I think if I had another life to live, I’d be a film score composer. Films tell stories, but music does too.
I love movies, when I have time to watch them, and I think sometimes the music leaves more of an impression on me than the film. I can recall hearing music and seeking out the film that it was scored to, just to see how it made the film better.
I never worry about losing my writing muse, because it is music, particularly instrumental film score music. It is rare for me to write without listening to music. I find when I write, I am inspired by the joy, the pain, the fear, the love, all the emotions that music provides. It lifts my writing up. It makes it better.
A rare moment I love occurs when I am writing a sequence and the music is a perfect compliment to the images in my head. The only downside is I rarely am able to type fast enough.
I was lucky enough to catch the December 17th episode of The Score with Edmund Stone, as I drove. His guest was Mark Isham, and apart from the moving examples of his work over the past 30+ years, I was struck by his advice for aspiring film composers. Mr. Isham referred to what he calls “his three P’s”: produce, promote, persist. Always produce, let others know about it, and keep at it. success will find you. It’s good advice for anyone, and especially for those in creative fields.
You can listen to Edmund and Mark here.
Photo by Chris Devers