1,729 thoughts on “General Questions”

  2. Hey guys, please let’s cool the heated rhetoric. This site has always tried to be civil and I mean to keep it that way. Remember I control the delete button!

  3. [i]”Go back and re-read your posts. Consider you went on a forum called Music Library Report and said in so many words that no real composers are on this site, lib writing is far from the real game, and we are just pretending thinking our TV placements meant anything.

    You are back-pedaling a little bit and I’ve lost respect for this argument. Those comments insult the people who went through the time to create this site and composers that use it to further their careers…maybe even score a film one day eh? After all, that’s the only composing career that matters”.-Chris[/i]

    You have some imagination Chris. Trying to enlist Art in your cause, or just sucking up? 😀

    For the record; I implied that composing tracks for libraries isn’t in the same ballpark as scoring for major movies. And it isn’t. Simple as that. I never stated that the composers’ music on this site is inferior.

    Back-pedaling? Now you’ve totally lost me.

  4. Frankly, for me, I don’t care to score a film. I’ve been in enough high pressure, high stress situations to know that I don’t need to go there again. I’m happy as a clam writing library music and I’ll take whatever TV placements I can get. It’s very “real” for me!

      • Sure but first, my minimal experience with scoring. Though I’ve only scored a couple of small films I didn’t find the process particularly different from writing any kind of music. It was generally a team effort and everyone pulled together to make it work. I felt I was lucky in that regard.

        Some of the high pressure situations were as a studio guitarist.

        1.) Playing record dates for film scores where many times there was no rehearsal. The music gets passed out, press record and go. Being not a particularly good reader it is nerve wracking, especially when you are sitting with 15 or 20 other musicians that can read fly specks. I finally stopped taking music dates.

        2.) Working with Phil Spector and yes the stories are true! Particularly on the John Lennon sessions. Easy gig, paid well but crazy times.

        3.) Recording a double album live with Burt Bacharach and the Houston Symphony.

        4.) Playing live on network TV, such as the Tonight Show.

        I also felt some of the same pressure when I had my own recording studio and was engineering. Particularly film, TV and advertising jingles. They almost always went overtime, never booked enough time and wanted it yesterday. Through all of this I saw the toll it took on many of the composers. That being said, if it was offered to me, I wouldn’t say no. I’m just not going after it.

        Didn’t mean to blow my horn but you asked. Those are just a few situations.

        So, I’m happy as can be to sit home and write library music and be stress free. It’s a happy life!

  5. [i]”Nothing. Happiness is not real” – Yadgyu[/i]

    Dopey me, all these years I thought I was happy. Now that I know happiness isn’t “real”, I’ll try not to smile as much. I guess my happiness was only samples of happiness. 😀

    • The opposite of happiness is boredom. Seek out fun and life will be okay. As long as you are having fun on a regular basis, other stuff will not matter in the least bit.

      Don’t seek happiness, seek fun. Happiness is just a side-product of having fun.

      • I’ve met people like you before Yadgyu. You seem to like to argue with everyone, no matter what the subject – if someone showed you a blue pen, you’d argue and say it was red. You’re just unreal. Arguing a point, doesnt make you sound more intelligent, nor does it make anything think more of you.

        Everyone is free to think what they want, but seriously, I’ve never seen you agree with anyone – you seem to know best, even though you’re only an “infant” in the industry, aswell as in life I presume. Hell I’m only 23, and I know nothing about film scoring, library music, or even life, compared to some of the other people, but I don’t pretend to. We’re all here to learn something – try learn from other people rather than just argue the point on everything…please. Seriously, just grow up a little bit please….and drop the ego…

        • Is that your impression of me? Sorry, pal. I am not here to argue. I think you just made some very good points. How about we bury the hatchet and try to build one another up?

          There are a great deal of talented people here that I would like to collaborate with. If anyone has listened to my music and wants to do some work together, please contact me. I am more than willing to create some great work together.

            • I do not want to upset Emmett. He seems like a pretty stand-up guy. He is a voice of reason on this site. I hope that I can work with him on some projects soon.

  6. You made a good point in saying this argument was pointless Yadgyu. I’m sorry I started the argument. I didn’t realize I wasn’t in Kansas any longer. Maybe it’s more like “Johnny in Wonderland”. 😀

  7. John and Chris are making pointless arguments. Most library composers want to be film composers; most film composers want to be music producers; most producers want be pop/rock stars; most pop/rock stars want to act; most actors want to direct movies and on and on to infinity.

    The truth is that most people have no clue what would make them happy.

  8. Daniel and Chris, it’s just my opinion – peace. Diversity is not your enemy. I’m a musician and composer just like you guys.

    Composing for film (film scores) definitely takes more expertise than composing for music libraries.

    When composing for music libraries, the composer basically creates a track of his/her choosing. The library will then consider its marketable potential.

    If lucky, the client of the music library may think it will work in their project; in which they’ll insert the track into the film scene, commercial, etc. Most often they’ll only use a fraction of the track.

    When doing an entire score for film, the composer painstakingly goes through every scene, every frame and determines what music will enhance that scene. The dynamics and mood changes of the music must be precise. Just a change of an actor’s expression, often needs a mood change in the music (again precisely at the perfect moment). Not to mention the selection of instrumentation.

    Multiply this by hundreds of scenes, dozens of mood swings, and I think it’s safe to say it takes on more of a knowledge base.

    In no way have I stated that music in libraries is inferior to music being created in the process of film scoring. I think that’s the false insinuation that provoked the chip-on-the-shoulder attitudes.

    • The only one with a chip-on-the-shoulder was you coming in a saying how lib writing wasn’t “real”, how it’s “not the real game”, and how we are “pretending”. What I tried to share with you is that paradigm of separating the disciplines (so to speak) of lib production and scoring is just not relevant. You are comparing apple to oranges in the sense of scoring vs. not scoring. Your attitude seems negative and elitist and is offensive to me (being a lib composer trying to move up to scoring) and I’m sure offensive to my fellow PMAers and yes, I don’t tolerate that. Like I said good luck to you. You went from looking down your nose at lib writing (career-wise) to explaining how it’s technically more difficult to score a film than to not score one–it’s just two different arguments. Again: good luck. Post some links and show me what you are talking about.

      • Chris,

        I reckon truth can sometimes offend, especially when taken out of context, or creating one’s own meanings there of.

        I’ve only expressed my opinion. I didn’t offend or insult you personally in anyway. Am I not free in expressing my thoughts? Are your thoughts the only valid thoughts? Would it make you happy if I just agreed with you?

        Okay… you’re absolutely right and I was absolutely wrong. Thanks for helping me see the light. God bless you.

        Arrogance is in the mind of the beholder.

        Peace, John 🙂

          • Go back and re-read your posts. Consider you went on a forum called Music Library Report and said in so many words that no real composers are on this site, lib writing is far from the real game, and we are just pretending thinking our TV placements meant anything.

            You are back-pedaling a little bit and I’ve lost respect for this argument. Those comments insult the people who went through the time to create this site and composers that use it to further their careers…maybe even score a film one day eh? After all, that’s the only composing career that matters.

  9. “And OK congrats: writing lib cues is not the same as scoring the next blockbuster. You’re a genius; I don’t recall anyone saying it was” -Chris

    Man, talk about blowing things out of proportion and creating one’s own realties. I can see there’s no sense in sharing opinions with you. You can’t tolerate it. You’ll see and hear what ever you want it to be. So be it.

  10. Now that’s hitting my sore nerve.

    I’ve been getting quite a bit of “we’re looking for “real” instruments being played by “real” musicians” for our project. It doesn’t matter if you use the greatest samples on Earth. These people only want the “real” thing. Of course it’s alright if you mix in some “sample sounds” for fx’s, but the bulk of the production must be “real”.

    That’s a “real” bummer. 😀

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