Jeff Lippencott & Mark Williams (Ah2), Toby Chu, Marc & Steffan Fantini (Fantini Brothers), Tyler Traband and Geoff Zanelli – HuffPost 6.27.14
Mike Ragogna: What advice do you have for new composers wanting to pursue this field?
Ah2: Be teachable, hone your craft, always have a good attitude and finally, be willing to make sacrifices to succeed. If you can’t do those things, you probably should pursue something else.
Toby Chu: Pay attention in music school, apprentice for a composer, and don’t lose heart!
Fantini Brothers: Never think about money if you are asked to do a project when starting out. Do it for the love and to learn. When we started, we worked on countless projects for little or no money. We were just thrilled that someone gave us a chance and that we could hone our craft and work with talented people. If you can intern for an established composer, that can be a great opportunity as well.
Tyler Traband: My advice for new composers is to practice and be competent on your instrument. I practice more now that I have in years. I want to keep learning, and I want to keep improving. Knowledge is never going to be a hindrance to your success. Learn the language of music and the language of production. Learn and keep up with the technology. Play gigs. Play with friends. Play with strangers. Take chances. Love the music, and share that love! Have fun. I can razor focus with the best of them, and I can crank music out like an insane maniac. Still, I always try to have fun throughout the entire process, and strive to be a real easy, fun-loving person to work with. Even with looming deadlines and crazy time lines, I love what I do, and am thrilled to have had these opportunities. Surround yourself with professional people, and always act like a professional.
Geoff Zanelli: Get an internship right away. I tell people that all the time. You have to be immersed in this if you’re going to have a chance, so find a mentor you can learn from and absorb everything you can. I made a decision early in my career that on my way up, I’d rather have a tiny role on a project with brilliant filmmakers than anything else. I wanted to hear how great directors and great composers talk about film, and music and story. I remember delivering coffee trays into meetings and walking as slowly as possible out of the room so I could hear Jeffrey Katzenberg give a note about music.