wise-areola-fungus t1_it7uoxq wrote on October 21, 2022 at 3:50 PM

Your thoughts on the Game of Thrones theme. If you were asked to compose it what would it sound like?

Also how did you start doing this? I've always admired composers and wonder how they even got started like what made them so good at it that they'd consider it a career?

English isn't my first language so I apologize if the questions don't make much sense.

Thanks for the AMA!

sandiegoopera OP t1_it7wvwn wrote on October 21, 2022 at 4:05 PM

Hi, Wise!

When I first heard the Game of Thrones theme, years ago, I rolled my eyes... ja ja ja... And now, omigod, it's stuck in my brain and I have to admit that it's bluntly effective. I wish they had called me, though. I'd do a lot more with staggered strings, blends of unusual colors, themes reacting to one another, etc. You know, the good stuff. :)

As to how I started to do this... I always enjoyed music and would improvise at the piano, but I didn't know that you could be professional. So, I was scholastically a high achiever and in high school, was studying Russian literature, language, politics... This was the time of Gorbachev, glasnost, the Wall was tumbling in Europe, regimes changing in Latin America. I thought I was going to be a political science major and I was likely headed to law school. But in the summer of my last year of high school, I took a music composition program, and was changed instantly. I fell -- hard -- for composing.

I knew, then, that I had a lot of catching up to do. I didn't know much repertoire and even my music-reading skills weren't the best. But, somewhere inside me, I also thought the world needed me... lol... innocent hubris of my youth and all that... I never looked back, though. I'm very grateful.

wise-areola-fungus t1_it7z8co wrote on October 21, 2022 at 4:20 PM

Man I'd never thought you'd really reply haha this feels really special. It's really cool to see that you were walking down your decided path and all of a sudden you went off to pursue something totally different. I bet that takes courage and I've been thinking if I too would find my calling like that one day.

Also I try to learn a lot of instruments and listen to different types of music. I'll be checking out some of your music as well. Again thanks for replying and have a fantastic day!

sandiegoopera OP t1_it7zpw0 wrote on October 21, 2022 at 4:23 PM

Thanks for writing in, and sending you good vibes for that calling!