All Episodes
Episodes
Why You Should Compose Every Day
This episode looks at numerous examples of folks who have composed daily, or taken up other creative habits on a daily basis. The aim is to convince you of the necessity of composing daily, in order to truly have...
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The Making of Spielberg's West Side Story - with Matt Sullivan
In this episode we talk with legendary music supervisor and executive music producer, Matt Sullivan, about the making of Spielberg's 'West Side Story'. Matt has worked on over a dozen movie musicals, including Aladdin...
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How Beethoven Develops a Theme - What We Can Learn From His First Piano Sonata
This episode explores what we can learn from Beethoven - specifically, how he develops the main theme from the first movement of his Piano Sonata no. 1 in F minor, Op. 2 no. 1. We explore the multiple things we can...
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Music Editing in Hollywood Films - with Sebastian Zuleta
In this episode we talk about one of the most important processes in the music side of filmmaking: Music Editing. In an interview with one of Hollywood's top Music Editors, Sebastian Zuleta, we talk about:
- How he...
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How Fast Do You Need to Write Music?
Here we look at how quickly you need to be able to write music as a professional in film and TV - we also look at some tricks pro composers use to keep on top of tight deadlines.
If you want access to exclusive...
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Your Worst Addiction - Why You Have No Time to Write
In this episode I go into detail with a problem that plagues me and millions of other people around the planet, both young and old. I realised that it's the single biggest time sucker in my life, and ridding myself of...
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How to Analyse a Score - Don Davis' The Matrix
In this episode, I explain my process for analysing a score so I can learn from it as a compose. We actually look through a cue in depth - Cue 6m3, 'The Cure', from Don Davis' score to The Matrix. As we listen, I...
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What Instruments Should I Write For, As A Beginner?
This episode answers two questions: What instruments should I learn, and what instruments should I write for, as a beginner in composing? This is a common question with people looking for a place to start, and I hope...
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Is It Ever OK to Copy Other People's Music?
Here we look at the ethics of using, copying, or 'stealing' someone else's work - it's more complicated than you'd think! Modelling someone else's music can be extremely instructive, and I want to talk about the thin...
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The Most Insane Composing Challenge of the 19th Century: The Prix de Rome
This episode talks about the history of the Prix de Rome, and the kind of challenges composers would have to go through to win. More than that, I want to focus on what we can learn from this competition, and how it...
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How to Write Music for Voice - Getting the Best Results
This episode looks at the unique aspects of writing music for voice - it can be a very temperamental (and human!) instrument, so there's a bunch of fascinating things to take into consideration when writing for human...
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A Comparison of Harry Potter Soundtracks - John Williams and Alexandre Desplat
This is a DEEP DIVE into the soundtracks of the Harry Potter films, and particularly The Philosopher's Stone, and The Deathly Hallows. I want to explore why these films sound so different from each other, what...
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