I Help Composers And Producers Get Their Music Placed, Registered, And Earning
About
You finished the music. That was supposed to be the hard part.
But the pitches go out and come back silent, or they do not come back at all. The catalog sits on a drive. People with less music and fewer skills keep getting the placements. And somewhere in the third year of this, you start to wonder whether the window closed while you were busy working.
I spent years in that exact place, so I am not going to tell you to network more.
Here is what I find most often, and it is the expensive one: finished work that was never properly registered. Cues that aired and never paid. Catalogs earning nothing because the paperwork was never filed. That is money you already earned, sitting uncollected. It is usually the first thing we fix, and it is often the fastest money in the room.
I have written for television since 2011, when I joined the staff at Studio 51 Music. BMI cue sheets credit me as composer on nine episodes of Discovery's The Day I Ran China, and my music has aired on The Dr. Oz Show, Access Hollywood, Chrisley Knows Best, and the BBC. My publishers include Harpo Music Publishing and Discovery Networks Music Publishing. My own releases have passed 10 million streams. I am still doing this work, not describing it.
How it works:
1. A free 15-minute call. You tell me where you are stuck. I tell you what I think the real bottleneck is, whether or not you hire me.
2. We build a plan for the next 90 days aimed at that bottleneck, not at general improvement.
3. We work it, with someone who has done it holding you to it.
I also teach music production, composition and film scoring online, and drum set in my Old Brooklyn studio in Cleveland. Returning players who think they are too old or too rusty are welcome. They are neither.
Book the free 15 minutes.
Specialties
Able to read music
Musical styles
Years experience
Types of drums
Lesson length
Student's age
Student have drums
Photos and videos
Reviews
Natalie
Riko N.
Blake B.
Henley M.
George H.
Melinda I.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
In the first lesson we will take our time, relax, and allow you to show off your current level. I do not charge extra if this lesson goes over, which it generally does. It is very important to get the most acccurate gauge of where you are and what your goals are.
From there, we build a plan together to get you on track to reach your goals.
I'm also available to weekly students via text and email between lessons for questions!
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance, Arizona State University, on full scholarship. Master's degree from Carnegie Mellon University.
Composition with Dr. James DeMars. Percussion with Dr. Mark Sunkett.
Writing music for television since 2011, beginning on staff at Studio 51 Music.
Thirteen years founding and conducting the Pangean Orchestra, an ensemble of musicians from Iraq, Turkey, Mongolia, Ireland and China. Three years conducting an American-Chinese orchestra before that.
An orchestral commission in Turkey, and study with master musicians on five continents.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Yes, and the first 15-minute call is always free.
Film and television composition: $150 per hour. Career coaching for composers and producers: $135. Music production and composition: $125. Drum set in my Cleveland studio: $90.
Weekly students can arrange a package rate. If cost is the only thing standing in the way, tell me on the free call and we will work something out.
How did you get started teaching?
At sixteen. That was thirty years ago, and I have not stopped since.
Since then I have taught four years of full-time classroom music, guest taught at Arizona State, Baldwin Wallace and Oklahoma City College, worked at a music school in Dakar, Senegal, and taught in Istanbul. Most of it, though, has been one person at a time.
The reason I still do it is simple. I learn something about my own playing and writing from nearly every student, and that has been true for three decades.
What types of students have you worked with?
I've worked with students as young as 4 and as old as +65
Skill levels have ranged from absolute beginner to professional.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
I recently was invited to work alongside Mestre Pablo in Rio de Janeiro for a major performance in the Sambadrome for 2020 Carnival where I performed in front of millions nationwide.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Ask your questions. Don't be shy. We can only help you when we know you.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
If you don't know what to ask, let us know that.
Understand that lessons is only one piece and you need to allot daily time to practice what a teacher is giving you.