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How do you go about coming up with a musical "identity" for a
product or company when writing music for spots?
First I find out what the client absolutely has to have -- a particular
style of music, for example -- and use those parameters as my
primary colors, so to speak. Sometimes my clients know what they
want, but most often they can't explain; even when they have ideas
in their heads, they have no words to describe them. So I try
to interpret what they're imagining, and determine the objective
of the spot, and then I let my creativity take over.
Music for me is highly instinctual. Once I understand the product or company and the objective of the piece, my instincts lead me to the perfect music. I may be an expert in music, but I'm also a consumer as much as anyone else -- I know what appeals to me and evokes a response. So though I prepare several different compositions for the client, usually the very first one I create is the best, and usually it's the one the client chooses.
Technology has really enabled me to improve the process. In the old days, I would have to sit down at the piano and come up with a part, then maybe invite other musicians over to help me work it out. But now I know immediately if a piece is right. I can turn on a tape and start playing -- again, letting my instincts take me where they will -- and then listen to what I've done, cut out the bad parts and save what works. Speed is always my biggest enemy; usually I have to complete a project under tight deadlines. But technology allows me to pinpoint the essence of my ideas much more quickly, and thus provide the client with a more polished composition, one that really reflects the product or company and accomplishes the objective of the spot.