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Key Insights: Understanding Musical Modulation (with Shannon Kropf)
Learn to spice up your cues with modulations that won't make editors freak out. Join Shannon Kropf as she shows us how to utilize creative key changes to keep cues compelling!
Open to all 52 Cues Friends and Family Subscribers!
Album Accelerator Launching March 2023!
52 Cuess Album Accelerator a self-paced experience which guide you through the entire process of creating a production music album ready for library usage. We’ll cover:
Coming up with an album concept
Finding inspiration for composing your cues
Navigating project management and deliverables
Finding libraries who need what you're best at writing
At the end of Album Accelerator, you’ll have a private Review and Strategy Session with Dave Kropf. We'll go over your album and set you on the path towards success.
Getting Into Game Music | With Adam Fligsten
I’m curious about game music! I chat with Adam Fligsten, founder of the music production company Silen Audio, about his journey from production music to game music, and how the library and game music worlds overlap.
52 Cues Members Make Air on CBS!
Two 52 Cues members made the CBS Sports broadcasts over the weekend. Both of these tracks were submitted through a 52 Cues Workshop calling for sports cues. Congrats Michael Sinay and Steven Beddall!
5 Ways to Stay in the Creative Flow State
When we’re composing, we strive to maintain this creative flow state, but some days that feels harder than others! So on today’s episode, I unpack 5 things you can do to help keep you in that flow state, feeling more creative, and more productive.
Make Your Publisher’s Job Easy (Chat with Michael Laskow)
When we pitch our cues to libraries, we want to make the process as smooth and painless as possible, so on today’s episode, I sit down and chat with Michael Laskow,@TAXI Independent A&R, who works with publishers every day, and we discuss what we composers can do to reduce friction when it comes to getting our music into libraries.
Featured Composer: Youssef Rddad
Youssef is a recovering guitarist turned composer and music producer. This week, we feature his track, “Tradecraft.”
How is Production Music Different Than Film Music?
There are some key differences that separate production music from other careers like film music, game music, and even songwriting, and today I want to discuss what really separates production music from other music for film, tv, games, and advertising.
4 Ways to Jumpstart Your Creativity!
We’ve talked about how important sustainable creativity is for the production music composer, but what happens when you got nothing or a deadline hangs over you like the sword of Damocles? On this week's episode, I’m going to give you 4 ways that I jumpstart my own creative process when time is short or energy is low.
Featured Composer: Jeff Hargrove
Jeff has been on the record side of the gospel music industry and a minister of music for his church for over 20 years. Now for the first time, he’s pursuing my first love, music composition.
Project Sam Launch Features Dave Kropf
Last week, Project Sam launched Version 2 of the free orchestra. They asked Dave to demo the library, and he was happy to! Learn more about Version 2 and check out Dave’s Cue Breakdown, “Chumming the Waters,” using the new Project Sam free orchestra.
The Many Ways I Make Money Making Music
Nearly every composer I know doesn’t just compose for a living. They often find themselves cobbling together a career from many different aspects of the industry, from writing to arranging to gigging to teaching. So today, I thought I’d talk about all of the various ways I, personally, make money making music.
Are You Too Old to Start a Music Career?
On today’s show, I sit down and chat with longtime 52 Cues member, and now recent Full Sail graduate, Greg Fellman, who left his career in social work to pursue his dream of being a media composer.
Plus, we listen to three of his cues which were recently selected to be featured during the 2022 Full Sail Hall of Fame induction ceremony!
Will Artificial Intelligence Ever Replace Composers?
Why do we get such anxiety over how technology and AI might one day make us all obsolete? To help us understand why we might get so wound up about the threat of technology, I thought it’d be a good idea to get an historical perspective, so I welcome back Mrs. 52 Cues herself, Shannon Kropf, who takes us on multiple centruries-long journey to show us that technological apprehension is nothing new!
All About the Production Music Association
I sit down and chat with the executive director of the Production Music Association, Morgan McKnight. She answers questions about the organization, what the PMA does for composers in the business!
Never Say Never! (Or Always)
It seems like a lot of professionals in the music industry like to deal in absolutes, so on today's episode I thought it’d be a good idea to talk about why we should probably get rid of absolute words like "never" and "always" from our production music vocabulary.
Making Music Income
This week, Dave talks with Eric Copeland from Make Music Income. Eric’s mission is to help other composers find the many ways they can support a career in music.
The Truth About “Passive” Income
If you’ve done any research on building a music career, chances are you’ve come across the idea of “passive income," which sounds great! The idea of cranking out some cues and then raking in the royalties without having to lift another finger is certainly appealing!
Do We Really Need to Know Music Theory??
Do we have to know music theory as production music composers? I've invited Mrs. 52 Cues herself, Shannon Kropf, who’s quite literally written the book on music theory, to help answer this question!