One of the most exciting things about working for yourself is the ability to control how you spend your time.

And yet often when we get that freedom, many of us either overwork ourselves or underutilize the time we allot. Distractions deter us, choices paralyze us, and we find our days ending with the thought “How did I work all day with nothing to show for it?”

In order to use our time effectiv...

In case you missed it, here's a video from last week on a crazy simple trick I learned from studying John Powell's How to Train Your Dragon 2 score.

If you want to see the full behind-the-scenes on how I composed, arranged, and mocked up the finished piece, be sure to join my Patreon! Details below 🙂

In 2021, I decided to really dig deeper into improving my orchestration and mock-up chops.

One of the most eye-opening moments for me was watching some of John Powell's Logic playthroughs, and paying close attention to the piano roll. I realized that--unlike mine at the time--his arrangements didn't just sound clean... they looked clean.

You can literally see the variety of registers, density, a...

This video might be a tough pill to swallow, but it's worth a watch.

Jacques is an ex-media composer who outlines what prompted him to leave the industry.

I wish I could tell you that these problems don't exist, but they do--I've seen and experienced many of them first-hand:

So here’s my take.

As much as you might want this career, don't want it so badly that you overlook red flags. 🚩

Don'...

Until I made this video, I wasn't aware of how many ways to modulate there really are.

Some of these techniques were things I'd do intuitively, put never put a name to. Others were methods I'd never even thought of! 🤯

In this video, I'll walk you through 7 ways to modulate (from easy to difficult).

(And if you want 3 more, consider joining the Compose & Conquer Community on Patreon!)

I recently picked up Ryan Munsey’s book “F*ck Your Feelings”—a book designed to help you overcome the limiting beliefs and habits that stop you from getting the results you want out of your health, work, and lifestyle.

It’s a great read for anyone into mental mastery. 🧠

Here’s some of the big takeaways I’ve gotten from his writing and various interviews so far:

Lesson 1 - Turn...

This week’s video is a popular topic among students in my 1:1 coaching sessions—breaking free from harmonic progressions.

In this video, I’ll discuss how to use inversions, relative chords, borrowed chords, and chord extensions to expand your chordal vocabulary and inspire new ideas.

The hunt for great orchestral colors can be so captivating that sometimes we forget about all of the wonderful colors that exist outside of orchestral music.

I want to share with you some of my favorite instruments from around the world that I’ve used over the years in my music. I challenge you to find one that sparks excitement in you, and use it in a piece of your own 🙂

Dulcimer/Santoor (Per...

Every time I decide to re-watch the Harry Potter movies, I’m constantly awestruck by the genius of the very first soundtrack Williams released.

While all of the movies and scores are great in their own right, Sorcerer’s Stone holds a special place in my heart (I’ve probably watched it 15 times by now).

My all-time favorite musical moment is the transition from winter to spring:

This little 4...