Two Composers, Two Continents

Yodeling, Rootin’-Tootin’ Recording & Writing Cowboy Songs

Dust off your boots and grab your hat - in this episode, we’re heading behind the scenes of our Cowboy Songs production music album! Inspired by the charm of The Three Amigos and City Slickers, we set out to write cowboy songs that feel authentically traditional but cinematic enough for use in Film & TV. We walk through the full process, from songwriting and orchestration to the logistics of recording across two continents, with rhythm sections in Chicago at Transient Sound Studios, and orchestral sessions at Abbey Road Studios in London.  Along the way we talk about the challenge of finding the right sound, and the even bigger challenge of tracking down rootin’-tootin’ yodelers and world-class Americana musicians to bring it all to life! Easy, right?! #filmmusic #cowboysongs #cowboymusic #productionmusic #composer #composers #abbeyroad #wildwest #tvmusic #filmcomposer #songwriting #librarymusic #tvcomposer

Networking Without Networking: The Power of Music Communities

During a recent recording session in Nashville, we were reminded just how small the music world really is!  In an industry that can often feel remote, and at times pretty lonely, community matters more than ever.  From village choirs to Facebook groups and organisations like the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL), there are endless ways to connect with like-minded musicians/composers, find collaborators, and build lasting relationships. The truth is, the best networking rarely feels like networking. We talk about how real opportunities come from simply showing up, contributing to a community, and letting connections grow over time. #musiccommunities #musicindustry #networking #musicnetworking #composernetworking

From Prog Rock to Stravinsky: Grammy-winning Composer Jay Weigel’s Musical Journey (Part 1)

In the first half of this sit-down, we’re joined by musical polymath Jay Weigel, a Grammy-winning composer, producer, conductor, arranger, orchestrater, and contractor with a career spanning over 40 years! We start back at the beginning with New Orleans Catholic school bands, early gigs with unlimited beer taps on the wall, Jay’s teenage transformation into the world of prog rock and the ultimate spiral into a world of classical giants like Stravinsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, fuelled by under-the-desk vinyl deals! Along the way we talk about musical lineage, aural teaching traditions tracing back to Beethoven, and what it really means to switch ‘musical languages’ across genres. Plus, a refreshing reminder that even Beethoven wrote bad music, so it’s not the end of the world if you do too!  Chapters: 00:51 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igdFGN2yWfw&t=51s] Jay’s early musical background 5:07 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igdFGN2yWfw&t=307s] Jay’s transition into classical music 12:28 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igdFGN2yWfw&t=748s] Switching ‘musical languages’ across genres and Beethoven’s musical lineage 17:08 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igdFGN2yWfw&t=1028s] Making bad music  21:44 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igdFGN2yWfw&t=1304s] Teaching maths and music Part 2 out now! #musicindustry #composer #producer #grammywinningcomposer #musicproducer #conductor #musicpodcast #beethoven #classicalmusic

Why Film Directors and Composers Struggle to Communicate (Part 2 with Grammy-winning Jay Weigel)

Missed the first half of our conversation? Check out Part 1 first! We’re back for Part 2 with Grammy-winning composer and producer Jay Weigel, and this time we’re tackling the missing piece in film school education: the often-neglected collaboration between directors and composers! We explore the struggles of communication, learning to speak the shared language of film music, and the key to long-lasting working relationships in the film industry. Along the way we look at the evolution of music tech over the years, from composing on a Commodore 64 to using modern DAWs; If you’ve ever felt the struggle of communicating between filmmakers and composers, stick around! Chapters: 1:33 The missing piece in filmmakers education 5:15 Communication between directors and film composers 10:28 The evolution of music tech 16:52 The difference between recording in different cities #filmmaker #composer #director #composerdirectorrelationship #musictech #filmmusic #filmcomposer #composers #filmindustry #musicindustry #cubase

Curating our Christmas Vinyl - A Decade of Festive Big Band Music

After having such a blast creating our NOLA vinyl last year, we couldn’t resist spinning up another one… this time with a festive twist! In this episode, we delve into over a decade of Christmas Big Band production music. Join us on a trip down memory lane as we revisit the process behind these albums, share stories from recording sessions and make tough decisions as we narrow it all down to just two sides of a vinyl. Which tracks will make the cut? Which ones get left in the snow? And just how many versions of ‘Jingle Bells’ is too many versions of ‘Jingle Bells’…? (Spoiler, three and a half might be pushing it) #christmasmusic #bigband #productionmusic #composer #vinyl #doublevinyl #composing #filmcomposer #tvcomposer #filmmusic #tvmusic