Whether you're a musician, an artist, or head of Marketing, professional development is vital to innovation and career growth (or, perhaps more importantly, artistic growth). When we're focused on finishing the job, it can be easy to get stuck in a groove that is efficient but lacking in artistic innovation. But we have to remind ourselves that we are working artists. And art, like business, needs to be continuously developed.

​So, below are just a few of the ways composers can refresh their minds and spark creative genius.

Who is Michael Giacchino? Many media outlets and Star Wars fans have been asking this question since the release of the newest addition to the Star Wars movie franchise, Rogue One. But fans of film music (and video game music) have known Giacchino's name and his work for well over a decade, with some of his most popular scores including the Call of Duty series, Star Trek, Lost, Ratatouille, and Up. So, I've decided to answer the question, "Who is Michael Giacchino?" and explain why he deserved to be the first composer other than John Williams to score a Star Wars movie.

So, you've graduated from college. Now what? Nothing fills your soul with equal parts exuberant triumph and debilitating anxiety quite like being thrown into the real world. Whether you're feeling confident or paralyzed by fear, many college graduates will be faced with similar post-college learning experiences. In this blog post, I'll be going over what you know, what you don't know, and some next steps and what to expect.

Here's a video walkthrough and review of Powered Plugs' new synth library "Zenith", as well as an exclusive interview with the creator, Ryan Johnson!

So you want to be a film composer, but you don't have the money to go to Berklee, or USC, or Pulse, or wherever. Or maybe you're already working as a composer, but you'd like some resources to go to in a time of need. These 5 books below are some of my favorite books relating to film scoring, and I still open them all from time to time just to keep that information fresh in my brain. Remember, kids, knowledge is power!

When I first saw the trailer for The Peanuts Movie about a year ago, I couldn't wait to see the movie! Hollywood had already destroyed many of my favorite childhood shows and movies in recent years (RIP Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), but it looked like this movie was actually going to be decent, maybe even good. 

So I decided to see it in theaters. As the movie started, everything was great - the animation was beautiful, the characters were classic "Peanuts", and Vince Guaraldi's themes brought a big smile to my face. And then the score came in. And then other music came in. And here's what I thought...

I first heard about Darren Fung a few months ago when I found a video called "Making of a Film Score", which takes you into the recording session for the score to the CBC series The Great Human Odyssey, and he's been on my radar as an outstanding composer ever since. The video is great, and a lot of fun to watch, but what really caught my attention was Darren's music and his ability to control the session and his orchestra. I've included the video at the bottom of our Q&A, I highly recommend checking it out!

Last week the folks at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (affectionately called the Television Academy by its friends) announced the nominations for this year's 67th Primetime Emmy Awards. The ceremony will be held on Sunday, September 20th at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. This year's nominees in the music categories are seriously impressive; I'm blown away by the quality of music being produced for television these days. Below is a list of all of the music nominees, with who I'd like to see win for each category. Tell me your predictions in the comments below!

Last week Los Angeles-based film composer Ryan Leach posted this great article on his blog, and I liked it so much I asked if I could re-blog it (thanks Ryan!). Throughout the article he discusses his technique of copying another composer's music to better understand the music and the thought process of the composer, a technique I have been using as well for quite some time. After you've read his article, head over to his website and check out what he's been up to!

I have to say I was a bit surprised by Johan Johannsson taking the Golden Globe home this week for The Theory of Everything over Hans Zimmer's Interstellar and Trent Reznor's Gone Girl scores. Well yesterday The Academy Award nominations were announced (the ceremony will take place on February 22nd), and I had to rethink how these awards might go. Below are the nominations, along with my predictions, and although Reznor's Gone Girl score did not make the cut, Hans' Interstellar score is still up for an award, as is Johannsson's score for The Theory of Everything.