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Someday, you'd like to start pursuing paid composing work.
But you're not ready for it yet - or so you think.
So to GET ready, you've been focusing on practicing your composing skills so that your music will be "good enough" to be taken seriously.
And yet, you might still be wondering:
"How will I know when my music IS good enough to get paid?"
Good question.
But what...
Students of my Composing Career Bootcamp know that content creation has played a big part in me getting the work I’ve gotten over the years.
I encourage my students to give it a try to help build “social proof”: to show interested directors/composers/producers that other people are interested in our work.
But one of my Bootcamp students asked a very fair question:
“Do...
If you’re trying to find paid work composing for media, I’m sure you’ve fallen into this trap.
You Google “film music jobs” on Google, or see an opportunity pop up on social media.
Your heart races with excitement as you imagine the thrill of working on that project.
And then you read the job requirements.
Your heart sinks.
You’re not qualified.
...
I recently had a student from the Composing Career Bootcamp ask me for tips on creating a website.
Here’s my opinion:
Social media profiles can pretty near serve as websites these days.
(Especially if it's an account you're active on and have your work on)
About 50% of clients interested in working with me reach out on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
But if you opt to go for a website as...
(Today’s topic is taken from the Networking module of my Composing Career Bootcamp program. If you want to get paid for your music and are ready to learn some powerful new skills, be sure to check it out!)
I coach hundreds of students in 1:1 sessions, many of whom dream of making music for a living.
But when I ask them what they’ve done to grow their network, the answer is usually ...
In 2019, I moved to LA to continue pursuing a composing career.
6 months later, COVID hit the US, sending us into a nationwide lockdown.
Quarantine forced me to be creative with finding new opportunities.
I replaced in-person networking with forums/Zoom calls.
I made educational videos on YouTube instead of sending job applications.
I made an e-book, launched a podcast, and created a webstore.
...
When I first moved to LA, I went to an 60-minute network mixer at VidCon - a convention for creators with over 75k attendees.
I was eager to connect with other artists, share my story, and build an exciting base of new clients.
Over the course of that hour, I chatted with close to 50 creators, accumulating 20 business cards and passing equally as many of my own around.
After I...
In 2022, Clone Wars composer Kevin Kiner offered me a full-time job.
Here's how it happened:
In 2018, I landed a gig preparing sheet music for Ocean Way Studios, an orchestral recording studio in Nashville (where I was living).
I got paid a small amount, but mostly did it for the chance to watch a live orchestral session for a score Kevin had written.
I won't lie--my first...