At Composing Academy, I always want to help people progress with their music, whether that is with the free content I offer such as the fortnightly newsletter, free training & YouTube videos or with my course Cinematic Music Made Easy.
However, there are some that may not want or can afford...
Film Scores frequently make use of a musical device called a leitmotif - a recurring musical 'building block' that is associated with a particular aspect within a film, such as a character, place or emotion.
Last Friday, I was extremely fortunate to attend the first ever performance of...
It is widely regarded that Howard Shore created a Masterpiece in his scores for The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy.
The scores for all 3 films are packed full of various themes and leitmotifs, ranging from tiny intimate musical moments, up to full bombastic orchestrations.
According to Frank...
In today's world of composing for Films, TV and Video games, being able to craft realistic mockups using orchestral samples is crucial. You might have composed an incredible, emotionally charged piece of music, but if your samples sound flat and lifeless, the quality of your actual...
A lot of chord progressions, especially in Pop and Rock music, are diatonic in nature - using chords which are only found in the home key.
Film, TV and Video Game composers will typically use a variety of additional harmonic devices that move chromatically to help achieve...
With the Olympic Games over for another 4 years, I thought it would be nice to reminisce about the music we have heard played at the Games & the role behind it.
There have been various pieces which have been composed especially for the games over the years, but today I’d like to...
This week, I've been thinking of how best to answer a question that I have received a few times from my subscribers - when trying to achieve a particular emotion or tone, how do I choose which orchestral instruments to use for the desired result?
After initially struggling to come up with an...
I am often asked via email & YouTube comments what are my go-to sample libraries and so in this newsletter I thought I would provide you with my favourites, from free offerings up to the more expensive. (Most of the paid libraries will have sales in the next few weeks as well.)
Most DAWs come...
Music can, of course, be extremely effective in telling stories.
Composers throughout history have been writing evocative and poignant music, navigating a variety of emotions and taking their listener's on musical journeys.
The top film composers in particular, are masters at weaving stories...
Thomas Bergerson, one half of the now recently disbanded Two Steps From Hell, has written his fair share of exhilarating, moving and dramatic cinematic music.
After analysing countless pieces of his, I've discovered that changing keys is a common technique that he uses in order to increase...
I know this will not relate to everyone but over the last two weeks (yes it takes me that long to make a video!) I have been working on my 'Top 20 Tips from 20 Years using Cubase' YouTube video. In it, I dive into my favourite tips and tricks, which I use on a daily basis.
Think 'hacks'...
I wanted to take some time to honour the composer and lyricist Richard Sherman, who sadly passed away at the age of 95 last week.
Richard, along with his brother Robert Sherman, were the legendary Disney Songwriters, who penned classics such as 'I Wanna Be Like You' and...