Completed Orchestrations

Just as there’s no one way to approach making a living in this business, there’s no one way to compose music. Where do you begin? Some composers rush to their CD collection or DVD library for inspiration before writing. I tend to do that in between jobs. Once I’m commissioned on a project, my approach is to clear my head and avoid listening to music as much as possible before picking up the pen, or, rather less elegantly in my case, placing my fingers on a plastic MIDI keyboard (I no longer use a pencil or score paper; a sequencer is now my musical sketch pad). For me, I find it’s important to leap forward and not agonise about what those first notes should be. When scoring for film or television, there is usually no time for doubt and hesitation. You get the gig for a reason, and it’s more than likely that the director likes what they’ve heard from listening to your prior work. So breathe deeply and go for it!

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