If I Had ONE Piece Of Advice...

In this video I discuss the single most important piece of advice I could offer for any aspiring, ascending or struggling media composer. With 10 top tips of how to achieve it alongside ten musical examples. If there was one piece of advice you could give, what would it be? And do you recognise the music, let me know in the comments down below 10-1 what shows these tracks are from.

[Durrdiss]

I love the sentiment, and so wish more people realised this. Unfortunately, my experience has been the opposite when I tried to get my foot in the door. Directors/developers preferred the sounds/music that emulated their favourite existing works, and trying to do anything remotely different never got anywhere. Perhaps that's more how the indie sector works, or maybe I'm just bitter.
I still think composers should take note! This is a great video.

[studiobischof]

For the note takers...
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1. Do it your way (you are good enough - your way is the right way)
2. Be adventurous (and explorational, even when not required)
3. Restrict your options (play mainly with one new instrument)
4. Collaborate with extraordinary people (build a family of musicians)
5. Enrich your heritage (don’t listen to the other professionals for inspiration)
6. Embrace your heritage (it’s your artistic DNA)
7. Lean into your limitations (be insanely simplistic - give room for other film parts)
8. Lean into your USP (be one with the instrument)
9. Don’t copy other people (copy and combine three composers)
10. Don’t rely on other peoples sound (use them wrong)

[infotainment]

I just turned 66 today and finally rallied the courage to build a small studio at home to do something I have dreamed of all my life. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to put together a set of "priceless" tutorials. I have often used the excuse of being too old to start something new and exciting but many people have countered with the Kentucky Fried Chicken empire story, built by Harland Sanders, starting at age 65.

[christopherknox]

Your mom is AWESOME in Sherlock! I literally sat up straight in my chair when you mentioned she was your mother. Also, find your own voice is a must in any creative endeavor, from writing to painting, so you're definitely right about that.

[karthiksathian]

This is the best video you've made Christian and the timing couldn't be better.

[PrinceWesterburg]

They said "Write about what you know." That album about configurating SCSI RAID controllers didn't do so well...

[fivewattworld]

Back to listen to this … again….and .., , again.

[shayneoneill]

I think most of the great sound tracks really do have that "this doesnt sound like anything else?" aspect. Take the Good Bad and Ugly. That weird as hell singing, Cowboy yodelling. What else sounds like that? Or Zimmers interstellar score with that giant pipe organ mixed weird. Neil Youngs stoned guitar noodling on the Dead man sound track. Bear McCrearys over the top percussion based Battlestar scores. The massive almost overwhelming synth pads on Bladerunner. All of these where just unique and the whole reason you remember them is because your brain heard them and thought "Wow, this sounds different!". It paints new colours in your minds eye.

[andrewkillen]

This was excellent. Laughed so many time. Felt empowerment to continue with my voice in my sector. Thank you.

[lukemarsden]

I wonder how many of 1, 000 composers working either:
1) went to private / public school
2) had parents in the music / entertainment industry
3) born / grew up in London / New York / LA
....I suspect well over 50%.

[jorisvoorndj]

I seriously love these videos more than any tutorial or product review. This is what it's all about.

[SouthpawShorts]

Here’s the answers to what the cues are from! (I think)
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1. Chernobyl
2. The Mandalorian
3. 21 Grams
4. The Social Network
5. The Motorcycle Diaries?
6. How to train your dragon
7. Gladiator
8. Solaris
9. American Beauty
10. Atonement

[timnordberg]

"it all sounds the fucking same" you don't know how good hearing that made me feel. I severely needed that.

[Ambienfinity]

Whether 'successful' or not, being yourself is SUCCESS.

[justinstrange]

Don't chase the image. Chase the feeling.

I dabble in composition as a hobby, production as a necessity, and songwriting as a passion. That being said, this advice is applicable to all of those things and more. It's applicable to any creative or business endeavor, as well as life in general. Well done!

[thailandemonamour]

You're a motivation master ! You show me the way. Thank you. 👍

[bedtimeread]

Damit Henderson, you always fuck me up with these videos..

thank you.

[RareTechniques]

God bless you, sir. Highly underrated channel but only the serious musicians will find you. The career musicians.

Thanks for the having the dogs in the peripherals most of time, so appreciated.

[fivewattworld]

I like it. I was once in a meeting. An agenda item was put on the table and the chairman listened to every single member of the committee describe why this was a terrible idea. At the end of which he paused then said, "if this pisses us all off...there must be something real in here." Don't turn away from things that seem like a "mistake", because you may well be knocking on the door of your limitations and those, as CH reminds us, is likely very close to what makes us unique.
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Amen Chistian!

[chriszanf]

@6:56 Hildar Guðnadóttur went with Chris Watson to the decommission nuclear power station they used as the set for Chernobyl before filming started, recording of the sound of the building. With the exception of the choir piece, from those recordings the entire soundtrack was composed. It adds an extra dimension to the soundtrack that what you see (to a degree) is also what your hear. The physicality of the sets inform and are the instrumentation of the soundtrack.