PROFESSIONALS

How to compose for multimedia

Welcome to another in our series of features focussing on composers making money with their computer music making, and not always in ways you might imagine. This time around we feature Luis Guerra who writes music for an incredibly diverse range of media…

> Luis Guerra is living proof that you don’t have to stay in any one area of music production work to be successful. His compositions have been in everything from podcasts to major movies, on radio shows to audio books. As he demonstrates, there are countless new streams for making money from your music, and while it might help being located in LA, in these lockdown times we are all connected in many ways, so you can create an audience for your music in areas you might not have considered. Over the following pages he details the gear, the music and the career journey you might just be able to embark on….

Computer Music: Nice to meet you Luis. So how did you get into music production? Luis Guerra:

“I have been a career musician most of my life. I learned about recording from working in studios in Austin, Nashville and LA and decided to focus more on composition and arranging and less on performing and touring. I began assembling a studio and had the opportunity to compose the music for Circus Luminous. After that, I was approached by the TV and film composer Gerald Fried who asked why I wasn’t living and working in LA. I reached out to an old band mate from my school/college band (Los Hurtin’s Dogs). He had become a successful record producer and also had a studio and rented rooms to other producers. He offered me a small studio to rent, and I packed up my studio in New Mexico and rolled my family out to LA where we’ve been ever since.”

: You write music for a number of different types of media, but is there one philosophy you bring to all of your projects?

LG:

“The nature of how I approach music is very ‘utilitarian’. I basically create music and soundtracks that serve a purpose. I write music that tells a story or attempts to help tell the story. I help illustrate the creator’s vision of what they intended for their project. I start there, and then I decide on what that sounds like. This is all done on a per-project basis, so it always changes and evolves. I can never apply one approach that works across the board.”

: We’re guessing the demand for podcast music must have picked up of late. How did you get into that world?

LG:

“Years ago, I would create music for radio documentaries in addition to TV or film documentaries. From that work I did, many of those people merged into the world of podcasts. They were all telling stories and I was providing the soundtrack for some of these stories. Over the years, more opportunities appeared and I would submit music for projects or executive producers would hear my work or hear my name credited, and reach out through my website or through my manager.” : How does a project typically start? LG:

“Usually, with a phone call or Zoom meeting with the show producers, writers or editors, depending on who is going to work on a given project. We discuss how music will engage with the story. Will the story be scored by original compositions? Will music be used to punctuate