PinnedBecome a multi-instrumentalist. It’s easier than you think.Push past perceived limitations and discover abilities that will surprise you… — What is a multi-instrumentalist? Wikipedia defines a multi-instrumentalist as: “a musician who plays two or more musical instruments at a professional level of proficiency” — Wikipedia Notice the word ‘proficiency’. In Wikipedia’s view multi-instrumentalists have to be experts, not just on one instrument but on all of them — no easy feat. There’s no…Multi Instrumentalist6 min readMulti Instrumentalist6 min read
PinnedThe awesome power of transcribing music. Whatever your level.Learning to play by ear will boost your musical fluency, but learning to transcribe is where it’s really at. Here’s how to do it… — Playing by ear is the starting point… …it’s one of the best ways to improve your skills as a musician, listening and mimicking what you hear without referring to musical score. Typically it involves a little trial and error before you find the right notes (in the right order!) but that’s fine because the process of working…Music7 min readMusic7 min read
Jul 11, 2022Interesting!11Dan ReichWow! Well done on your recovery.Wow! Well done on your recovery. Very interesting, I would be love to know why the bass gave you no problem. Do you still keep up the bass now that your piano playing is back?1 min read1 min read
Jul 10, 2022The synergy of sound and visualsAcousmatic sound and synchresis. — What is synergy? Synergy, from the Attic Greek word ‘συνεργία’ meaning ‘working together’, is when something is combined to form something greater than its individual parts. Our role as sound designers and composers is to create synergy every time we combine sound and image. ‘What do I hear of what…Sound4 min readSound4 min read
Jul 10, 2022What is the function of film music?Types of film music with examples from popular films. Learnings for me as a composer. — ‘Sound is 50% of the movie experience’. George Lucas. Source Music Source music is the name given to music that has a source within the action of the film, for example the music played by an orchestra which we see on screen. Source music can also start as non diegetic music…Film Music5 min readFilm Music5 min read
Jul 10, 2022Audio storyboardingWhat is an audio storyboard and how is it useful? — What is a storyboard? Humans process visual information 60,000 times faster than text (Sapega, 2021), which is why it is very common for visual storyboards to be used when there is a need to convey a story or a series of complex ideas. A visual storyboard graphically maps out the information…Storyboard4 min readStoryboard4 min read
Jul 10, 2022A deeper understanding of how we listen to musicWhy we listen to music, listening styles and how music boosts brain health. — When I was younger one of my favourite pastimes was listening to music. I would lie on my bed for hours and take in every element that I could, doing nothing else. I would become captivated by the different nuances that I would hear on each repeat, getting swept up…Psychology5 min readPsychology5 min read
Mar 1, 2022Exploring future revenue streams for composers and sound designersNFTs, tokenization, web 3.0 and more. — The music industry has transformed in under a generation. The methods of earning money have especially changed, which has prompted me to ask the question: how can the modern composer and sound designer earn money in the digital age? In this post I explore emerging technologies like NFT’s, tokens and…Nft6 min readNft6 min read
Dec 13, 2021Empathetic sound, anempathetic sound and sound imagery in sound designWhat are they? How are they used? How do they benefit me? — Empathetic sound Empathetic sound is when the music or sound design added to screen complements the mood of the action that is occurring, such as the celebratory music that accompanies the victory scene in Star Wars episode VI: Return Of The Jedi. Anempathetic sound Anempathetic sound is the…Sound5 min readSound5 min read
Dec 13, 2021Core concepts in foley and sound designUnderstanding core concepts and techniques, and reflecting on how they can benefit my work. — Foley Art Foley is the process of recreating real-world sounds to be added to screen and is named after Jack Foley, the radio SFX artist who first developed the technique in the 1920’s. In the context of radio, where there is no visual aspect, foley sounds were added to help bring…Foley7 min readFoley7 min read
