FAQs

A.

I do most anything, but gravitate towards media with a heart or a cause. There is, of course, great  value to pure entertainment as well and I like to keep my projects diverse. It just makes my brain feel better.

I have done some work with video games and will expand more into that field soon. I plan to dig into Wwise at the end of this year, so more on that later.

You can also license my songs and band projects music at Kobalt Music. I will be posting more info new projects and songs soon, so stay posted.

A.

I like to know as much about the project, characters and the dramatic intention of the piece as possible. I generally spend a lot of time walking, mowing the lawn or gardening, trying to feel the emotions of the film and see what presents itself musically. From there I will play with melodies and instruments and create a palette of themes or emotive segments which I will apply in different forms throughout the project. Once I nail this down I usually work pretty fast.

Some my clients have been very diverse in how involved they want to be in my process. Some meticulously guide me scene by scene while others give me lots of space with few comments. I am completely comfortable in any work style as long as communication is strong.

A.

I do either and a mix depending on the projects. Usually the projects I work on need to be completed very (sometimes VERY, VERY) fast and on a limited budget. Working with computer based instruments is usually the answer to this problem. However, I have worked with orchestras, and I work with a close friend who is an orchestrator. I have lot's of connections in the area with the orchestral community and can readily hire any level of musician, so it really all comes down to budget and preference.

I also love to use musicians for solos and emphasized parts to bring a more natural feel to computerized scores.

A.

I prefer not to post my fees in public, but I'll just say that I charge a competitive rate per minute of music. I generally have a median fee and slide the scale up or down depending on the budget and needs of the particular project. All of the current work on this site was done at or below median fee and I am very good at working with clients on their budget.

Project fee is determined by many factors including, but not limited to:
- Complexity of the music
- Amount of music
- Studio rental
- Hiring session musicians
- Hiring extra team members for orchestation, production, surround sound mixing etc.

Side note: I rarely raise the fee based on tight or last minute scheduling.

A.

Great question. Here are my answers.

1. My music is original - You won't ever hear the music in another film.
2. My music is unique - Stock music is written to be generic. It may be well produced, but it is made to sound familiar and like everything else out there. I write specifically to the project. I am not trying to sound like everything else out there, I am trying to sound like your story.
3. Dramatic rhythm - Good composers listen intently to dramatic movements in your film. The music I write emphasizes the emotion of your story literally to the frame.

Side note: On some projects I have worked along side stock music tracks for budget purposes and that is completely fine. Whatever works best for the project.