When did the journey start for you?

Nicolle: Growing up with parents, grandparents, and sisters who were/are musicians, I don’t remember a time when I didn’t sing and write songs. The memory I do recall was finding out that everyone didn’t sing or play instruments and thinking that was so weird and kind of feeling sorry for them.

There was a time though when my father sat me down when I was 15 and warned me that the life of a musician isn’t always easy and has many ups and downs and that if that was the path I chose, to do it only because of the love for the craft and not for fame as that can come and go. Here I am many years later. Although it hasn’t always been easy, I’m still feeling the love.

Aaron: My mom has told this story so many times that I think it’s true. When I was a toddler I wandered off in a department store, and when they found me I said I was trying to find where the music was coming from. Piano lessons came soon after, then guitar and French horn. I’m fairly certain I’m the only person who’s played Mozart’s horn quartets and recorded guitar with Michael Jackson LOL.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

Nicolle: I don’t know about it being the strangest method, but the strangest thing I’ve ever recorded for a song required several mics, a bucket of water, and different household items being dunked inside to produce a water dunking splashing sound. There was also lap-slapping percussion. There was definitely some compression required.

Aaron: Back in the olden days, I made a break for a song by setting a cassette Walkman across the room, putting it on record, and playing a fill on a snare drum. I then sampled that into an Emax II sampler, played it in reverse, then forward. It sounded perfect on the track. Not sure if that’s strange, but damn we used to go to all kinds of lengths to get sounds.

What was your latest gear purchase?

Nicolle: Weirdly enough my last purchase for the studio was an Amazon toy instrument binge where I bought a Kazoo metal trumpet, a slide whistle, a classical toy piano, a harmonica, and a xylophone. I also bought an Artiphon Orba, which is a handheld synth, looper plus controller to add to my rig for live shows.

Aaron: Retro Instruments OP-6 mic preamp – this thing sounds amazing on anything with any mic. 

Is there a piece of music you’re most proud of?

Nicolle: That’s a hard one. I’m usually most proud of the last thing I write or produce, no matter how silly. That moment is fleeting though, which is what keeps me wanting to make more.

Aaron: I’ve played guitar and bass on singles for Beyonce and Christina Aguilera, but I was more proud to play on a Trick Daddy song with Ronald Isley – everything came full circle and I was following in Jimi Hendrix’s footsteps!

What’s your favorite score of the year?

Nicolle: The one that comes to mind is by a friend, Carlos Rafael Riviera, for The Queens Gambit. Great show and the music is compelling and beautiful.

Aaron: DEVS – Ben Salisbury, Geoff Barrow and The Insects

If you were stranded on a desert island with one album on your walkman that somehow never ran out of power, what would it be?

Nicolle: This is impossible, but I just went on a road trip and listened to Songs In The Key of Life by Stevie Wonder from beginning to end and it made me laugh and cry and sing and reminisce. I remember being almost sad when we got there and feeling like I could listen to it all over again on the way back. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac anytime, anywhere!

Aaron: Bach’s Goldberg Variations by Glenn Gould, always puts me in the best frame of mind.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

Nicolle: The best advice I think in life and in music is to listen. As Miles Davis or Debussy or whoever said… “Music is the space in between the notes.” That has always rang true to me and I think about that every time I’m producing, composing, and even playing solo or in a band. Often less is more and gives space for what needs to be heard and come through.

Aaron: When I was 20 years old, I was touring with reggae bands, and I wound up spending a lot of time with Bob Marley’s lead guitar player Al Anderson. I said something to him about how cool it must be to get all the adulation when he’s on the road, and he said, “Man, it’s not about all that. It’s about that moment when you’re on stage and your guitar and your amp are singing, and the mix between your monitor and what you’re hearing coming back from the front of the house is perfect. That feeling is what it’s all about.” It took me another year or two to get it, but those transcendent musical moments ARE the reward.

Evan Wilson was fortunate to cross paths with Jordan Passman at an ASCAP composer workshop back in 2009, right before the genesis of Score a Score. After a lunch at a New York City Whole Foods and delicious pastrami at Canter’s in LA, a steady collaboration began, leading to artistically rewarding projects such as the Netflix docuseries, Fearless, Chef’s Table, a prominent trailer for Fox Searchlight’s Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and numerous commercial placements. Evan works across disciplines, producing music for film, television, dance, theater, podcasts, and more. His score to the movie La Soga (2009 Toronto International Film Festival), won an award for best music in a feature film at the 2010 Oaxaca International Film Festival. Other highlights include: Forged (2010 NYILFF and 2010 LALIFF), A Kiss of Chaos, a Latino thriller (2009 American Black Film Festival and 2009 NYILFF); Salvage, (2006 Sundance Film Festival); Tryst, released by Maverick Entertainment; and Rise of the Dead, released by Lionsgate.

When did the journey start for you?

Music has always been around as my grandfather was a choral conductor and music educator. I still play and record his beautiful 1930s Steinway baby grand! After six years of dutiful piano lessons, I discovered guitar and Hendrix. In a way, Hendrix was the gateway drug to being a serious musician. What an artist! That led to Oberlin Conservatory and many years of technical training across genres.

How do you decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

I love to cook, and the kitchen is often my happy place. I also practice and teach tai chi, which definitely helps calm the nervous system.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

The guitar has always been my real love, even though my chops are unfortunately a bit rusty these days. I picked up a Cordoba mini guitar during quarantine, which is really fun to play. It plays like a guitar but has a uke sound.

Is there a piece of music you’re most proud of?

The score I wrote for La Soga is one of my favorites because it was written early on when I was less focused on what film music “should” sound like. The film itself has a very poetic visual style and married well to my music.

Other than your studio, where does inspiration most often strike? (or rather, “Where is the second most common place you come up with ideas?”)

Usually looking out the window into the open sky, or when taking a walk.

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed.

I love that I’ve carved out a nontraditional career that’s become fruitful. I’m proud that I stuck to this unconventional path despite lots of difficult and trying times in which I questioned my life choices. The freedom to pursue work I love is a priceless reward, and I bow humbly in thanks to the universe often. In this, the professional is the personal, and vice versa!

Who is your favorite composer, and why?

One composer is too tough, but I relisten to Arcangelo Corelli’s “Violin Sonatas” more than anything else I think (specifically Andrew Manze’s interpretation). They have a beautiful balance between Italian melodic grace and sophisticated harmonies.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

“Believe in yourself” – my dad

Danilo Stankovic is a composer based in Vienna, Austria. He draws his passion and drive from his curiosity and love for music in all its eclectic forms. His early interest in music grew as he formally started studying classical piano and music theory at age six and envisaged becoming a concert pianist. Danilo then studied music composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts and at the Music Conservatory in Vienna. He is formally trained as a classical pianist and composer. Additionally, Danilo attended various film scoring masterclasses with Hollywood composers Alexandre Desplat, James Newton Howard, Richard Bellis, and Bruce Broughton. This inspired his decision to pursue a film-scoring career.

His music can be heard in short films, radio and television advertisements for major brands, movie trailers, TV shows, internet campaigns, and arrangements for vocal artists. His credits include music for major brands such as Mastercard, Nintendo, LinkedIn, Toyota, Microsoft, Netflix and many more.

When did the journey start for you?

My family introduced me to classical music at a very young age. We used to listen a lot to classical music on the radio and cassette player. When I was five years old, I was listening to my older brother practicing piano. I would then play his exercises and music from the radio by ear on the piano. Since then I started attending music school playing classical piano and learning music theory at the age of six.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

To name a few: Alexandre Desplat, John Williams, Thomas Newman, Bernard Herrmann, Philip Glass, Arvo Pärt, Stravinsky, Chopin, Ravel, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Brad Mehldau, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, and Keith Jarrett.

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

I like to take long walks in the city and spend time in nature.

Other than your studio, where does inspiration most often strike? (Or rather “Where is the second place you come up with ideas?”

Definitely when I am in nature. I find a lot of inspiration in the mountains.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

I used to play the trumpet but nowadays I like to play Kalimba for fun.

What was your latest gear purchase?

Expressive E – Touché.

Is there a piece of music you’re most proud of?

“Pieces” for Solo Piano. I feel grateful that this track reached over one billion streams on TikTok.

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed.

Doing what I love and dreamed of since my childhood. I am proud that through music I am able to reach and inspire many people around the world. A personal achievement that I am proud of is when my wife and I hiked and camped for 14 days during the Tour du Mont Blanc, crossing France, Italy, and Switzerland by foot for 200 km (124 miles).

What’s your favorite score of the year?

1917.

What’s your favorite score of all time?

Other than Star Wars, The Ghost Writer.

An accomplished and popular American composer, Charlie Barnett is the winner of numerous awards for his film scores. Barnett also writes music for television; his credits include Saturday Night Live, Weeds, Royal Pains, and Archer.

Barnett’s lively orchestral and chamber works are performed both nationally and internationally. His theatrical scores include 19: The Musical, a show about the fight for women’s suffrage, and When We Get There, a 1960’s 1960s-era civil rights musical.

As a producer, Barnett has recorded scores of pop and jazz albums for labels including Def Jam and Elektra. As a performer, he plays guitar and piano for Chaise Lounge, an eclectic jazz band that frequently appears on the national college radio charts with his original compositions.

Barnett also writes and has been heard as an occasional commentator on NPR. His essay “Hitching a Ride with Junior McGee” was included in the network’s Classic Driveway Moments compilation.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

While scoring a six-part documentary series, I needed a large percussive, ringing, and unearthly sound. Outside my favorite recording studio, I found an upright piano on the street waiting for the junk man. I talked two young interns from the studio into stripping it down to just the harp and strings. We set it up in the studio and played it with a wire brush and a brass hammer. We named it the Kablangiphön. I have never found anything else that sounded like it. I would have used it on other projects, but the studio wouldn’t let me keep it there.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

Heaven help me, but I love any chance I get to play my accordion. The first instrument I ever played was the five-string banjo. I still love playing that, especially the old-time frailing style.

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed.

As a composer: I collaborated with Dr. Maya Angelou on a piece that she performed at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree. The piece was played by the US Navy Band and a choir, to accompany Dr. Angelou reciting her poem “Peace.” I spent several days with her at her home in North Carolina writing the sketches for this.

In civilian life: I was the chairman of the board for Maryland Youth Ballet for ten years, starting at a moment of crisis when the prior board had dissolved in conflict and the ballet school had lost its lease. During that time, I helped raise funds for and build a new state-of-the-art facility. It was one of the most stressful and ultimately satisfying things I’ve ever done.

What’s your favorite score of all time?

The Man Who Would Be King by Maurice Jarre. His use of the traditional ballad, “The Minstrel Boy” makes me cry every time I hear Michael Caine and Sean Connery sing it. This is a beautiful, grand, old-school film score.

Who is your “guilty pleasure” artist?

There was a French composer named Roger Roger who wrote production tracks for French TV in the 1950s and 1960s. Someone put out a CD of his music several years ago called Grands Travaux. To some, this might sound like “elevator music.” But the melodies are great, the orchestrations are clever, the performances are excellent and the recordings hold up after all these years. If it is “elevator music” then it has reached the top floor. These tunes make me smile every time I hear them.

Who is your dream composer dinner guest and why?

Oliver Nelson. There are very few jazz albums that have stood up like The Blues and the Abstract Truth has—for sixty years! I love the recording, the playing, the writing, the arranging. I would ask him about his working methods as an arranger. He would certainly have some stories about working with Bill Evans, Eric Dolphy, Paul Chambers, Roy Haynes, and Freddy Hubbard all in the same session. I somehow feel that a guy who had such an organized mind for music would be a great dinner companion.

What are your other hobbies when you’re not in the studio?

For the past few years, I have been on a deep dive into classical Greece. I started by studying the myths and then moved on to studies of the tragedians. Lately, I’ve been learning about the pre-Socratic philosophers. The surprising thing about all of it is that all of the issues from the 5th century BCE feel so current. The rules of tragedy apply to current playwriting. The questions that Socrates asks are still unanswered. And the myths still have lessons that are important to understand.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

My mother was a farm girl from Maine. Once, when I was complaining to her about not having enough work, she said: “When we had downtime on the farm, we would go to the shed and sharpen the tools.” It was such a simple statement and was spoken without irony. But I have never forgotten it. And whenever I am less than fully employed, I make sure to spend some time sharpening the tools of my trade.

Ygor Ghensev is a composer and cellist who is very passionate about stories and the art of stirring all kinds of emotions through music. He had a traditional musical education that started at the age of 12 on classical guitar. A few years later, his desire to play in an orchestra made him switch from the acoustic guitar to the cello, with which he has built a career as a member of several orchestras. His passion for music and his desire to create and tell stories led him to the art of composition, in which he was self-taught, exploring different soundscapes to create his own voice. His music can be heard in advertising campaigns for companies like Microsoft, LinkedIn, Wired Magazine, Miami Tourism, Banner Health, as well as in Netflix’s series Fastest Car, television shows such as 20/20, Good Morning America, Nightline, and in several documentaries.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

This list could be a huge list but to name a few: Thomas Newman, Alexandre Desplat, Phillip Glass, Gustavo Santaolalla, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Ólafur Arnalds. Bands like Sigur Rós, and Coldplay. I also have a special love for baroque music mainly from Handel.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

I love to explore with soft, delicate sounds so I’m always experimenting. Like playing the guitar with fluffy gloves or the cello pitched down as much as possible to get a soft dark timbre and so on.

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

Run, learn a new idiom (for now I’m trying to improve my Russian), and perfect my burger recipe. Also, I’m getting addicted to playing chess. 

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

I’m very comfortable playing all kinds of stringed instruments so I´m always messing around with those.

What’s your favorite score of all time?

The first ones that came to my mind and had a great impact on me were American Beauty by Thomas Newman and Gladiator by Hans Zimmer.

What was your latest gear purchase?

An old violin I took from my wife’s family!

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

Being unabashedly yourself is the best way to be both successful and happy.

Tano Brock is a San Francisco-born producer, songwriter, and mix engineer based in Los Angeles, CA. He grew up in a musical family and began playing numerous instruments at a young age. In his early teenage years, Tano discovered the world of recording and production and became infatuated with writing and producing his own music. This jump-started his career as an artist, songwriter, and producer, leading him to release a completely self-made album at the age of 18. Tano’s music has been featured in ads for brands such as Verizon, Netflix, Microsoft, Adobe, Uber, Salesforce, and more. He also works regularly as a producer and mix engineer, working with artists such as up-and-coming reggaetón performer La Doña, and singer-songwriter Anna Shoemaker.

When did the journey start for you?

I have been surrounded by music for as long as I can remember. Both my parents are musicians, so music was a central part of my family’s household growing up. I started studying darbuka, a Turkish/Middle Eastern drum, when I was six years old, and began piano lessons a year later.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

Paul McCartney first and foremost—The Beatles’ music was the first music I truly fell in love with, and Paul’s songs specifically have had a huge influence on my songwriting. As far as more contemporary composers/artists go: Ryan Tedder, Khalid, The Weeknd, Rosalía, Cautious Clay, and Kehlani; to name a few.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

This may not be so strange, but it was an amazing happy accident. I was working on a song with my partner Aya Safiya, and we were on opposite coasts working remotely. I sent her a track with an instrumental framework and a single lead vocal part. She experimented and recorded A LOT of takes of slightly different background vocal lines, playing around with different ideas. When she sent me the files, I imported them into my session and pressed play to take a listen. I intended to solo the first track to hear each part individually, but I apparently didn’t press the solo button. Before I was able to press pause, there was a 50+ person gospel choir singing through my monitors. I was absolutely blown away. This accidental choir became a key part of the song. The song is called “Oh Me Oh My.”

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

Baking! In recent years I’ve gotten really into cooking, especially baking. Making sourdough bread forces me to be patient, work with my hands, and really connect with my sense of touch—the perfect contrast to working with my ears all day.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

If I were answering this question a few years ago, I would say saxophone—sax & clarinet have become my primary instruments in the last decade, but recently I’ve fallen back in love with electric guitar! Channeling my 13-year-old rock band self.

What was your latest gear purchase?

This wasn’t technically a purchase, but Kali Audio just sent me a pair of their new IN-8 coaxial 3-way monitors, and I am absolutely loving them. Game changers for me.

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed.

Professional: This one is sort of a combination of pride and gratitude, but I am proud and very grateful that I have never had to have a job that isn’t music-related. This is something I’ve always hoped to achieve, and so far so good!

Personal: Bringing it back to food again… When I put a lot of time and effort into making food, serving the finished product to friends and family and enjoying it with them always brings me lots of pride and happiness.

Who is your “guilty pleasure” artist?

Right now I would say Bad Bunny. His stuff just slaps so hard.

If you were stranded on a desert island with one album on your Walkman that somehow never ran out of power, what would it be?

This one is really hard. It would probably have to be a Beatles album. I’m gonna go with… Abbey Road.

“Uniting people who on the surface may seem to have little in common” – Drum! Mag. Such is the case with Los Angeles-based drummer/percussionist, Nicole Grant, better known to friends and fans alike as, Nikki G. With her versatile musical background, performing in everything from symphonies to punk bands, she has built and manages to maintain a musical and spiritual bond beyond measure. With her unique abilities, not only as a drummer, but as a multi-instrumentalist, performer, producer, and composer it’s no wonder this independent musician’s versatile side of life has opened ears and eyes everywhere.

Top-performing credits: Street Drum Corps, Lindsey Haun, Katy Perry, and Thirty Seconds To Mars. Top composing credits: Starz, Twitter, Hotels.com, Facebook, and Rocket Mortgage.

When did the journey start for you?

I was born into a musical family, in fact, we are celebrating 100 YEARS of musicians throughout our family line so the journey arguably started the day I was born when my parents had to leave a musical they were performing in when my mom went into labor, soon to return the next day as I slept a day old in the orchestra pit. Officially my personal musical journey began when I was four years old, I started on the piano with my mom who’s a classical pianist, and from there, ironically, it was my mom who chose what would become my life’s passion, DRUMS.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

I’ve always been all over the musical map, if you look at my resume I’ve been fortunate to be involved in many different groups from orchestras, punk rock, funk, and street drumming ensembles. So when I’m composing I have the same eclectic approach and can find inspiration from John Phillip Sousa, John Williams, George Clinton, to Rancid.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

The world is literally my musical playground and a lot of things I use in tracks are “incognito” everyday items. One time in the studio I really wanted to get a big bass drum sound from a big plastic trash can but just striking it with a mallet wasn’t enough, so I taped it to two chairs leaving the opening in between the chairs while balancing on a stool, hovering over several microphones and with my tiny but mighty striking power I finally got the BIG BOOM!

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your studio?

Straight outta the 1990s, it’s my good ol’ Casio MK-1630 keyboard. It’s been with me since I was a teenager and has been the very foundation that’s gotten me some of my biggest gigs. We go way back and it goes to show you that you don’t always need the fanciest equipment or the latest and greatest to make impactful music.

What’s your favorite score of all time?

It seems a bit cliche, but the first score I felt intensified the importance of music supporting an impactful story was Star Wars. I come from a very small town and we didn’t have much access to the outside world, but when my dad showed me Star Wars my mind was blown. I just wanted to listen to the music over and over and over.

Flash forward, getting the opportunity to see the one and only John Williams conduct the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl brought instant happy tears. It wasn’t just to see one of the greats in action but to see the essence of what music can do, unite all walks of life. It’s a timeless score that has brought more people together than we may realize and it’s one score I’ll always cherish.

What’s the oddest job you’ve ever had?

I was a member of a street drumming group for the better part of a decade that toured throughout the US and Canada but also had a residency at Knott’s Scary Farm. We performed on everything from trash cans, barrels, pipes, auto parts, and the occasional power tool. Never did I ever think that street drumming would become such a huge chapter of my life, but still to this day, I am grateful for the experience and definitely have a lot of interesting stories.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

“The show must go on…” figuratively and literally. Growing up in a musician-filled household and becoming a professional at a very young age, this lesson was constantly taught and shown to me on a daily basis. It’s something when you are a performer, you give your all while deeply respecting and holding great responsibility behind the privilege of being able to express one’s passion through music. The show must go on can also be in a literal sense of the one time I accidentally cut my arm open with a metal grinder during a show but continued to finish the show to eventually bow, exit, and be rushed to the hospital. Not recommended, DO NOT try that anywhere.

The biggest lesson of all inside the saying “The show must go on…” is perseverance. Perseverance is key to the greatness life has to offer, it may not always be an easy ride or go as we planned but if you stay steady on the course towards betterment you’ll reach the unimaginable or as my family always says “Vita Brevis Ars Longa” life is short, but art lives long so make every note count.

Stuart Moore is a composer, producer, and musician, originally from the UK and now residing in Sacramento, California. He has been writing music for TV, film, commercials, and various other media for the past 12 years and also performs live regularly when there are no pandemics happening. He has a passion for many types of music but is particularly drawn to soul, jazz, and funk in its many forms, from small ensembles to the great movie scores of the ’60s and ’70s. His music has been used in a number of advertising campaigns, most notably Volkswagen, Sprint, Dove, Jim Beam, Ford, and Miller Lite as well as over 500 TV shows and a number of independent films.

When did the journey start for you?

I started playing keyboards in my early teens. At the time I wanted to be a house music producer but as I discovered a passion for other styles of music, my tastes and ambitions changed. I still wouldn’t mind writing a club classic though if the opportunity arose.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

I became a huge fan of Stevie Wonder in my teen years. His rhythms, harmonies, and lyrics never fail to inspire. Prince is also a hero of mine. I can’t imagine how he ever found the time to write that much music and learn all those instruments.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

I’d say the only times I’ve used strange methods, I’ve got anything but the perfect sound. Before we had access to the amazing technology we have today and when I didn’t really know any other musicians, I used to record myself hitting random objects to make drum sounds. It usually ended up sounding awful though.

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

I have dinner with my wife and daughter and then watch TV like most people do.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

The only instrument I ever stuck with was the keyboard. I tried various others including trumpet, saxophone, guitar, and harmonica but found the keyboards to be the least painful to play.

What was your latest gear purchase?

Most of my purchases these days are in software form. When I start gigging again, I’m going to buy a keytar. Life’s too short not to.

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your studio?

A MiniMoog model D. I don’t use it because it’s a pain in the a** to use but at least it looks cool.

Is there a piece of music you’re most proud of?

I have several I’m proud of. One in particular was a fairly simple piece for piano and strings. A singer from the UK named Nathan Grisdale added vocals to it and really transformed it into something magical. The track is titled “Teenage Days.”

Other than your studio, where does inspiration most often strike? (or rather “Where is the second most common place you come up with ideas?”)

Usually when I’m out walking my dog is a good time to think.

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed.

I got to play some shows on keyboards with the Delfonics a couple of years ago. Being such a fan of classic soul, I was proud to share the stage with such a great vocal group. In my personal life, I’d have to say my daughter. She’s a teenager and I think she still likes me, so that’s quite an achievement.

What’s your favorite score of all time?

That’s a really tough one. I think I’d have to say Bernard Herrmann’s score for Taxi Driver.

Who is your favorite composer and why?

I’d have to say Lalo Schifrin. It doesn’t get much cooler than the theme from Bullitt.

Who is your “guilty pleasure” artist?

I feel like the older I get almost everything I listen to is a guilty pleasure, lol. I’m a sucker for some Neil Sedaka every now and again. Especially the song “Laughter In The Rain.”

What’s the oddest job you’ve ever had?

I briefly worked for a company that sold cars online. 100% of the calls I received were from customers whose cars had broken down soon after they’d purchased them, sometimes within minutes or they never even received the car. Soul destroying and please don’t buy a car without seeing it and test-driving it first.

If you were stranded on a desert island with one album on your Walkman that somehow never ran out of power, what would it be?

Do greatest hits albums count? Either way, it has to be one of Stevie Wonders. Probably Songs In The Key Of Life as it’s a double album and has such a great variety of songs.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

Don’t worry about the chords, just play something.

Chris Burrink adds a touch of magic to the Score a Score roster with his intriguing emotional style. His compositions have enhanced stories for filmmakers and brands around the world. His film credits include the original score for the feature documentary The Flying Dutchmen, Shaun Monson’s film Unity, and the Netflix series Fastest Car. His music has also been featured on the White House YouTube channel and licensed by brands such as Google, Microsoft, TikTok, LinkedIn, Marriott, Hyundai, Blue Cross Blue Shield, World Bank, and Cigna.

When did the journey start for you?

It was ultimately the movie August Rush that inspired me to quit my paintless paintball business and start making music.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

My two-year-old made an extraordinary snort while the camera was rolling. The sound was nearly perfect already—just needed a little EQ.

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu. My thoughts become calm and clear when I have to defend myself against someone who’s trying to break or choke me.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

I’m renovating our home at the moment, so I’ve been sampling my construction materials and tools. I’ve had the most fun playing with the pile of corrugated drain pipes.

What was your latest gear purchase?

Well, I had a fast-turnaround project come in right as a bad bios update bricked my motherboard. So I drove up to the city to buy new parts and assembled a new machine to meet the deadline. Okay, okay— I splurged! Now, I stare at my resource monitor and grin like Monty Burns.

Other than your studio, where does inspiration most often strike? (or rather “Where is the second most common place you come up with ideas?”)

I like to hum to the sound of motors and machines. It can be the refrigerator at the gas station, a buzzing light, the neighbor’s lawnmower, or the steady 220Hz drone of my Sonicare toothbrush. For me, inspiration usually tastes like toothpaste.

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed.

The Flying Dutchmen. I was overwhelmed with pride & emotion when I experienced the audience’s laughter & tears from the back row of the theater.

The Brrr Rink. Each winter I build and maintain a temporary 5000 sq’ ice rink in my yard, I stare at it with great pride, and then I pray that people will get to enjoy it before it melts.

Who is your favorite composer and why?

I just love the way that Thomas Newman uses harmonics. Where others might prefer more of a grandiose approach, he often finds more subtle ways to get the job done, and I think his humility gives him access to the audience’s emotions at a deeper level.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

“Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.” – Jordan Peterson

Gabriel Benjamin is a singer/songwriter/producer from Oak Park, CA. While writing songs for artists such as Avicii (“The Nights”) and Au/ra x Camelphat (“Panic Room”), he‘s been writing for sync and meticulously crafting his debut EP Way Too Young. His songwriting showcases a fusion of hooky pop melodies with the skinny jean-pop/rock lyrics that shaped his teenage palette. Recent credits: Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2, Magic: The Gathering commercial, HBO Max commercial, CBS Love Island, NBC World of Dance, Netflix Selling Sunset.

When did the journey start for you?

Well, it REALLY started at age nine when I put my little brother on tin pans and banged out my first song on my keyboard. Professionally, I’ve been in the music industry since 2015.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

Composers: Danny Elfman and John Williams.

Producers: Ryan Tedder, Max Martin, and Pharrell.

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

Yoga, video games, Cooking, and a bit’o’whiskey.

What was your latest gear purchase?

Arctic White Fender P-Bass! It’s beautiful!

Is there a piece of music you’re most proud of?

Probably “The Nights” by Avicii

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed.

1) Having a multi-platinum song travel around the world and touch people on a personal level. Unreal!

2) Being able to make music my career.

Who is your “guilty pleasure” artist?

Bhad Bhabie. I can’t stop.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

Comparison is the thief of joy.

David Das is a prolific composer, music producer, and songwriter based in Los Angeles. His experience covers feature films, TV shows, cartoons, commercials, trailers, and other media work, as well as modern music production, choral and orchestral writing/arranging, and more. He has worked on projects for Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox, CollegeHumor, Funny or Die, DirecTV, Dreamworks, Fremantle, Intel, BBDO, HBO, PBS, TLC, Telemundo, Weight Watchers, Coca-Cola, Hal Leonard, and many others. He has composed music for dozens of TV shows and scored films such as Lionsgate’s feature thriller The Appearing and the drama Trafficked. He has also written additional music for films such as US and See You Yesterday, plus written and produced songs for numerous pop, rock, R&B, soul, and indie artists. He serves as President of the Academy of Scoring Arts and is on the board of the Society of Composers & Lyricists.

When did the journey start for you?

Probably around two years old while bossing my family around telling them what tracks they could and couldn’t play on the record player then throwing a fit when they put on the wrong track.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

I go all the way from Maurice Ravel to Dirty Loops. I love listening to any musician who can create something inspiring that moves me.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

Anytime I pick up a new instrument it’s fun to see what I can make it do. Sometimes it’s the instruments I know the least that make me think differently about how to make music.

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your studio?

My 8-track player.

Is there a piece of music you’re most proud of?

Over the years I’ve composed thousands of cues and songs so I don’t know how to pick favorites. Each cue has a little part of me in it. Two film scores I’ve written have songs that I’m really proud of such as “Disappear”, co-written with Rachael Yamagata, featured in The Appearing, and “Fly Away”, co-written with Ginny Owens, featured in Trafficked.

Other than your studio, where does inspiration most often strike? (or rather “Where is the second most common place you come up with ideas?”)

When I’m on TikTok. No, seriously, TikTok is rewiring my brain on how music relates to pictures. I think it’s going to define a lot of where media music and advertising are headed. The diversity and the creativity going on there is magnetizing.

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed.

Musical/professional: doing my earliest arrangements for my peers in orchestra and band when I was in junior high and getting them performed. This was the spark that lit the flame that will burn for the rest of my life. Life-changing thanks to my music teachers.

Personal: despite the challenges and pressures of this industry that occasionally test me to my limit, I have an awesome family, and great kids, and am able to keep forging forward every day with music.

Who is your “guilty pleasure” artist?

Debbie Gibson for evah!

What’s the oddest job you’ve ever had?

Producing 1800 different versions of a kid’s CD with the child’s name spliced in dozens of times across each album. I’ve produced multiple albums for Disney, Sesame Street, Barney, Wiggles, and others.

If you were stranded on a desert island with one album on your Walkman that somehow never ran out of power, what would it be?

I think Bruce Hornsby’s The Way It Is might keep me sane the longest. Take 6’s debut album Take 6 might keep me occupied the longest because I’d spend my days transcribing every singer’s part. Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and 2 would just keep my soul happy. Give me a 120-minute cassette so I can squeeze it all into one cassette.

Alex Collier & Joshua Smoak (aka Eastward Music) is a Charleston, SC-based music composition studio led by award-winning composers Alex Admiral Collier and Joshua Smoak. With a wealth of experience, the duo produces original music for a wide range of media, specializing in long and short-form documentaries, advertising, and film.

After studying film score and production at Berklee College of Music, Collier and Smoak returned to Charleston to launch their own agency. As the sole operators of Sunday Entertainment, they have since composed a range of diverse music with notable placements including Google, Got Milk?, Honda, Nature Valley, American Express, TOMS Shoes, Hallmark, Liberty Mutual, PGA, Quiksilver, Brita, among others.

Both skilled composers and multi-instrumentalists in their own right, the duo are involved in many outside projects. Collier was tapped for his organ skills in Lunch + Recess’ short film King of Instruments featuring collaborations with The Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra which featured covers of Frank Ocean, Bon Iver, Kanye West, Vampire Weekend, and more.

In 2013, Collier and Smoak decided to take their passion a step further and launch their studio, Eastward Music, growing their team to include both established and emerging composers, classical and jazz musicians, vocalists, and studio owners.

March 2015 brought about Eastward Music’s full-length score in Dorian Warneck’s Color of Fire, the intimate tale and unique perspective of Warneck’s father grappling with his post-war life after service in the German army. The score delicately, yet deliberately carries the weight of Warneck’s award-winning documentary.

2015 pushed forward strongly for Eastward Music with their original piece, Undersong, landing Vimeo’s Staff Pick with 50k views, as well as their score for the South Carolina Education Lottery commercial, earning the studio an ADDY award for Best Original Music.

The studio is growing its repertoire with a series of WW. ads, feature-length documentaries, and short films.

When did the journey start for you?

Josh: When was the earth created?

Alex: When I met Josh in grade school.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

Josh: This would be a lot easier if we could just share a Spotify playlist. Hans Zimmer, all of them mugs from the ‘90s but especially Thomas Newman, James Horner, Harry Gregson Williams, Rachel Portman, and new composers like Olafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm, Johann Johannsson, Daniel Pemberton, etc.

Alex: Same.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

Josh: We’ve been inside of the Bedient pipe organs at the cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston, SC., we’ve torn bikes apart for our score Backpedal, and we’ve had to work late to not disturb the lawyers in our building.

Alex: Same.

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

Josh: Nope.

Alex: I always go back and listen to Mark Isham’s score for Crash.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

Josh: Mostly the only ones I know how, but drums.

Alex: The Pipe organ.

What was your latest gear purchase?

Josh: A portable crib.

Alex: Moogerfooger delay.

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your studio?

Josh: Wurli.

Alex: Apollo duo and the plug-ins!

Is there a piece of music you’re most proud of?

Josh: The SC Lottery feat. Anna Mossman Smoak.

Alex: There is a piece I wrote for the Tokyo Sonata film trailer where I used spoons instead of hi-hats and I love how it blended with the dialogue, fx, and music.

Other than your studio, where does inspiration most often strike? (or rather “Where is the second most common place you come up with ideas?”)

Josh: The car.

Alex: Usually any place where you can’t run and immediately put your ideas down.

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed.

Josh: Professionally, the first full-length independent film with good friend Dorian Warneck, Color of Fire. Personally, both kids.

Alex: Professionally, having built a long career in music and having our music heard throughout the world. Personally, maintaining lifelong friendships.

If you could join any band, past or present, which would it be and why?

Josh: A member of the 1993 original scoring stage recording of John Williams’ Jurassic Park, but not the first trumpet player.

Alex: What Josh said but also I’d want to be in any band with Quincy Jones, from any era.

What’s the coolest or strangest experience your music has given you?

Josh: Alex being on the set of Netflix Outer Banks

Alex: I got to play trumpet in the movie The Notebook and I got to meet most of the actors plus the composer, Aaron Zigman.

In your opinion, what’s a score (or soundtrack) that is better than its movie?

Josh: The Host (2013, USA Version).

Alex: The Power of One – Hans Zimmer.

What’s your favorite score of the past year?

Josh: I am going to extend this to 2019:

• Nicholas Britell – The King

• Emile Mosseri – The Last Black Man in San Francisco

• Jung Jaeil – Parasite

• Thomas Newman – 1917

Alex: Nicholas Britell’s Succession.

What’s your favorite score of all time?

Josh: Shawshank Redemption

Alex: The Patriot by John Williams.

Who is your favorite composer and why?

Josh: John Williams! I grew up in the ’80s/90’s so no “why” needed.

Alex: Same.

Who is your “guilty pleasure” artist?

Josh: Taylor Swift

Alex: It’s Adele for me.

Who is your dream composer dinner guest and why?

Josh: Hans Zimmer – unreal night, drinks all around, great food, great stories, etc.

Alex: John Williams – I just want him to eventually sing what’s in his head. Can we have them both over?

What’s the oddest job you’ve ever had?

Josh: Visitors center ticket taker at Middleton Place Plantation in Chs, SC.

Alex: I played in a brass quintet at a Taco Bell for the Spoleto festival. Definitely wasn’t the right demographic. Smh.

What are your other hobbies when you’re not in the studio?

Josh: Probably for the both of us, cooking. Taking headphones off and listening to the world, especially my wife singing and playing guitar every night.

Alex: Grilling and doing yard work. I can do both all day.

If you were stranded on a desert island with one album on your Walkman that somehow never ran out of power, what would it be?

Josh: Kacey Musgraves’s Golden Hour or Dr. Dre’s The Chronic depending on my mood on the island. I’d also probably try to take it apart at some point to use the endless power source to get off the island and listen to other albums again.

Alex: Issac Hayes Hot Buttered Soul. I think that would give me the peace to be on the island forever.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

Josh: I’ll leave this to Alex as his advice is usually the best.

Alex: Never let them see you sweat. This will allow you to make it out of any situation and even find success.

David DeRose is a composer based in Chicago, Illinois. Having no traditional musical training, he tends to wonder if he’s in the right profession but after landing a spot in the eleventh hour, he’s always sucked back in. His music can be heard in advertising campaigns for brands such as Intel, Marriott, Sony, AMEX, and Burger King, as well as Joe Biden’s Presidential campaign, and television shows such as The Today Show and TMZ.

When did the journey start for you?

My love for music stems from hearing Danny Elfman’s Batman score when I was a kid and is probably the impetus for my lifelong obsession with the bat.

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

My days are spent wiping butts and entertaining a four and one-year-old. After a long day, I like to stress myself out and write deep into the night.

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your studio?

I’m quite fond of the Pocket Piano by Critter & Guitari at the moment.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

Johann Johannsson, Alexandre Desplat, and Thomas Newman.

What was your latest gear purchase?

I recently broke the bank for a Mac Pro so hopefully I never have to deal with processing ever again.

What’s your favorite score of the past year?

This may be a few years old but Thomas Newman’s score for 1917. “The Night Window” in particular is an extraordinary piece of music. That sequence in the film has become one of my all-time favorites.

What’s the oddest job you’ve ever had?

The family business was a car shop growing up and I was relegated to the warehouse. What happens to tires after they’ve been driven on for thousands of miles? They become “junk tires”. These tires collect rainwater and begin to smell like sewage most foul. What does sewage water attract? A variety of insects and pestilence. For many years I drove around and collected these abominations from other shops to dispose of properly. They would bounce and roll in the back of the van to create a splash pad. Good times.

Louis Weeks is an award-winning, critically acclaimed composer. He’s scored films that have taken top honors at some of the nation’s biggest independent film festivals and made music for some of the most recognized brands in the world, including Google, McDonald’s, Snapchat, American Express, and many more; and his projects have garnered mentions from NPR, The Washington Post, AdWeek, and The New York Times Critics’ Pick.

When did the journey start for you?

I was eight years old when I found my father’s Casio keyboard and was obsessed with the Strings 2 preset.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

The three B’s: Brian Eno, Bjork, and Bach. Brian Eno inspires me to slow my work down and simplify. Bjork inspires me to create with courage. Bach has every voice-leading, harmony, bass line, and arrangement inspiration I could ever need.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

I was hired to play synths and sound design on a record, but I wasn’t getting enough high-end excitement out of the synths I was making so the producer and I went into the kitchen, fried an egg, recorded its sizzle, and sent it through a vocoder.

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your studio?

Anything that infuses a little chaos into the process. The studio setting can get prescriptive and creatively predictable at times, so I love it when a piece of gear inspires a happy accident. Sometimes it’s a prepared piano (erasers, or coins, or cloth up against the strings), sometimes a randomly assigned knob on a synth. Lean into the chaos, and embrace the frontier!

Is there a piece of music you’re most proud of?

My first record, shift/away will always be special to me.

Other than your studio, where does inspiration most often strike? (or rather “Where is the second most common place you come up with ideas?”)

I’m most inspired when I’m on the move – walking, running, hiking, or even driving. There’s something about being in motion that makes me think clearer, and associate more freely.

What’s your favorite score of all time?

Bernard Herrmann’s Vertigo.

Who is your dream composer dinner guest and why?

Randy Newman! Nobody writes a song like Randy, and his scores are treasures.

What’s the oddest job you’ve ever had?

Hand model for a fast-food commercial.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

“All great accomplishments require great vulnerability.” I often think of this advice when I need to muster more generosity and courage.

Tangelene Bolton is a film, TV, and media composer known for Walt Disney Animation Studios Just a Thought, which can be seen on Disney+ as a part of the Short Circuit Experimental Films series. She also recently scored the music for the Disney live-action short, Let’s Be Tigers, which can be seen on Disney+ as a part of the Disney Launchpad Shorts Series. Other score credits include: the new Marvel’s Avengers game, where Tangelene served as Technical Score Engineer/Additional Drum Programmer, additional music on the CBS legal drama show, All Rise, and additional music for the Nickelodeon hit children’s show, Shimmer and Shine. Tangelene is a Sundance Film Music in Animation Composer Fellow.

When did the journey start for you?

At the age of two, when my grandma first taught me how to play the piano.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

Jon Brion, James Horner, Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newman, Debussy, and Chopin.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

The piano and the guitar.

Is there a favorite score you’re most proud of?

My score for Let’s Be Tigers, a Disney live-action short.

Other than your studio, where does inspiration most often strike? (or rather “Where is the second most common place you come up with ideas?”)

Usually when I’m taking a quick break from the computer, taking a walk, making coffee, or when I’m in the shower. I’ll get a quick musical thought, grab my phone, and sing or whistle the thematic idea or musical phrase into a voice memo.

What are your other hobbies when you’re not in the studio?

I’m fortunate that my hobby is my career! When I’m not in the studio doing music, I’m enjoying a nice meal or scoping out LA for new restaurants and coffee shops to try.

Roland Bingaman started out on his musical journey from a very young age. His teenage years and most of his young adult life were spent singing and touring in an alt-rock band. After that, he transitioned into video production and began directing, filming, and editing commercials and music videos. The itch to get back into music was always inside of Roland so he began composing and producing music on the side. Now his days are spent composing, producing, and writing music.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

This always seems to be changing but the foundation of my musical influence has been Sigur Ros. That band opened my mind up to a form and beauty of music that I’d never heard. There was something so mystical, emotional, and textural to their music that a young lad who only ever listened to pop-punk and hardcore music had never experienced.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

Anytime I make sounds using my voice it feels strange. I always have to warn my family that I’m about to record strange sounds and noises with my voice.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

Though I’m not very good at any particular instrument, I could sit at a piano and drums all day. Playing a real piano is so meditative for me whereas banging the heck out of a drum kit is therapeutic.

Is there a piece of music you’re most proud of?

I have a track titled “Unbound” on my recent trailer album. I think that is a piece that I’m proud of because it felt like the first time I wrote a trailer score that sounded “like me”. Up to that point, I had attempted the epic, hybrid, intense trailer stuff. But when “Unbound” was made it felt like something different and that was really exciting to me.

Other than your studio, where does inspiration most often strike? (or rather “Where is the second most common place you come up with ideas?”)

My ideas most often come from driving alone in my car or in the shower. There’s something about doing a monotonous task alone that lets my mind come up with creative ideas.

In your opinion, what’s a score (or soundtrack) that is better than its movie?

As a die-hard Star Wars fan I’d have to say that without a shadow of a doubt, the sequel trilogy (episodes seven, eight, and nine) scores are way better than the movies. Don’t get me started on those though.

What’s your favorite score of all time?

Besides Star Wars, the score I go back to time and time again is Alexandre Desplat’s score for Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium. It’s beautifully whimsical, quirky and emotional. I find it totally mesmerizing.

Who is your favorite composer and why?

John Williams. I think he’s on a whole different level in the way he writes motifs and arrangements. He’s an absolute genius.

What are your other hobbies when you’re not in the studio?

I really love spending time with my family. My wife and son are my whole world so anything with them is how I spend all my time when I’m not working. Playing outside, going on walks, making stop motion videos with my son, and family time is the best time. If I were to pick a hobby that I enjoy outside of that I’d say digital illustration. I love doodling on my iPad. In another life, I’d be a concept artist.

If you were stranded on a desert island with one album on your Walkman that somehow never ran out of power, what would it be?

I could listen to Relient K’s album Mmhmm forever and never get tired of it.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

“Write it, submit it, forget it.”

 

 

 

 

Marcus Olgers is an Amsterdam-based composer and pianist. He studied jazz piano at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. He composes and produces music for short films and documentaries as well as albums for other artists and also made an album under his own name. His music has been used by Google, Microsoft, AT&T, and Johnnie Walker among many others. As a session pianist, he works with major artists, bands, and orchestras in the Netherlands, such as Ilse DeLange and the Metropole Orkest.

When did the journey start for you?

I guess as a four-year-old, listening to the radio.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

My influences are extremely eclectic. As a kid, I grew up with Bach and the Beatles and the pop & rock of the 1980s. In high school, I was into the art and jazz-rock of the 1970s. I studied jazz piano at the Amsterdam Conservatory of Music, so the whole jazz tradition shaped me a lot as well. It’s a rich and beautiful world. I tend to be inspired by artists and composers who create new worlds, drawing from different styles. Bach did that, Strawinsky, Miles Davis, Peter Gabriel, and Pat Metheny, to name a few.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

Being a pianist, almost all of my time goes into that, but I would love to be a decent guitar player!

What was your latest gear purchase?

A Squier Telecaster.

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your studio?

The boring but honest answer is the computer. It’s amazing what it allows you to do now, the only limit being your imagination.

Is there a piece of music you’re most proud of?

More than a decade ago I made an album called Hiding in the Hinterland, an amalgamation of my influences. Mostly, I would do it all very differently today, but there’s also music on there that I’m very proud of.

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed.

I sometimes play with the Metropole Orchestra, a fantastic orchestra here in the Netherlands specializing in pop and jazz. That always brings a special feeling of pride. Personally, I’m very proud of my seven-year-old son, his lust for life, and my own part in that.

If you could join any band, past or present, which would it be and why?

I could say the Miles Davis quintet in the 1960s, but then I would put myself up there with Herbie Hancock which would be the biggest joke ever! So I say Coldplay. I love their concepts and the energy they bring into the world. Their last album was great.

In your opinion, what’s a score (or soundtrack) that is better than its movie?

Under the Cherry Moon by Prince.

What’s your favorite score of all time?

John Williams’ score for E.T. was life-changing for me as a kid. The way it works with the picture, especially the end sequence, is just marvelous. There is a great little clip on YouTube with footage of the scoring session but also of Williams at home playing those themes to Spielberg for the very first time. Must see!

Who is your favorite composer and why?

Bach. The blending of the emotional and the intellectual, the sense of math and melody, the minimalism and the grandness, everything really.

Who is your dream composer dinner guest and why?

My dream composer dinner guests would be Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, Sting, and Björk, preferably on the same night, talking about songs and sounds.

What’s the oddest job you’ve ever had?

I did not have many odd jobs, from 15 on I was playing piano in restaurants. But I worked one summer in a factory for traffic signs with dangerous machines. Surely wouldn’t want to do that again!

What are your other hobbies when you’re not in the studio?

I’m also a session pianist, performing and recording with artists mostly here in the Netherlands. Between that, composing, and family there’s not much time left. I’m into history. I’d love to read more.

If you were stranded on a desert island with one album on your Walkman that somehow never ran out of power, what would it be?

That’s always such a hard question. Today I say Close to the Edge by Yes.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

Don’t give up!

 

An accomplished and popular American composer, Charlie Barnett is the winner of numerous awards for his film scores. Barnett also writes music for television; his credits include Saturday Night Live, Weeds, Royal Pains, and Archer.

Barnett’s lively orchestral and chamber works are performed both nationally and internationally. His theatrical scores include 19: The Musical, a show about the fight for women’s suffrage, and When We Get There, a 1960’s 1960s-era civil rights musical.

As a producer, Barnett has recorded scores of pop and jazz albums for labels including Def Jam and Elektra. As a performer, he plays guitar and piano for Chaise Lounge, an eclectic jazz band that frequently appears on the national college radio charts with his original compositions.

Barnett also writes and has been heard as an occasional commentator on NPR. His essay “Hitching a Ride with Junior McGee” was included in the network’s Classic Driveway Moments compilation.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

While scoring a six-part documentary series, I needed a large percussive, ringing, and unearthly sound. Outside my favorite recording studio, I found an upright piano on the street waiting for the junk man. I talked two young interns from the studio into stripping it down to just the harp and strings. We set it up in the studio and played it with a wire brush and a brass hammer. We named it the Kablangiphön. I have never found anything else that sounded like it. I would have used it on other projects, but the studio wouldn’t let me keep it there.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

Heaven help me, but I love any chance I get to play my accordion. The first instrument I ever played was the five-string banjo. I still love playing that, especially the old-time frailing style.

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed.

As a composer: I collaborated with Dr. Maya Angelou on a piece that she performed at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree. The piece was played by the US Navy Band and a choir, to accompany Dr. Angelou reciting her poem “Peace.” I spent several days with her at her home in North Carolina writing the sketches for this.

In civilian life: I was the chairman of the board for Maryland Youth Ballet for ten years, starting at a moment of crisis when the prior board had dissolved in conflict and the ballet school had lost its lease. During that time, I helped raise funds for and build a new state-of-the-art facility. It was one of the most stressful and ultimately satisfying things I’ve ever done.

What’s your favorite score of all time?

The Man Who Would Be King by Maurice Jarre. His use of the traditional ballad, “The Minstrel Boy” makes me cry every time I hear Michael Caine and Sean Connery sing it. This is a beautiful, grand, old-school film score.

Who is your “guilty pleasure” artist?

There was a French composer named Roger Roger who wrote production tracks for French TV in the 1950s and 1960s. Someone put out a CD of his music several years ago called Grands Travaux. To some, this might sound like “elevator music.” But the melodies are great, the orchestrations are clever, the performances are excellent and the recordings hold up after all these years. If it is “elevator music” then it has reached the top floor. These tunes make me smile every time I hear them.

Who is your dream composer dinner guest and why?

Oliver Nelson. There are very few jazz albums that have stood up like The Blues and the Abstract Truth has—for sixty years! I love the recording, the playing, the writing, the arranging. I would ask him about his working methods as an arranger. He would certainly have some stories about working with Bill Evans, Eric Dolphy, Paul Chambers, Roy Haynes, and Freddy Hubbard all in the same session. I somehow feel that a guy who had such an organized mind for music would be a great dinner companion.

What are your other hobbies when you’re not in the studio?

For the past few years, I have been on a deep dive into classical Greece. I started by studying the myths and then moved on to studies of the tragedians. Lately, I’ve been learning about the pre-Socratic philosophers. The surprising thing about all of it is that all of the issues from the 5th century BCE feel so current. The rules of tragedy apply to current playwriting. The questions that Socrates asks are still unanswered. And the myths still have lessons that are important to understand.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

My mother was a farm girl from Maine. Once, when I was complaining to her about not having enough work, she said: “When we had downtime on the farm, we would go to the shed and sharpen the tools.” It was such a simple statement and was spoken without irony. But I have never forgotten it. And whenever I am less than fully employed, I make sure to spend some time sharpening the tools of my trade.

Rich Douglas is an accomplished and innovative composer known for his exceptional contributions to the world of music. With a deep passion for storytelling, he blends genres to create captivating and emotionally charged soundscapes.

He has composed for various media, including notable game scores such as Shadowgate, Insurgency, Stranger Things: The Game, and Lifeless Planet. His music enhances narratives, capturing the essence of each project and leaving a lasting impression on audiences. Formerly the audio director for Paradigm Entertainment, a THQ company, he has collaborated with renowned filmmakers, game developers, and TV producers. His professionalism, dedication, and exceptional musical prowess have earned him industry recognition. Graduating from the Guildhall at SMU in Cohort 2 with a focus on game design, he brings a versatile approach, seamlessly blending orchestral arrangements with electronic textures and ethnic influences, creating a distinct and immersive sonic experience.

With boundless creativity and unwavering dedication to his craft, Rich continues to captivate audiences with evocative compositions. His ability to blend diverse musical styles, coupled with his storytelling expertise, cements his position as a revered composer in the world of music.

When did the journey start for you?

It started while I was in film school at Montana State University in 2001. I had been collecting film scores my whole life and on a dare I bought a synthesizer and scored a student film. Turns out, even without any formal training or musical education, I had an ear for composing due to learning music theory from film scores. I have been in love with scoring films, games, and trailers ever since!

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

John Barry, Jerry Goldsmith, Vangelis, Hans Zimmer, and Lorne Balfe.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

Synthesizers! I can get lost for hours (if not days) just tweaking knobs and seeing what sort of sound I coerce out of those amazing instruments.

What was your latest gear purchase?

An Arturia Minifreak. Wow, it may look small, but I can get HUGE cinematic material out of it fairly easily and can get lost in the arpeggiator section forever.

Is there a piece of music you're most proud of?

My main menu theme from the 2014 video game, Shadowgate. We had full permission to use the chiptune motifs from the original game, which came out in 1987 for Nintendo Entertainment System. It was a HUGE honor to adapt those and the main “Castle Halls” theme for the menu… especially since I have loved that game since I was a kid. Really proud of that cue, and my entire score from that game.

What's your favorite score of all time?

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by John Barry. Not only was it the first film score to use a synthesizer, but Barry weaves so many amazing motifs and themes throughout the entire score. I truly feel like OHMSS is the best Bond score ever created and It is always a joy to listen to.

Who is your favorite composer and why?

Jerry Goldsmith. Ever since I first heard his score from Rambo First Blood Part II as a kid, I was instantly captivated. Goldsmith weaves so many cool motifs throughout his scores and I absolutely adore his use of synthesizers in almost every one of his scores. Moreover, it has always amazed me how he scores any film (good or bad) and completely takes it to the next level with his music. Jerry, you are missed.

What's the oddest job you've ever had?

About 8 years ago I was hired to write music for a pirate themed slot machine. I submitted my first pass at the main cue, and it was instantly rejected because it was far too dark, epic, and adventurous for the game. Or as my client put it “these are geared towards an older crowd, we don’t want to give them a heart attack!”. I guess, in a way, that was a compliment? We went our separate ways after that, it was a strange gig.

If you were stranded on a desert island with one album on your Walkman that somehow never ran out of power, what would it be?

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, John Barry.