Canadian Composer Sean Goldman Talks Film Scoring and Future

Well, I’m a Canadian (born and raised) with ambitions of making a career for myself in LA writing film music. I went to the University of Toronto for my undergrad then studied at Berklee College of Music at their Valencia, Spain campus for my Master’s in film scoring. My plan for the future is definitely to move out to California and work in showbiz. I interned in Santa Monica with a film composer last year and there really is no other place in the world.

indieactivity: Is this what you have always wanted to do?
Sean Goldman (SG): In an indirect way, yeah, it has been! I always knew I wanted to write music for a living, but after a few years of studying classical composition at UofT, it became abundantly clear that nobody wants to hear concert music not written by a dead guy. I figured the only demand for new orchestral music was coming from the film world, so here I am!

Give us an idea of a regular day at work?
Sean Goldman (SG): Anybody who knows me well knows that I am very much a creature of habit. I wake up at the same time every day, have a bowl of cereal with almond milk, and begin the composing process for that day. I prefer to do the most creative and intensive work right when I get up because my mind is fresh and I haven’t put up any mental blocks or creativity censors yet. 

The Grand Bolero Official Trailer with the score by Sean Goldman

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Once I get to lunchtime, the bulk of the day’s work has already been done and my highest mental resources are diminished, so the rest of the day is more for administration, mockup improvements and things that don’t take as much concentration as creation and advanced problem solving. I also like to leave time for playing music for fun because, let’s face it, there’s no de-stressor like belting some Billy Joel when no one’s around.

What is the work process on a typical film?
Sean Goldman (SG): My process always starts with an archetype. It’s important for me to have a very good idea of the stereotype of the sort of sound the director is looking for. Say they want some salsa music, I would need to determine the rough tempo, types of instruments and general harmonic structures that define salsa music (these make up what is called a schema- the things that make everyone listen and think “that’s salsa music”). 

Once I understand the schema of the type of sound, I can start working from that- experimenting with how I can define or subvert the expectations of that schema to fit the visuals and expand my own creative freedom within those boundaries. And of course, this all comes with detailed talks with the director.

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What advice do you give to growing artists?
Sean Goldman (SG): Persistence is everything. Be consistent in creating, outreach, networking and learning. It’s a long road and the only way to make it work is to give every aspect your all. If you write one track every day but you’re not doing anything to let people hear them, it’s still not enough. Keep improving and always keep trying!

What is next for you? ILM?
Sean Goldman (SG): There is a really exciting project I have been working on with a director for several months that is coming to a close, so the most pressing thing right now is to finish that. I always have some musical “to do’s”, but in the long term, my next step is to make the permanent move to LA. It’s amazing to be surrounded by so much creativity and I can’t wait to be in that environment again.

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