# Your first contract as a composer?



## cadalac (Sep 8, 2013)

Anyone feel like sharing the story of getting their first gig? Was it stressful or exciting? Was it a long wait to get that first paying job?


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## GrimeBrett (Sep 8, 2013)

Great question. I'd love to read some stories, as well.


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## rgames (Sep 8, 2013)

First real contract was easy - $1300 for a two-track buyout where I kept the writer's share. Agreed upon in about 10 minutes. Completed in about two weeks. Paid in full about a week after that. Piece of cake!

The troubling ones were much later.

rgames


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## cadalac (Sep 8, 2013)

GrimeBrett @ Sun Sep 08 said:


> Great question. I'd love to read some stories, as well.



Thanks. Nice toaster BTW. :wink:


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## RiffWraith (Sep 8, 2013)

rgames @ Sun Sep 08 said:


> The troubling ones were much later.



Yeah - why does it get harder as it goes along? :?


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## Farkle (Sep 8, 2013)

Ahh, those great days where you first found out that someone would be willing to PAY you for writing music! 

So, I was just out of school (NYU, rock on!), and I was contacting composers for advice and guidance. Got in touch with a guy out in LA who ran a boutique music library. I sent him my reel, and he liked what he heard. Asked me to write 8 news cues, and 8 sports cues for his library, for 250$ a pop. 

>8o 

250 a pop for an LA library!?!? I'm in!  It actually was a great gig, wrote about 25-30 cues for him over the year, he treated me quite well. And, the upfront money wasn't great, but all my cues ended up on cable and network, so the residuals are solid from that work.

But, here's the best story. Halfway through my first year of writing, he calls me up one day, and says, "How's your celtic music writing"? 

(NOTE: I'm Irish, and a gigging musician. I write Jigs, Ballads, and Reels in my sleep. It's one of my go-to's).

So, I say, "Excellent, what do you need?" He says, "There's a temp cue in the new Jackie Chan movie, Rush Hour 3, that they need to be replaced. If you can write me an Irish Dance cue in 6 hours, and they accept it, it's 2 grand."

BOOM! I run upstairs, get the video clip from him (which showed the band onstage), and write a one-minute irish jig in about 2 hours. It was easy. I knew the instrumentation (it was onscreen), I knew the tempo and timing, I just had to fill in the blanks.

24 hours later, I was 2 grand richer, and got my first (and, to date, only) major film credit.  And, now that the film is on cable, the residuals are nice to have. 

And, THAT, my friends, is why you network, and you always are fun to work with! 

Mike


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## dp_audio (Sep 8, 2013)

Cool story!


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## nikolas (Sep 9, 2013)

Hmmm...

Back in 2006 I decided that I needed to make a website for myself. I did so, and while I was living in London, a Greek guy contacted me about making music for an adventure game he was making: Boom! I loved him, he loved me (same gender, nothing kinky! :D) and we worked great together! I opted to do a bit more music for him, since the game required that, and I wasn't going no to him for 100 euros in total or something (indie game). 

Fast forward and I've scored about 15 computer games so far... Feels nice!

Then there's classical music. I was doing my PhD in composition and got awarded a nice prize to get my string orchestra work performed. Got a nice recording and then I found out about an orchestra in Seattle. Sent an email, liked what they heard and commissioned me to write a new work. In the end I wrote two works in 3 years time, and the concert master (also a composer) publishes his works through me! :D

Now a few years later and I actually do not have the time (for personal reasons, otherwise it would've been fine) to compose what I'm commissioned to! :( And it's some great chances to get works performed in Italy, the US and Germany (the Beethoven Festival in Bohn), but until I actually get my chops together and arrange my life tons better I don't think I'm in any position to do ALL that!

Did someone say network?


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