Interview with Music Composer Aryavarta Kumar

FS: How early did you begin developing your musical talents? What role did your parents play if any?

AK: I started playing piano when I was 8 years old. But even before that, my parents have said that I used to create my own drum set and bang on toys to make sounds. They were very supportive of my music lessons. I never really asked to learn piano, they just signed me up just like everyone else does (haha). But after going beyond the more beginner lessons, I really showed an interest to continue playing the piano and they were always there to support my performances.

FS: How many instruments do you play? What styles of music do you make?

AK: I was trained on the piano to play Western classical pieces, but I also play the sitar and tabla (Indian Hindustani instruments).

One of the unique things about modern music composition and computers is that software synthesizers have created the ability for musicians to'play' instruments without ever actually picking them up. Let's take an example.

I don't play the violin, but if I buy the rights to a violin library that has been sampled over its entire range, I have every note in almost every type of stroke sampled. I can recreate a very realistic sound forming compositions and film scores as a result.

As far as style, I am always exploring new genres. I primarily stick to orchestral and underscore material, but if need be, I do write songs and source music (I'm doing this on an upcoming project). One of the joys (and to some the curse) of film score music is that it can be any genre of music - orchestral, rockabilly, Middle-Eastern ethnic, bluegrass, electronic, you name it. The main goal is for the music to amplify the audience's perspective of the media it is accompanying.

FS: Where does your passion for music come from?

AK: That's an interesting question. It can come from inspiration that I see everyday. A beautiful scene that I see outside my car window, a unique thought, anything. Creating inspiration leads me to think in terms of musical notes, harmony, and melody.

FS: You are turning your music from a hobby to a profession, what steps did you take along the way to make that happen?

AK: Great question. It's an interesting point that a lot of people ask. Everyone finds their own path towards where they want to go. I made sure I was sure of what I wanted to do, honed my skills, and then worked with some filmmakers on their projects. I really enjoyed it and those directors and producers were extremely happy with my results. Collaborations continued and my reputation grew. Something that is important is knowing the business of film scoring. I'm still learning a great deal about the process, but it's equally as important as the musicif you want to become a professional.

FS: You have studied music in different countries, have played in rock bands, and you are now composing music for film. Do you have an outlet you prefer? Is composing music for film the ideal situation for you or would you prefer to be part of a touring rock band?



AK: I would say that I prefer writing for film. I have always liked how music in film can really influence your mood, especially with powerful cinematography. It's been my dream to create music that suits that. Those are the movie experiences that people never forget. I occasionally do live performances of my work where I will do live improvisations. For example, I recently played at a Chinese Moon Festival and also at a wedding and at both places my music was well received.

FS: How many films have you scored thus far in your career? Tell us about some of these projects and your involvement with them.

AK: I would say probably around 14 shorts, features, and trailers, and that number is going to grow significantly over the next year.

Early on, I used to score films exclusively online. So I would find someone who needed music for their film and communicate via email and send samples online to them. It was strictly an online collaboration.

Then I found some local filmmakers here in Cleveland, Ohio and started collaborating with them. There is a superb independent filmmaking community here in Cleveland that is very supportive and I was pleasantly surprised to find it here of all places! My more recent collaborations have been a balance of online jobs and local jobs. The local ones such as A Joker's Card (http://www.mdifilm.com/joker), Killer Squirrel, Alone (http://www.twomartinis.com/), were fun to do because I could go on set and meet the cast and crew and be part of the production in process.



It also helped me get inspired when it came to scoring the piece. In particular one of the unique aspects of meeting one on one with a director is that you can have discussions about the music, and have scoring sessions in which the director can give you feedback on if he/she thinks the music is what he/she was thinking. With online collaborations that is still the case, but it's done via email.

FS: How does the scoring process happen for you? How do you go about making music for film? Do you work directly with the filmmakers? Can you take us through the first meeting all the way to the final note?

AK: Sure. The scoring process begins differently for every project. Usually I like to get involved early on, read the script, and discuss various inspirations for the script-writer/director. This helps me piece together a thematic outline of what the music should be. For example, which characters should have themes, what kind of main theme should there be, etc.

After that, it's all about writing non-synced demos (music that isn't linked to video) and getting approval from the director/producer. I don't really start scoring until I get a locked video file or DVD that will not change. Sometimes this happens in parts so I get only a few scenes at a time so I'm not overwhelmed with 90 minutes of footage.

Getting the right theme is of course quite important. I usually end up playing various themes and tossing out quite a few before arriving at one that I feel is a perfect fit. Sometimes this comes right away, other times, it's more work than I expect :)

Beyond that, it's using various musical devices to restate the theme, or create a certain mood. I watch the picture and usually I can already hear what the music should sound like.

Then I write the score, record and master it, and have a scoring session. After that I am done with the scoring job unless there is going to be a soundtrack release in which case I stay involved a bit longer to make sure the music is appropriate for the CD or for online sale.

I've sort of outlined the entire process and some directors approach me in post-production so I'm really only involved at the very end stage. It's all about working with various styles of directing, various work ethics, and with different people.

If the cast and crew is large, I can work with music supervisors (if there are any), directors, producers, and anyone else that has input into the selection of music.

More recently I've come across some films that use rock songs for example in transitions and I usually stress that it's important to maintain musical flow in the movie. Sure, a piece may sound great on radio and you may want to put it in your movie, but just make sure that you've got other reasons for putting it in so that it fits well.



FS: Is there a place where we can hear your music?

AK: Yes. Visit my website (http://www.aryavartakumar.com/) to hear some demos and see what films I am scoring. Some of those movies are available to watch for free online. So if you have time to kill, why not enjoy a free movie! Certain projects have soundtrack releases and if you're interested in buying a copy, there are links from my website. Also, if you happen to go to an event where I am performing, you can hear some of my live improvisations.

FS: What are the next projects you are working on? Where will we hear your music next?

AK: Right now I'm quite busy with several music projects in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Some of the next projects I'll be working on include Crops (Two Martinis Productions, Cleveland OH) tentatively out in April 2006, Batgirl (Chi Media, Nottingham, UK) tentatively out in December 2005, and Joker's Rapture (MDI Film, Cleveland OH) which will probably be released later in 2006 or early 2007. Those are some main features projects that I'm working on now, but there will be plenty more shorts and other projects that will fill my schedule.

I'm always looking for new interesting collaborations though.