One of my mentors once told me that “Music follows the path of what is Pleasing, Predictable and Healing”. This may be a bit metaphysical in nature but I have taken his teachings and examined them with a fine tooth comb. I invite you to explore with me his philosophy and look at some of my
personal findings in this article and how it relates to better improving your approach to Composing for T.V.
PLEASING
It is fair to say that very reason we do anything is mostly for Pleasure. I always say that if the Music you are working on is not making an emotional impact on you, then it is not the right piece of music. In other words, if
you are not FEELING the music, then no one else is going to enjoy it either. Make sure when the audio coming through your speakers hits your eardrums that it is PLEASING to your ears. From beginning to end, this track should consume you. Even after listening to a piece I am working on 1000 times or more, I demand that it touches me emotionally and provokes me every time.
PREDICTABLE
Having a working theme or motif is about being clear about the direction of your music. You are taking your listeners on a ride and you want to make them comfortable by using repetition in your music. This creates a sense of stability and allows a listener to settle into the show’s story. This is a generality of course but if your material is standing out too much then it is not
serving its primary aim - to serve the Television show. I do believe that music cues should be able to exist on their own without the visual component but what is more important is that they truly compliment and support the story. What emotion is the story trying to convey? Always go back to the story.
HEALING
This is one of the primary
reasons I have a job. You would be surprised how many people cry when they watch Television and Film. Some of my proudest moments are when I hit those emotional sweet spots and the viewers at home resonate emotionally with what is happening on the screen. I live for those moments.
My mentor did say that the path is one that is Pleasing, Predictable, and Healing. I will
now like to add to his list. When you keep things Unpredictable, Contemporary, and Simple you get a comprehensive strategy on creating the best workflow possible…
UNPREDICTABLE
This is where things get interesting. When done tastefully, UNPREDICTABILITY can be a major game changer when it comes to creating music in
general. Much to the delight of the Music Supervisors and Editors of the show, I did this multiple times on Season 3 of “Born This Way”.
Listen to "Defining Moment" from Born This Way here:
CONTEMPORARY
This one is so obvious but still so critical that it needs to be brought up. Your plug-ins and sample libraries must be current.
This is not to say that you need to buy every new software instrument release…just make sure that the tools you have can tackle the job you are assigned. Most recently, I took on a new show called “The Healer” and knew that we were going to need “Pads” by Umlaut. This show was very sparse with music and through my research, I felt that these music beds would be very fitting. I try not to purchase too many plug-ins, but I am always working on better familiarizing myself
with the tools that I do have. If there is something out there that will help or add some spice to my workflow, then I will absolutely acquire it.
SIMPLE (LESS IS MORE)
If you are unsure about a piece of music, err on the side of doing less. I often remove a lot of low end from my tracks so my cues do not battle with
the dialogue of the show.
IN CLOSING
As Composers, we yearn to prove ourselves and show the world our musical chops. The issue with this is that the show/project you are working on is not concerned with your personal measuring stick. The one thing I have learned about being a Professional Composer is that THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU.
I often tell the story of a networking party I attended one night. After a couple of introductions and various conversations, I had the pleasure of standing next to Jessee Vocia (Composer of “Bosch” on Amazon) and another well known working Composer. I asked this gentleman if he could give me some advice as I had just got my first big break with “Born This Way” on A&E. He insisted that
being a Composer is like being an “Interior Decorator”. He said that you walk into someone else’s house and you are asked to assist them with embellishing their environment. At the time, I thought it was a bit of an exaggeration but now that I have 4 seasons under my belt as Head Composer (2 seasons with “Born This Way”, 1 with “The Healer” on TLC and a new pilot), I can honestly say that there was SOME truth to what this gentleman said on that fateful night.
As composers, we are hired to compliment the show and to bring some authenticity and care into the score. At best, we can bring to life to the sonic identity of the show and, in so doing, our talent can shine through.
When you write music, write what the show wants not just what you want. You can always
bring your own personality and style to the cues but make sure they are in line with the overall vision of the show.
In closing, the information I’ve shared has scratched the surface of what it takes to be a successful composer in Television. One can honestly get a head start on their journey with just these few strategies above but to be completely engulfed and consumed you have to dig even deeper into
these specific ways of creating your identity in the music world.
If you want to dive even deeper into the world of composing music for television, be sure to check out the course I'm releasing soon in collaboration with Aaron Davison, “How to be a Full-Time TV Composer” where I get into my networking secrets, creating various styles of music, workflow enhancements, and go
into a day in the life of a television composer.
Keep Your Frequency High,
Eddie Grey
