Getting hired as a professional music composer is an extremely competitive process. Whether applying for a role composing for film/TV, video games theater or creating concert works, you’ll need to showcase both your technical abilities and creative vision. This means thoroughly preparing for the music composer interview.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll overview the types of music composer interviews standard interview questions asked, and top strategies to help you ace your interviews.
Types of Music Composer Interviews
Interview formats for composers include:
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Phone or video interviews – An initial screening call with a producer, director, HR rep or hiring manager. Used to verify qualifications and communication skills over 30-60 mins.
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Demo submissions – Many roles require presenting existing work or composing demo scores to given briefs. This tests technical skill.
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In-person interviews – 1-3 in-depth interviews on site, often with panels including producers, directors, and lead creatives. 2+ hours.
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Technical assessments – Some roles require an on-site skills test using notation software, DAWs, and instruments.
The exact number/type of interviews depends on the composer level and project specifics. Freelance gigs tend to have just 1-2 interviews. Staff roles at major studios require more extensive processes.
Thoroughly prepare for each stage by researching the company, practicing your answers, and refining your demo reels and portfolios.
8 Common Music Composer Interview Questions
Here are some of the most common music composer interview questions to expect:
1. What makes you interested in this project/role/company?
Show you’ve researched the specific opportunity and are excited by the creative potential. Share your relevant experience.
2. How would you describe your composing style and musical influences?
Discuss your approach, instrumentation preferences, and influences without excessive technical jargon. Reference related pieces from your portfolio.
3. How do you handle feedback on your compositions?
Emphasize being open-minded and viewing feedback as collaborative. Discuss implementing notes professionally.
4. Walk me through your creative process when composing a new piece.
Explain your typical process from start to finish. Mention using piano/DAWs, experimenting with motifs, reviewing reference material, etc.
5. What do you find most challenging about composing music?
Share a real example of a difficulty faced, like creative block. Highlight your perseverance and problem-solving process.
6. Tell me about a time you had to compose music under a tight deadline.
Discuss delivering high-quality work efficiently by prioritizing most important elements and managing time well.
7. What are your favorite composers and why?
Reference composers you admire and what you appreciate about their style, technique, or impact on the field. Tie it back to your own work.
8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Discuss your creative vision and career goals. Show you’re planning for advancement in roles, skillsets, leadership, and industry impact.
Tips for Acing the Music Composer Interview
Here are some top music composer interview tips:
1. Showcase both technical and creative abilities through your responses, portfolio examples, and skills assessments. Balance left-brain and right-brain.
2. Clearly communicate your creative vision for the project at hand through imagery, energy, and passion. Visualize the impact on audiences.
3. Ask insightful questions that show your understanding of the business objectives, creative goals, logistics, and intended emotional impact.
4. Highlight soft skills like collaboration, communication, meeting deadlines, taking feedback, and problem solving.
5. Discuss technological proficiency in notation software, DAWs, virtual instruments, and recording/production as relevant.
6. Prepare specific examples of your work methodology, achievements, challenges faced, and how you assess new projects.
7. Research the interviewers to tailor your responses and customize the examples and influencers you reference.
8. Practice aloud repeatedly until you can confidently discuss technical details while staying conversational.
9. Review your portfolio and demo reels to identify strengths to emphasize as well as areas to improve.
With preparation and practice, you can hit the right notes in your music composer interview. Remember to follow up promptly with thank you notes reaffirming your interest and fit. Best of luck!
Interview with Kevin Costley, Part 1
Thank you to all the students and teachers who submitted questions for the interview with Kevin Costley. All of the questions were interesting and thought provoking. Different questions touched on a lot of different topics, so it was easy to find 10 questions that everyone could answer. Here are the first five questions and Kevin’s answers.
Kevin’s History:
1. What made you want to become a composer? How old were you when you started writing music? Did someone inspire you? Which composer has had the most impact on your writing?
I became a composer quite by accident. In the late 1970s, I wrote a few arrangements of hymns. A helpful friend who taught piano helped me polish my early drafts. She taught me a lot about correct rules of notation. I laid these arrangements aside and paid no attention to them for years. Every year, I would take my own piano students to our local piano festival. Every year after returning home, pieces would roll around in my head. I thought, “I think I can write a piano piece. ” Yet, I never sat down and wrote one. Finally one year, I went home from the festival and actually wrote five pieces. A dear, published composer friend, Glenda Austin encouraged me to publish these pieces. She said, “They are good!” After these pieces were published, my wife was very supportive of my writing. On top of that, I used Glenda’s pieces as models when I wrote, but she told me to look at the solos by the famous composer William Gillock. She said that “Everything you need to know about pedagogical composing is in Bill Gillock’s works. ” And so I did refer to him frequently during those early days of writing.
Kevin’s Ideas:
2. How do you come up with fresh ideas for your pieces?
I must say that I am very fortunate to never want for an idea to write. Most of my compositions come from inspiring locations, themes, or memorable events. 99 percent of my pieces begin with a title; I then build the piece around the title. After writing a piece, I rarely think, “What am I going to call this?” I get ideas from the sights and sounds around me all the time. I find motivation in what people do for enjoyment. I like to write about the beautiful earth where we live. I like to write about human emotions (i. e. “Remembering” – a romantic piece). I like to write to the heart of people. If a piece is about people, teachers will use it and it will sell.
Kevin’s Technique:
3. How do you first approach your composing? Do you have a checklist that you use (i. e. title, form, performer level, etc)?.
As stated in an earlier question, I usually have a title and a scene or in my head. As I write, I slowly build up that scene until I reach the ending I want, one that I think the audience would want to experience. The audience in this case includes piano teachers, students, and people who just listen to these pieces. I don’t use a list when I write, but as a major writer for the FJH Music Company, I do follow Helen Marlais, FJH’s keyboard director, when I level (i.e. e. early elementary, elementary, late elementary, early intermediate, intermediate, late intermediate, early advanced). Because of this, I always have these important checklists with me when I’m writing my own projects and “assignments for hire” (tasks given to me by FJH). I check it carefully to stay within the chosen level. Some people might think that this criterion stifles the composer’s creativity. Actually, the opposite is true for me. Leveling a piece is hard, even for the most skilled and experienced composer, but there is still a lot of room for creativity within a certain level. There can still be ‘creativity within limits. “I think that people who are just starting to write music should start by writing simple pieces with limits and then move on to writing more complicated pieces.”
4. Do you usually get an idea for a title before you start writing something, or do you write the music first and then think of a title that fits?
How do you come up with titles?
I have a title book where I save some titles. Titles come from many places (i. e. roadmaps, signs, sights, sounds, travel brochures/magazines, children’s books, catalogues, etc. ). However, although I have many titles in my “Title Book”, I don’t use them all. The point is: never lose a good idea; it might serve the composer well later on in writing. After going through something great or emotional during the day, I’ve written a lot of pieces in the middle of the night. While in Boston several years ago, I rode the trolley. In the middle of the night, I wrote, “Old Town Trolley” and “New England Getaway. When you look at all the songs in my duet collection, “Travel’s for Two,” most of them were inspired by the places I’ve been. Sights and scenes motivate my very best and most imaginative writing.
Kevin’s Routine:
5. Do you have a routine for writing? How often do you write? Do you write with pencil and paper and then type your work into a notation program, or do you write in the notation program itself?
At this point in my composing career, I have no routine at all. Most of my work at this point is “work for hire” for the company. In essence, major writers spend much time writing collaborative projects together at different levels. I also submit some of my own personal works and will continue to do so in the future. As soon as I started writing, I became hooked. I would often get up in the middle of the night to write. I no longer do this. I know how to shut off my creativity (like a water valve) when I need to in order to get other things done in my busy life. I write most all of my compositions with an erasable pen on staff paper. I occasionally compose first on the Finale, yet very rarely. The hardest part for me is writing the rough draft first. Then I want to get my original ideas on Finale right away. Finally, I want to make several changes to my draft from the Finale copy before sending in the copy for publication. The best publications aren’t sent in right away; the best writers work on them for a few days and then send them in again, making sure of every detail!
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this interview with Kevin Costley, coming Wednesday!
Interview with Kevin Costley – Part 1
Composer Music interview questions
What questions do music composers ask in an interview?
The interviewer will want to know about your experience, musical training, and the type of music you’re interested in composing. You may also be asked to sight-read or play a piece of music on an instrument. To help you prepare, we’ve compiled a list of common music composer interview questions and sample answers.
What questions do interviewers ask a musician?
Related: 125 Common Interview Questions and Answers (With Tips) While making or performing music may be the chief focus of being a musician, interviewers will want to determine if you’ve had the work and life experience to carry off a certain degree of professionalism or determine what it might be like to work with you.
What skills do you need to be a music composer?
Use your answer to highlight some of your most important skills, such as creativity, problem-solving, communication and teamwork. Example: “I believe that a music composer needs to be highly creative because they are responsible for creating new songs or compositions.
What is a good question to ask a classical composer?
Name the classical composers who wrote these famous works. Name the most commonly performed orchestral music composers. Name the cities that had the most opera performances in the 2015/16 season. Who composed that opera?
