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Is One Cue Per Week Really Enough?
I’ve said before that you need 100’s of cues to make a living in the production music industry, but is one cue per week really enough? Today I’m going to unpack and illustrate how productivity and output might not be the linear journey we think it is.
We’ll take a listen to “Waltz of Shame,” the latest submission in my “Year of Taxi” and check in on any forwards or returns.
Featured Composer: Rolf Schild
Rolf Schild is an experienced composer/producer from Germany. He started composing music in 1976 after founding his first band. He’s been composing ever since.
Influenced by the orchestral and fusion bands from the 70's and by his education on classical guitar, his music comprises a huge variety of genres and styles. in 1996, Rolf started to produce music with DAW. He enjoys writing production music and has placements on ABC and hulu.
Read the @#$%& Brief! (Anatomy of a Taxi Listing)
I’ve started my Year of Taxi, and I thought it’d be a good idea to talk about the anatomy of a brief and discuss how everything we need to know is right there in the listing!
We take a listen to "Entered Into Evidence," the first submission in my Year of Taxi and check in on any forwards or returns.
We also take a listen to a dark, moody EDM cue written by 52 Cues Community Member, Rolf Schild.
Featured Composer: Peter Lepahin
Peter Lepahin is an enthusiastic and easy-going production music composer from Hungary. Lepahin started in the DAW in 2020. Since then, he’s signed two albums and is planning to make a living out of production music—while of course enjoying the process and composing!
2022 in Review (and What Comes Next!)
We’ve come to the end of another year here at 52 cues, and it’s been a great one with lots of growth, opportunities, and challenges. So this week I wanted to take a moment to reflect on 2022, talk about some of the wins and losses, and look forward to what’s ahead for 2023!
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.
Featured Composer: Paul Croteau
Paul Croteau has traveled the world as a freelance sideman on saxophone and sometimes playing keyboards. In 2015 his career shifted from performing to composing, and his music is now used by at least 50 different tv shows across 30 countries.
Happy Holidays!
Holiday Schedule
December 19-22: All the usual 52 Cues Events, Coaching, and Feedback Videos are available.
December 23-30: We'll be celebrating Christmas & spending time in family. Time for some rest, some video games, and some self-care! You can still book coaching sessions or feedback videos for the new year.
January 2: We're back, refreshed and ready to tackle the new year!
Bebop Killed Jazz | With Shannon Kropf
On this week's episode, I welcome our resident music historian, Shannon Kropf, to discuss the rise of jazz's popularity, the cultural reasons it formed the way it did, how bebop musicians played a big role in its ultimate demise, and what lessons are to be learned for us production music composers.
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!
Featured Composer: Leo Voin
Leo Voin has been focusing on video game music, and he’s ready to up his production music game! Check out KatzUndMaus, a dramedy cue he shared last week with the 52 Cues community.
Featured Composer: George Cicci
George Cicci is a sound designer, composer and producer. He works in various styles ranging from IDM to ambient, and sound track heavy leaning toward darker, somber atmospheric tones for visuals.
Saying the Quiet Parts OUT LOUD! | with Anne-Kathrin Dern
In this interview, Anne-Kathrin Dern discusses her educational path, her career in film music, and how her YouTube channel seeks to pull back the curtain on the good, the bad, and the ugly in Hollywood show business.
PMC & Taxi Road Rally Review
This fall, I attended both the Production Music Conference and the Taxi Road Rally. Today I share my unbiased and honest thoughts while comparing and contrasting each conference. I think this will help you decide which conference might right for you.
Featured Composer: Topi Jokinen
My biggest goal to get my music into film trailers. Making trailer music, and music for tv as well. I enjoy composing orchestral and orchestral-hybrid styles the most. I’m working on a couple of libraries, and I’m a taxi member as well.
The Thai that Binds
Some of our 52 Cues tribe had a meetup at a Thai restaurant after registration at the TAXI Road Rally in Los Angeles. Dave really enjoyed the face-to-face hang time!
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.
Do We Really Need a Web Presence?
How big a factor is luck in our careers? On today’s episode we turn to the research of Dr. Richard Wiseman, Professor of Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, and we examine the 4 Principles of Luck and discuss how they might apply to us as production music composers.
What’s Luck Got to do with It?
How big a factor is luck in our careers? On today’s episode we turn to the research of Dr. Richard Wiseman, Professor of Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, and we examine the 4 Principles of Luck and discuss how they might apply to us as production music composers.
Featured Composer: Yuka Reschke
Listen to Yuka Reschke, this week’s Featured Composer. Dave will give feedback on her piano lullaby, “Sleeping Baby” on this week’s podcast episode.