Jeff takes a ride in the van with Grammy-winning composer/conductor Eric Whitacre. Visit www.maestrosinm... for more videos. Like us on Facebook. / maestrosinminivans
Thanks for doing this long form interview. I think it reallly helps people better understand where he's coming from, where he's going, and what he wants from musicians he's working with.
This is way late, but I've only just found this video. I'm an aspiring composer/band director, and I'll be conducting my community band for the first time this week. I chose Sleep, for the very reason of opening the band up to emotional interpretation and vulnerability. What he said about conducting his pieces, I'll remember every single rehearsal. Thanks for the video!
This was so enjoyable! Thank you Jeff for asking such perfectly relevant questions from Eric Whitacre while having so much fun with it! Not easy to do! And I must say, as a composer myself, literally EVERYTHING the man explained to us was exactly spot on, or at least that's how I feel about composing. My greatest regret and sadness is that I did let life get in the the way of my first love, music, with not enough "no"s, and now in my sixties, I am jamming and cramming hard to write write write, despite my hands getting uglier and unseemly. And somehow I am still believing I must make up for borrowed time, writer's block or not! Eric is truly a gift in his same down to Earth manner as Hans Zimmer's. These people lay a path to glory for us all. Thank you Jeff, and thank you Eric!!!
Good questions and scary and distracting to watch this. Kept repeating "Watch The Road Watch The Road Watch The Road". Even if you feel in control, other drivers may crash into your life.
24:14 THAT IS THE MOST TRUE STATEMENT I'VE EVER HEARD. I set deadlines for myself all the time, that and having daily minimums (writing 8 measures a day at least) are great ways of keeping you writing
Absolutely. I was commissioned to write a score for a 100 minute documentary. The catch? We need it in 18 days. Impossible I said. But I took the challenge just like Eric was saying. Out on a limb, you're already in the program! Well I was kind of right, it did take me five weeks, 33 days to be exact. But I delivered in time for the final mix and the answer print of the film! I never thought I could produce that much relevant music in such short time, but it was the DEADLINE!! And guess what, the producers were ecstatic at what I gave them. In fact they were constantly saying things like "your music makes our doc seem so much stronger and relevant!" Aside from the free lunches for a commission, that's what counts! ( Actually, they paid me well.)
At 20:26 "Emotional Architecture"- the compositional technique that John Corigliano taught him, I love that! A very DaVincian mind map approach to composing, leading with emotional impact and mood flow first.
