So thanks to Warren's influences thread, we know the film composers who inspire us- but I'm curious, what non-film composers have influenced you? Jazz, classical, pop, whatever!
Personally I'm a classical musician by training so influences include John Adams, Steve Reich, Shostakovich, Debussy, Rachmaninov, to name a few.
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Hi, good question. Here, the influences of Gershwin and Rachmaninoff are still coursing through my muscle memory. It has been a long time temporary phase, in the pursuit of gaining my own land and grounding some new ideas.
Hi. Interesting question. Personally, I like a mix: of course the classics, Beethoven, Wagner, Paganini, Bach, Mahler, etc. I also like metal, bands like Arch Enemy, Drone, Eisbrecher, Children of Bodom. I'm interesting in knowing more about jazz and electronic music. I like Django Reinhardt and Miles, of course, but I still need some more research :-). And regarding electronic music, I'm learning right now how to use a synthesizer and I've found a new whole dimension of sound. I've found Massive Attack and the Cure but I'm far of seing the whole picture, which I'm looking forward to do.
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I am now 57 years old, and what influences swayed me were from made in my 20's and 30's. Now, I spend nearly 100% of my time composing, having only one or two personal favorites that I listen to for pleasure and escape. Without being too arrogant about it, The only way to really create a sound of my own is to stay this course, write write write, everyday, go through phases, phases which last several months, but that I can hear slowly changing into newer forms of chord structures for development. Which means I try not to listen to any other music. (I too easily can emulate just about anybody musically, and have a tendency to do that, which is not good, but it is there) So for now, and probably the next few years, I keep my listening to other composers to a minimum. It is not that I am that good at composing, as much as I really want to be that good at composing. That is just my personal 'business' decision. So, the only other time I really listen to music is that of the people I have met on several DAW oriented and VIRTUAL ORCHESTRA oriented group pages. And then, because they request a critique, which I lend my ear to to help them become better composers and recording engineers, and in this process also learn new things I can do with my recording studio in the engineering aspect. All the best to you, Wesley Lawrence Curry II
Interesting mix of influences, Meraxes!
Welsey, it's interesting that you feel that way. I completely see what you mean about not wanting to copy other people, but I've come to the opposite conclusion. By listening to the great composers I can learn from their approaches to harmony, melody, orchestration etc. Because I'm listening to so many of the greats, there's no risk of becoming enslaved to the style of one composer and copying them. Over the last few months I've been reading Alex Ross' fantastic book The Rest Is Noise. I had a passing knowledge of most of the works in the book, but not an in depth one. So, to change that, over the last month I've been carving out chunks of time just to listen (though not right before composing) and the effect that that has had upon the development of my harmonic language and orchestration in particular has been pretty spectacular. It's interesting that everyone finds their own way to develop their styles!
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Thank you Joanna! I think I know what you guys mean. By isolating yourself you look for your truly original sound more carefully without interferences. On the other hand, influences are the base of what we do and that's why I think it's a complex balance to keep: you have to be original but if you go too deep, you end up writing something like the Helicopter String Quartet. I try to approach influences as a game: imagine a helicopter (from that string quartet) making the percussion for a Megadeth-like solo played on a Stradivarius with Wagner putting his brass to it. I just find thoughts like that amusing (and sometimes, you can make up a good idea from them). :-D
Regards!
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Some of my all time favorite musicians had actually gone on to compose for TV & Film - Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Charlie Clouser... funny too because they were all in the same band at one point or another :)
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Help! I hear music in my head. I have over 100 copyrights. I compose classical to rock, jazz to blues, pop to punk. I however cannot get a job they say I am autistic savant I say everyone here is stupid as mud. Lets collaborate http://www.hishousemedia.com
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Inspired (and in some way influenced) by: Lully, Purcell, Telemann, Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Bizet, Leoncavallo, Mascagni, Puccini, Strauss Jr., Grieg, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Strauss, Satie, Saint-Saens, Ravel, Debussy, Faure, Sibelius, Dvorak, Holst, Elgar, Gershwin, Copland, Bernstein, and Adams.
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Bach, Beethoven, Bowie, Beatles, Debussy, Chopin, Motown, R -n- B, melodic Jazz (swing basie ellington Chick webb Satchmo etc) COuntry sux a lot of rap and hip hop inspires me lyrically musically they were not given a chance in public schools in da ghetto. Wane county MI boy ... the LYRICS in rap and hip hop are the best poetry by far per capita, I mean GO Manizzles. ~RevPops http://www.hishousemedia.com
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Lyle Mays and Pat Metheny for the use of chord structure phrases......Dave Brubeck....Prokofiev BIG TIME.....Mahler.....Rachmaninof to name a few.
Oh man.....the song "Are You Going With Me?" .....Pat Metheny & Anna Maria Jopek (Stan's daughter) live....that song is just frigggggggggggin' amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iSiPjbS8_Q
Wesley, did you ever get to work with Fred Kaz? He was a pretty amazing musician, too - and a funny as fudge guy off the Second City stage as well. RIP, Mr. K!
I'm a long-time musician...I love all styles and periods of music...just to add some early British rock bands who played with orchestras....Deep Purple, the Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, ELP, Fripp/Crimson/et al, Eno....a lot of those shows with orchestras are on Youtube. What great stuff that is. I was fortunate to see all those bands in the 1970's - those were some great shows.
Ben Frost is a major influence of mine, but he is scoring films too now.
Josh Homme from Queens Of The Stone Age is a huge influence on a lot of music I create. His rhythm usage and unique melodies really inspire me. Trent Reznor as well, although he can probably be considered a film composer too with his whole body of work haha.