Some say that James Horner’s score for Avatar does not stand well on it’s own apart from the film. I felt the same way about the music while listening to the soundtrack before going to see the movie. After watching Avatar however, I had an entirely different opinion. It is not that the music does not stand well on it’s own, it is simply that it is PERFECT for the Avatar experience. Once you see this film the music really starts to make sense. Read more

I am not sure how many musicians know about Google books, but it is a very useful tool for musicians and composers alike. I started using it almost two years ago to aid in my musical studies. To put it simply you can search through countless books on composition technique and music theory just like you would a typical Google search. However the results are not always accessible for free. Most books that are still in print have a link that takes you to a purchase page. But here is the secret sauce, part of the Google Books project’s initiative was to scan older books from University libraries in an effort to preserve them and make them digitally available via online search.  Books that are outside the copyright window are available for full download in .pdf format. Read more

The above statement may seem to state the obvious and be unnecessary, particularly for a site dedicated to promoting  my music. However, through the course of my life there have been many times when I had to remind myself  of this  simple fact.  You see, I used to think that I had to be someone other than who I am to gain the respect of my peers and make a living for myself.  Even though I grew up in a family full of extremely talented musicians, I somehow  managed to grow up with the idea that I needed a “real” job.

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I finally started using Cubase 5 and  I must say. I am very impressed with the software. Whoever came up with the idea for VST expression deserves much love. As a composer for film and other modern media, this tool is making my job exponentially easier. I even thought to myself that Steinberg must have had help from some of their celebrity customers, such as the well known film composer Mr. Hans Zimmer.  The product is too well thought out not to have had input from working professional musicians and composers. It’s also important to me to note that I was using Cubase long before I ever even knew who Hans Zimmer was.  So I am not simply using the software to be more like Hans. Read more

It’s no secret that many film composers and other musicians involved in modern media have been using the advantages of technology to speed up the music production process. Not to mention save tons of money in studio time and costs.  2009 was a great year for film composers or any one else who uses virtual instruments in their profession. We had many great product releases such as Spectrasonic’s Omnisphere and Trillian. This year promises to be equally as exciting. To start we have East West kicking off the year with the release of Hollywood Strings. The buzz on the street is that it is the ”be all, end all” of orchestral libraries. But with all of the excitement about new products , I thought I would take some time to talk about a product I feel is severely underrated. That product is Applied Acoustics’s Lounge Lizard EP 3. Read more

My second feature release , Effervescent , will be released on May 16th 2010, exactly one year after the release of my first major project, The Glory Sound.  Effervescent comes from the root word fervere, meaning to boil or be “white hot”. The word itself means to be lively, animated and to show exhilaration; to sparkle. It is my hope that the title itself will be enough to give you an idea of what this project will sound like.  Read more