Tips for working with composers: Recent Episodes
Zach Heyde
A blog dedicated to teaching directors, filmmakers, animators, and creatives the do's and don'ts of working with composers!
š Growth is uncomfortableIf you want to get better at something, itās going to be uncomfortable.
Why?
Because growth and comfort canāt co-exist.
When you think of something you feel comfortable with, what are you really saying?
Youāre saying that youāre content with it. That your present skills or state is something that feels safe and secure.
But what if you want to get better at something?
That means that thereās a pain point there - a disconnect between where youāre at now and where you want to be.
And to bridge that gap, youāve got to accept the discomfort thatāll come with it.
But thatās exactly where most people get tripped up.
But because growth is uncomfortable, we tend to AVOID the things that could help us.
I can think of tons of example like this in my personal lifeā¦
- š§ If I was listening to music that intimidated me, Iād shut it off
- šļø Iād cancel meet-ups last minute because I didnāt want to feel awkward socializing
- ā¤ļø I hated the feeling of a racing heart, so I avoided cardio
But where does this comfort-seeking default lead us?
Yup - nowhere.
Or at least nowhere new.
So to grow, weāve got to ACTIVELY seek out that discomfort.
But what is the discomfort weāre feeling, exactly?
š§ Become a beginnerRecognizing how inexperienced we are at something leads to some pretty painful emotions.
No one likes feeling incompetent, weak, or helpless.
So we often try to hide our blind spots - not just from others, but from ourselves.
(A good example for me is exercise - Iām sharing that more publicly because itās always been a personal weakness.)
But thereās a way to approach your inexperience with excitement and curiosity.
Check out content creator JasmineStarās take:
āWorking out will make you FEEL weak, but itās actually making you stronger. Learning new things will make you FEEL dumb, when itās actually making you smarter. Investing in yourself will make you FEEL poor, but itās actually making you rich. Staying consistent will make you FEEL stagnant, when itās actually helping you grow.ā
See the catch?
Relying on our feelings as a metric for our success wonāt work.
Instead, weāve got trust that weāll get better in time.
Embracing a ābeginnerās mindā means opening ourselves up to learning new things - without judgment or shame.
That saidā¦
You donāt have to push ALL the way out of your comfort zone to see growth.
And pushing too far might actually be counterproductive.
š”ļø How to dial in discomfortMy therapist Jason from Dr. Kās HealthyGamerCoach program showed me a chart on discomfort which I absolutely love:
Check out the adjectives for each zone - comfort, growth, and stress - and determine where youāre at right now for a particular focus in your life.
Feeling lifeless, stable, or low-risk? šŖ
Youāre probably in your comfort zone.
Not a bad place to be, but it might be worth pushing into the growth zone.
Feeling stressed, fed-up, or exhausted? š°
Youāre probably in your stress zone.
That means BEFORE you try to grow, youāve got to get back to your baseline of comfort.
Explore how you can make things feel more stable and secure before pushing yourself to grow.
Either wayā¦
This is an excellent exercise to figure out where youāre at now, and what needs to change for you to find a healthy balance between growth and discomfort.
š¤ āIād need a guaranteeā¦āHow often do you hold back on your dreams simply because youāre not sure if theyāre possible?
Maybe you feel like your goals are too ambitious, too risky, too improbable.
But I donāt buy it.
What youāre REALLY saying is that youāre scared.
You fearā¦
- What it would mean if you failed.
- Not knowing what success could bring.
- Wasting time on something you might abandon.
- Discovering and exposing your weaknesses.
- Change, uncertainty, and the unknown.
Feeling fear is normal - and valid.
But when left unchecked, fear can be paralyzing.
So today, Iād like to share with you a DIFFERENT perspective.
With the right frame of mind, you can actually use fear to your advantage.
Because thereās one fear I find more powerful than all of the fears I listed above, combined:
The fear of regret.
Iām reminded of this quote from Inception:
Sure, Saitoās got a pretty extreme take on the consequences of not taking action.
But when you read that line, how does it make you feel?
Can you feel the urgency to action it creates?
This is how weāll transform your relationship to fear.
š¢ Use Your Fear to Push YouMost of us let fear dominate our decision-making in a way that doesnāt serve our dreams and aspirations.
But by using fear as a tool, we can change that.
Because as Tony Robbins shares in his Personal Power tapes, humans are driven by two primary forces:
- ā The pursuit of pleasure
- ā The avoidance of pain
But interestingly, given the choice between the twoā¦
Humans focus more on AVOIDING PAIN than pursuing pleasure.
And we can use this info to our advantage.
How?
By using our fear to push us forward.
Clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson states:
āYou want to get your fear behind you, pushing you. You want to be more afraid of NOT pursuing your goals than you are of pursuing them.ā
So by re-framing what weāre afraid of, we can use pain avoidance to push us forward.
Instead of thinking about the consequences of failure, struggle, weakness, or insecurityā¦
We can shift our attention to the fear of never doing what weāre meant to do, or never taking a risk, or never sharing our art with the world.
That fear no longer holds us back.
It becomes fuel for our fire. ā¤ļøāš„
š Donāt put off your dreamsTo drive this one home, I wanted to share an incredibly powerful video from my friend and long-time collaborator Robert Rodriguez:
In this video, Robert shares the reason why heās so passionate about pursuing a creative career.
That reason is driven in a lot of ways by fear.
And that fear is so strong that it creates positive momentum towards the goals an dreams he truly cares about.
So hereās your challenge for the week. š
Grab a pencil and paper, and divide your paper into two columns.
Then, think about a dream or goal youāve had for a while now.
In column one, write all the fears that stop you from going all-in on your goal.
Thisāll likely be fears about failure and risk.
In column two, write all the fears you have if you didnāt achieve that goal.
Thisāll likely be fears about regret or feeling unfulfilled.
Finally, have a long look at your paper.
Ask yourself the fundamental question
āWhich column feels more painful?ā
(I could guess the answer.)
Start using fear to push you from behind.
Iāve struggled with staying physically active for most of my life.
Hereās a little overview of the cycle I run into over and over again:
- ā Create a solid action plan for exercise + diet
- š¤© Crush it in the beginning
- š Lose excitement over time
- š“ Skip at some point
- ā Never do it again
For years, that cycle has dominated my relationship with exercise.
But Iām starting to change that.
Want to learn how?
Thereās lots of psychological shifts that have had to change for me to get to a point where I see exercise as something I look forward to.
But the BIGGEST shift has been the removal of shame as a part of the narrative.
Seeā¦
The cycle I shared with you happens because when I fall short of my plans, I experience shame.
The shame I feel creates statements about who I think I am:
- āGosh, Iām weak!ā
- āIām just not a disciplined person.ā
- āWhy am I so lazy with this?ā
So I start to associate feeling weak, undisciplined, and lazy with the action of exercising.
ā¦ Not a very strong incentive to exercise, is it?
So what do we do, instead?
Hereās the key:
Recognize that your shame doesnāt serve you. ā
Many of us confuse guilt with shame.
But guilt often leads us to positive action - not negative.
For example, if you step on someoneās foot, the guilt you feel leads you to quickly apologize.
Thatās good.
But the shame you might feel would lead you to believe things about yourself.
āGod, Iām so clumsy.ā
And what good is a thought like that?
Feeling bad about yourself does nothing except keep you held back from being the person you want to be.
Remember:
You arenāt the sum of of your past actions.
Actions are just actions.
But they donāt define who you are, what you deserve, or what youāre capable of.
Learn to let go of your shame.
Youāll find that when you do, you wonāt just accomplish moreā¦
Youāll actually have FUN doing it š
If you're a composer looking to go full-time and pursue your dream, what's holding you back right now?
Is it a lack of information?
Is it information overload?
Or maybe...
Is it a lack of confidence?
For many, it's a combination of all three - but today, we'll chat on confidence.
Many composers I teach say they're waiting to "feel ready" to pursue the career.
We call this the "when-then" fallacy.
"When I feel confident about networking, THEN I'll start networking."
It's like saying:
"When I feel strong, THEN I'll start working out."
Things are out of order.
But I felt this way, too. š
When I started pursuing composing seriously at 14, I was super shy.
Nobody even knew I played piano.
It literally took my friends TRICKING me into a jazz band audition to become public about my music.
From there, I started interacting with other musicians, slowly increasing my confidence.
The turning point?
An English class project where I decided to perform a composition publicly.
I was terrified.
We marched to the orchestra room, and I played my piece on the piano with my head buried practically underneath it.
When I finished, the class was silent.
I raised my head...
... and everyone was crying.
That's when I realized I had the power to move people.
In time, my shyness turned into confidence.
So how can YOU build confidence in your music and career goals?
First, start doing the things you want to feel confident about.
Doing builds confidence.
Waiting to feel ready?
You never will be.
If you want to feel more confident networking, start networking.
Be willing to fail, and grow from it.
Second, you can't do this alone.
Work with supportive people.
Find those who believe in you.
I was lucky to have friends who pushed me out of my comfort zone.
And you need that to grow, too.
Third, stop comparing yourself.
As Mark Twain famously said:
"Comparison is the thief of joy."
It's easy to get discouraged seeing others succeed.
Compare yourself to who you were a year ago - not to others.
Focus on your progress.
Finally, take care of yourself.
Don't get tunnel vision on your career.
Don't burn out blasting 400 emails or creating nonstop content.
Loosen up.
Your confidence will grow when you give yourself permission to explore.
Take care of yourself:
- š¶āāļø Go on walks
- š² Eat good food
- šļøāāļø Exercise
- š£ļø Socialize
Remember:
Your confidence won't happen overnight, but it WILL happen in time.
So, you've been trying to do composing professionally for a long time now.
Maybe you've even dreamt of this career ever since you were a kid.
You love the idea of...
- š„° Doing what you love for a living
- š¤© Getting to work on cool projects
- š Getting to work with cool people
- š¤ Getting paid well to do it
And yet...
You're now hitting a point where all the things you've tried to get there AREN'T working.
Worst of all - you've got no idea what to do next.
I've been there, too. š
I remember sitting on a beach in 2020 during the global COVID pandemic, thinking to myself:
"I don't love making music anymore."
See...
I'd overworked myself.
I'd tried so hard for so long that I became burnt out, pessimistic, and hopeless.
But it didn't stop there.
Because I'd attached so much of my self worth to my art that - without any composing work - I started experiencing panic attacks.
Every time I'd sit down to write music, I'd get tight in the chest.
So I'd lie on the couch instead.
Doing nothing.
And the cycle repeated for months.
So if you're feeling that way, I want you to know that you're not alone.
And there's good news.
This insurmountable obstacle that you feel like is stopping you from getting where you want to go is actually just a tiny little roadblock in the whole of your career.
This career is NOT a straight line to the top.
It's a path full of hills and valleys.
And the things you'll learn when you're stuck in those valleys are some of the most valuable lessons for the future of your career.
With that in mind...
I'd like to share some pointers for what to focus on during this time.
First off, you've got to focus on your health.
Right now, you're drained.
The tank is empty.
And you need to refuel, replenish yourself, and do some things you love again so you can keep moving forward.
Despite what "grind culture" tells you...
The people who find long-term success in this career are NOT people who simply keep their head down.
They're the people who can maintain the energy to see this through to the end.
Go find things you love doing that AREN'T music.
In quarantine, I started to explore new hobbies, like:
- š Reading self-improvement books
- š¹ļø Playing video games
- āļø Socializing more
- šŖµ Woodworking
Now...
I didn't do any of those things with the goal of "recharging so I can get right back to my career".
Instead, I did these things for myself.
Next, I'd like you to exercise more patience.
Sometimes when things aren't working the way we hoped, our instinct is to try and changet things.
We think:
"That email I sent didn't get answered yet - what did I do wrong??"
Take a breath.
Slow down.
And ask yourself:
"Am I REALY being patient enough to accurately see the results of the things I'm trying?"
In most cases, you're not doing anything wrong.
You just need to do it more, and you just need more time.
I've had SO many times where I tried things with no immediate wins, thought I'd messed up, and then years later had those things I tried reward me eventually.
I've had times where I've reached out to people with no response for YEARS, and then suddenly landed work.
In fact...
One of the best gigs I had - writing additional music for Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (Netflix) - came from not ONE email to the composer...
Not TWO emails...
Not THREE emails...
But four emails, numerous in-person hangouts, and tons of back-and-forth messages over the course of years.
Now...
If I'd only sent that first email, thought it didn't work, and immediately pivoted, I'd never have gotten to write for that show.
Time is an essential ingredient in this career.
And time isn't something you can control - it's something you need to learn to accept.
"But I don't HAVE much time left! Time's running out!"
I hear that one all the time.
But is that really true?
Is time really running out?
Or are you just trying to get there faster?
Here's a perspective flip:
It's GOOD if it takes you a long time to get there.
That means you'll be that much more prepared with a sustainable attitude, mistakes you've learned from, and skills you've developed.
Because by the time you get what you want in your career...
You want to have a good lifestyle.
You want to feel good about yourself.
You want to be able to say no.
What you DON'T want is to attach yourself to your career so deeply that when there's no work, you feel like your life is falling apart.
That's where I was at.
And until you overcome that, the doors to long-term success will remain shut.
Remember:
Sometimes you are doing everything right, and you just need more time.
The more you can be at peace with that, the happier you'll be.
So, you want to land paid composing work - eventually...
For now, you're focusing on practicing your composing skills so that you're music will be "good enough" to be taken seriously.
But you might already be wondering:
"How do I know when my music is 'good enough' to start getting paid for it?"Fair question.
But what if I told you that you didn't have to wait at all?
In fact...
What if I told you that you could start pursuing work opportunities right NOW?
Don't believe me? Read on.
First, let's talk about the 'when/then' fallacy.
Composers like to tell themselves they need to "get good" before pursuing their career.
But here's why that's a problem:
You get better at composing professionally BY composing professionally.
Re-scoring scenes, entering music competitions, and practicing in your DAW are great...
... but they're just the tricycle wheels.
The best way to master your craft is by doing it on the job - not on your own.So pursuing the career now gives you the added benefit of improving your compositions 10x faster than any other method.
But now, you're probably thinking:
"Fair enough - but no one's going to hire me if my music sucks!"
Sure - to get most work opportunities, your music has to meet the caliber of the client's expectations.
But here's the thing:
You don't have to seek out AAA films to start landing work.
There are literally HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of filmmakers, animators, indie game devs, and content creators in need of music.
Many of them are just getting started - like you,
So the key is NOT to send an email to Pixar, Rockstar Games, or Hans Zimmer.
The key to landing work right now is to work with people at the SAME LEVEL as you.It's not up to you to decide what projects your music is/isn't qualified for.
The market will naturally dictate that to you by the people who say 'yes' or 'no' to working with you.
As you grow in skill, you'll be able to:
- š° Raise your rates
- š¤© Land larger projects
- šļø Create better work/life boundaries
But in the beginning, the work you land comes down to just two things:
The quality of your music, and the quality of trust you have with the person you're working with.
Practice both of these skills at the same time, and you'll be amazed how quickly you'll be landing work.
(Have I successfully convinced you that you're ready? Check out the Composing Career Bootcamp for a complete 6-week framework on how to start expanding your network and marketing your music.)
One of the most difficult questions Iāve ever been asked came from a 30-year old composer back in 2023.
Hereās what he wrote to me:
āOn paper, I have the knowledge, experience, and abilities to pursue a full-time musical career in some form or another.
But I lack FAITH.
On a good day, I still canāt see where all of my efforts are leading. And a bad day, my work feels fruitless and naive.
So my question is this:
Where does your faith in yourself come from? And how do you find it again when you lose it?ā
When I read this, I honestly felt stumped.
Iāve been fortunate to have been supported by my friends and family through my career, and maybe had enough naivety to NOT question my career choice when I was young.
But not everyone has that kind of internal or external support.
I decided to do some research into self-belief, and I discovered some good news:
Self-belief isnāt something you simply are or arenāt born with.
Self-belief is LEARNED.
Psychologist Albert Bandura coined the term āself efficacyā as a way to understand the relationship between self belief and personal motivation:
āSelf efficacy is an individualās belief in their capacity to act in the ways necessary to reach specific goals.ā
In his studies, Bandura developed four pillars that, when nurtured, unlock a stronger sense of self belief.
So today, Iād like to share those four pillar with you.
Start nurturing these pillars, and youāll start believing in yourself.
- šŖ Stop thinking, start doing.Self-belief comes from previous proof that weāre capable of what we set out to do.
Without that, itās hard to trust our own abilities.
Bandura calls this pillar āperformance outcomesā, stating that both positive and negative experiences can influence what we think about our capabilities.
So to start believing in yourselfā¦
You need to start doing what you want to believe in.
The key to this is to start small. If you want to compose full-time, donāt jump straight to emailing Pixar with your reel and resume.
Start by re-scoring your favorite movie scene with just your primary instrument.
Then send an email to a friend of yours asking if they know anyone that can help you.
Then try writing your first multi-instrumental track.
Work in small, manageable steps so you can build that confidence incrementally.
- š¬ Seek encouragement from others.What we hear repeatedly is what we come to believe.
Bandura refers to this as āverbal persuasionā.
Often, when weāre doing something in isolation, the only voice we hear is our own inner critic:
āIāll never be as good as John Powell. Iāve peakedāthis is the best my career will ever get. Who am I to charge that much for composing?ā
(āļø If you couldnāt guess, thatās my inner critic)
To break out of this thought loop, we need to open ourselves to the feedback and encouragement of others.
Ask a family member or friend for a supportive word.
Voice your fears and worries aloud.
Allow your closest circle to build you up when you feel down.
- āļø Stop comparing yourselfOur belief in our abilities can become skewed based on how we perceive the abilities of the people around us.
Bandura defines this as āvicarious experiencesāāexperience based on observing others.
In my opinion, this is THE biggest trap that artists fall into.
We start off being positively inspired by our idolsā¦
But without safeguards to protect our emotions, that inspiration shifts into:
- š Hopelessness (āIāll never be that goodā)
- š Jealousy (āWhy donāt I have that?ā)
- š Longing (āIf only I could to thatā¦ā)
Mark Twain famously said:
āComparison is the thief of joy.ā
In that spirit, the only person you should be comparing yourself to is YOU.
I can guarantee you that youāve made progress in your personal and professional goals over the last few years.
Itās just a question of whether youāre acknowledging your growth, or dismissing it.
Get in the habit of celebrating your progress.
- ā¤ļø Take care of yourself.One of my favorite quotes comes from a Tweet from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits:
So many of the problems weāre dealing with internally are just the result of not taking care of our mind/body.
Bandura calls this āphysiological feedbackā, and the antidote is simple:
Take time for yourself.
If youāre working towards a goal, youāre a car heading to a far-off destination.
You need to take time to re-fuel your tank. š
Hereās some quick ideas on simple ways to re-fuel:
- š Call someone you havenāt talked to in a while
- š¶āāļø Go for a 10-minute walk
- š® Cook something you love
- š¹ļø Play your favorite video game
- šŖ Do 10 pushups
- āļø Write down something youāre grateful for
Re-energizing your mind, body, and spirit is the key to long-term success and the nurturing of your self-belief.
Remember:
The development of self-belief is an ongoing journey.
Sometimes, itāll come naturally.
Sometimes, itāll feel like a distant memory.
(And everything in-between)
But thereās actionable tools you can use to keep your chin up, stay hopeful, and continue to believe in yourself as you embark on your journey.
(P.S. If youāre like my student and trying to go full-time, itās nearly impossible to stay motivated on your own. The Composing Career Bootcamp was designed to keep you connect with and inspired by other aspiring full-time musicians just like you!)
I love listening to podcasts.
So when sound designer and educator Akash Thakkar invited me onto his āSound Business Podcastā, I jumped at the chance š
On this episode, we discuss:
- š The key to an effective practice routine
- š How to stop comparison from killing your creativity
- šŖ Why you need to take risks (especially if you hate them)
I highly recommend it for some background (or active) listening!
As you may have discovered yesterdayā¦
Mondays can make or break your energy and motivation for the rest of the week:
I used to feel like Garfield.
Iād over-exert myself at the start of every week, thinking:
āIāve got to get EVERYTHING done on my to-do list to stay ahead!ā
But every time Iād do thatā¦
Iād be SO exhausted by the end of the day that Iād spend most of Tuesday recovering from my high-octane efforts.
(Itās Tuesday now, so maybe this resonates with you today in particular)
So a few months ago, I decided to change things around. š
I started treating Mondays as my āease-inā day instead of my āfull throttle dayā.
Iād use the start of the week to transition into my work week by:
- š© Catching up on missed emails
- š Exporting stems and deliverables to clients
- š» Prepping project files for the composing work I had to do that week
Oftentimes, work on Mondays would be half as many hours as the other days of the week.
BUTā¦
Over time, I noticed that the hours I worked overall were more consistent and more focused.
The burnout I used to experience regularly nearly went away completely.
And I had a LOT more fun on the first day of the week than Iād had when I put all that pressure on myself.
So Iāve stuck to treating Mondays as my permanent āease inā day.
Next time youāre feeling overwhelmed by a busy week, try reducing the pressure to āget it all doneā Day 1.
Ease in, and trust that with consistent, well-paced effort, your work will be completed š
Throughout the last 365 days, my YouTube channel has been climbing rapidly to nearly 100,000 subscribers.
But for the past few months, I'd been dealing with a pretty hefty creative block. š
It started with a break from content creation I took in November to create the
š¬ Composing Career Bootcamp.
As more time went on, though, I found it harder and harder to resume the types of YouTube videos I'd been making that had been growing my viewership so quickly (mostly combining music theory videos with relevant pop culture).
Even though I'd "cracked the code" and KNEW the content would perform well, I just couldn't bring myself to make them anymore.
(Seeing loads of other creators quitting YouTube at the start of 2024 didn't help.)
After weeks of creative paralysis, I finally made the decision that the path forward wasn't to try and resume my previous content at all.
It was to drop the pressure, stop trying to appease the "algorithm gods", and make the content I WANTED to make.
My metric for success needed to shift away from my view count and back to my personal creative enjoyment. ā¤ļøāš©¹
So a few weeks ago, I took the first step and made a video on a topic I was actually interested in.
It may not have felt like a seismic shift to my audience, but for me, it was the first video I WANTED to make in months...
... and within the first 24 hours, that video has already gotten MORE engagement and support from my community than the content I'd been making before! š
The reason I'm sharing this is because I believe that as we create things that are successful "on paper", it's easy to grow anxious about changing (or abandoning) the model over time.
But this experience has made me realize that our audiences grow WITH us.
No one expects us to do the same thing forever, and when we make things we're genuinely passionate about, we cultivate a deeper relationship with the people who love what we do.
I hope my story inspires you to value your passion for what you create as the HIGHEST metric for the health of your career.
(And a HUGE thank-you to every one of you for being such a great, supportive community š„°)
Some of you may know that Iām a huge Chris Do fan.
Chris is an artist, educator, and co-founder of The Futur, a channel with career advice that has been absolutely invaluable in the growth of my personal business as a composer.
In this interview with Chris, I was drawn to his encouragement on ābuilding a story brandā:
A āstory brandā is the difference between you sharing how you WANT people to see youā¦
ā¦ versus sharing how (and who) you truly ARE.
That means sharing your failures.
That means sharing your insecurities.
That means sharing your weaknesses.
That means sharing your doubts.
Because these core fears are ACTUALLY the very things that make you relatable to your audience.
Theyāre the things that bond you to the people who discover you.
(Itās also something Iām keen to explore more in the newsletter and on my YouTube channel this year, so keep an eye out for that š)
So this week, my challenge to you is to share a WEAKNESS about yourself in a public setting.
Own your shadow.
By owning it, youāll make peace with it AND youāll likely inspire someone else dealing with the same weaknesses as you.
Give it a try if youāre feeling brave šŖ
Iām SO thrilled to announce that our Cohort 2 enrollment for the š¬ Composing Career Bootcamp has officially begun!
If youāre a composer looking to start landing paid work writing music for media, this is the course for you.
š Click HERE to Enroll in Cohort 2
(Enrollment ends March 31st at 11:59PM PST.)
ā Why I Made the Bootcamp:
For several years, I offered 1:1 coaching sessions.
During that time, I wound up teaching over 200 composers from around the world.
Through my coaching, I realized that there was an inherent problem in how we prepare (or more accurately, DONāT prepare) composers for a creative career.
Of the 200 composers I taught, nearly all of them were:
ā Writing music good enough to get paid for ā Equipped with the right skills and attitude to do it professionally ā Eager and ready to get paid for their music
And yetā¦
They werenāt finding paid work. š
Why?
Because ALL of these composers fell into the same traps I did when I started.
Traps like:
ā Not networking for fear of awkwardness or āblowing an opportunityā ā Wasting time applying to jobs online (or not at all) ā Getting caught up trying to āperfectā their reel and resume ā Undercharging for their work (or working for free) ā Not learning about sales in order to land work that DOES comes along
(Sound familiar?)
But I made the š¬ Composing Career Bootcamp to change that.
I want to empower the next generation of composers with all the tools they need so it doesnāt have to take them 10+ years to do it full-time (like it took me).
ā What You Get When You Enroll:
- š„ The Course - 6 modules with 150+ lessons covering Strategy, Networking, Marketing, Pitching, Negotiation, and Delivery
- š“ Weekly Livestreams - 6 weeks of lives to answer student questions, review assignments, and more
- š¬ The Student Portal 12-month access to connect with this Cohort's students, submit assignments, and participate in challenges
- š ļø The Notion Toolkit - 4 templates for project management, lesson recaps, and bonus tools/resources
- š Bonus Content - New lessons from future cohorts, guest interviews, and scene study recordings
- ā 100% Money-Back Guarantee - No questions asked refund policy for any requests within 21 days of the course start date.
ā What Our Students Are Saying:
Hereās just a few student testimonials from our previous Cohort:
ā How to Enroll:
Iād LOVE to see you in the Bootcamp if youāre serious about getting paid to compose.
If youāre a member of our VIP Wait List, I sent you an email on Monday with details on enrollment.
If not, then click below for details:
š Click HERE to Enroll in Cohort 2
In case you missed my recent YouTube videoā¦
I moved to Los Angeles in 2019 to continue my pursuits of composing for a living.
Prior to my move, I was in Tennessee, doing various music jobs including:
- āŖ Playing piano at a local church
- š¹ Teaching piano and guitar
- š Doing music copyist work
- š» Taping sheet music together for a music librarian
- š„ Recording YouTube videos with my friend Frank Tedesco
Iād hoped that my move to L.A. would give me the network and motivation I needed to be able to transition to full-time composing work.
So how did it go?
Well, 6 months after my move, the U.S. got hit with COVIDāand a nationwide lockdown.
That forced me to rely on the savings I had to get by, and to think outside the box in how Iād network with people and find work.
I learned a LOT. Painfully. š
Having lived here for 5 years now, I thought it was time to make a video about the pros and cons of moving to L.A. to pursue composing.
In the video, I discuss:
- āļø The pros and cons of moving to Los Angeles
- šµ My income breakdown for L.A. vs remote clients
- ā Three things you MUST start doing to compose full-time from anywhere
And if youāre determined to compose for a living and want my help to get thereā¦
ā How to NOT Get Paid Composing WorkHave you ever inverted a question?
This is a technique I learned recently from a business mentor of mine, and the concept blew my mind. š¤Æ
Hereās whyā¦
When faced with a problem, we often ask ourselves:
āHow do I solve this problem?ā
But the issue with that approach is that if we knew how to answer that question, weād already be doing it.
Composers looking to find more work opportunities often fall into that trap:
āHow can I get clients to find my work?ā
āWhat do I do to raise my rates?ā
"What can I do to convince people to work with me?ā
Each question here is open-ended.
There might be answers to these questions, but it feels a bit foggy.
But now, imagine now that we invert the questions: š
āHow can I get clients to NOT find my work?ā
āWhat can I do to LOWER my rates?ā
āWhat can I do to convince people to NOT work with me?ā
See how the inverted answers become clearer?
If we wanted clients to NOT find us, weād:
- š² Stop posting online
- š© Stop reaching out
- š Stop asking for referrals
If we wanted to LOWER our rates, weād:
- š Say āyesā to every project
- ā Never negotiate
- š Never learn higher-value skills
And if we wanted to convince people to NOT work with us, weād:
- š«µ Focus on our needs instead of theirs
- š” Be difficult to work with
- š¹ Deliver poor work
Inverting a question allows us to get answers to the OPPOSITE resultā¦
Which allows us to then invert the answers themselves.
This week, I challenge you to invert a question youāve been asking yourself and getting stuck on.
(Then invert your answers to get yourself back on track š)
In case you didnāt catch itā¦
I was recently featured helping out my friend and musician Aurelie Couble on her new video, where she challenged herself to score a scene with NO previous scoring experience:
We chatted in some detail about numerous scoring tips, and I sent Aurelie my FREE Fundamentals for Film Composers Guide for some pointers.
(āļø If you havenāt grabbed this guide yet, I HIGHLY recommend it. I packed lessons in there that took me a long, long time to figure out on my own, and will be adding more in the future!)
So how did Aurelie do?
After lots of experimentation, trial-and-error, and a feedback session with me before her final draft, I think her final result was quite strong for a first go at scoring!
(She messaged me recently to tell me that the experience was so inspiring, sheās thinking about continuing to try scoring!)
Thatās the power of new challenges. š
Pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone forces you to solve problems youāve never faced before.
It can certainly be dauntingā¦
But it makes the reward all the more satisfying.
Soā¦
This week, I challenge YOU to push yourself to try something new.
That could be a musical goal (e.g. composing your first piece for full orchestra)ā¦
A career goal (e.g. finally sending that cold email to that person in the industry you know)ā¦
Or a personal goal (e.g. going to a new coffee shop and reading a book)
Long-time followers of mine know my borderline unhealthy obsession with anything from John Powell.
And his new Migration soundtrack isnāt any different:
The main theme gives me strong Mancini/Silvetri vibes, while also staying true to the classic āPowellismsā.
His infectious melody is supported by hyperactive string 16ths, grooving bass-lines, chitter-y trumpets, and dramatic hemiolas.
(And this is just the end credits!)
Highly recommend the soundtrack as a whole to my fellow Powell-ites š