Not Subscribed?
📩 Join the Newsletter
I'll share cool stuff I'm learning about to keep you inspired in your creative work.
Become a "method composer"
When I was a kid, I loved the idea of "method acting".
That's when an actor takes ample time both on and off-camera to explore, hone, and embody the character they're portraying.
Something about the pure artistry and make-believe quality of that practice was deeply inspiring to me.
But I never re...
Nov 19, 2024
Three things I think you'll like
This week, I'd like to share three things that have caught my interest recently that I think you might like, too.
Enjoy! 🙌
1. 🎬 Music by John Williams - A Documentary
This film was an absolute joy to watch - pretty much a must-watch if you're an admirer of his work.
But more than his work...
Lea...
Nov 12, 2024
What to do when you're stuck creatively
During last week's private mentorship call, my student Daniel echoed a pain point I hear from composers all the time:
"I tend to be hypercritical with my music and focus in on tiny little things that I probably don't need to be focused on. Then I end up doing way more work, or I stress myself ou...
Nov 05, 2024
Still waiting for your "dream project"?
Question for my Bootcamp grads, or anyone else looking to compose professionally:
Are you driven by the hopes that someday, you'll get a chance to work on your "dream project"?
I know I sure was.
My childhood was filled watching interviews of my favorite composers and obsessively studying making-...
by Zach Heyde —
Oct 29, 2024
creativity
finding work
A magical Montana mastermind
Last week, I spent four amazing days with my good friends Robert Rodriguez, Aurelie Couble (MusicbyPLV), Cheska Navarro, and our respective partners in beautiful Kalispell, Montana.
(If you don't know these folks, check them out - we've run a private group mastermind together to exchange business...
by Zach Heyde —
Oct 22, 2024
health
How to get your imagination back
When's the last time you thought about that word: "imagination"?
For me, it had been years.
Ironic, I know - a composer forgetting how to tap into his imagination. But I think there's something deeper happening here, because many artists I talk to these days are experiencing the same thing:
Artis...
by Zach Heyde —
Oct 15, 2024
creativity
motivation
How to make your music cohesive
A few weeks back, I ran a poll on YouTube asking subscribers if they've ever wanted to write an album of their own.
The results were interesting...
... but even more interesting were the reasons why they hadn't started yet.
One answer in particular stood out to me:
"I have no idea how to go abo...
Oct 08, 2024
creativity
"Making music feels like a waste of time"
Why is it so hard to make art for ourselves these days?
This is a question I've been asking myself ever since working on my new dark fantasy album.
Last week, I shared a little bit about the recent struggles I faced and how I worked through them in order to start writing music fo...
Oct 01, 2024
creativity
motivation
I'm making music for myself again... 🎶
It's official - I'm working on a new album.
On my YouTube channel, I started a new series where I'll be sharing the process of writing this album in real-time, week by week.
But I began the series by touching on a creative block that's stopped me from making composing vidoes for ...
Sep 24, 2024
creativity
health
motivation
The power of physical art-making 🎨
I've fallen in love with a typewriter.
(Let me explain.)
It all started last week when, during a craving for creative inspiration, my wife and I popped into a local thrift shop in Pasadena looking for some vintage decor.
We found an old pipe, an antique piano roll, some aged candle tapers, and - ...
by Zach Heyde —
Sep 17, 2024
creativity
When's the last time you REALLY listened? 🎧
How long since you've done nothing but sit and listen to music for longer than five minutes?
📲 No phone or book in hand.
🚗 No car ride or public transport to keep you busy.
🧹 No cleaning the house, taking a walk, or getting work done.
Just simply sitting and listening.
Believe it or not, until ...
by Zach Heyde —
Sep 10, 2024
creativity
Stop looking for your niche (do this instead) 🔎
At some point in your composing career, someone will tell you:
"Get really good at just one thing, and you'll be able to stick out above the crowd."
But that usually leaves with us with more questions - not less.
How do we know what to specialize in?
What if specializing too early is limiting ...
by Zach Heyde —
Sep 03, 2024
finding work
marketing