What I wanted to do here, is explain my music, the style I write it, how I write it (in general) and talk about how I came to this particular style of music.

My music is all what I consider trailer music. Specifically, I write orchestral trailer music with a few non-orchestral elements sprinkled throughout.

So, what is trailer music (at least as I define it)? Trailer music is music written, arranged, and orchestrated for use, either in part or in full, for Film, Television and Games commercials/advertisements. When I was first looking at orchestral music in general, it was because I had been a rock musician, playing guitar for several years by this point and was growing tired of the same old instrumentation, structures, and thematic material and I was introduced to the idea of writing for the orchestra by my brilliant mentor and guitar/music theory tutor at the time. He encouraged me to learn music theory by practicing it literally and he taught me to write, with pencil and paper (yes pencil and paper in the then 2013) and as a reward for using notation and staff paper properly, he would convert it into audible music by using his Sibelius-like software. Although the samples the software used to recreate the string section I was writing for, it certainly kept me interested in theory and orchestration. 

I then started my Foundation Degree in Music at the University of Burnley and was given access to a MIDI keyboard and Logic Pro X and all that it contains. I had some previous experience using Logic, so I quickly started playing with all of the orchestral samples and immediately got hooked. I began learning everything I could about the sampler Logic used, how to manipulate the samples to try to make them sound more authentic and realistic and used them to get my self some decent grades in my production modules. 

That same Christmas, my very supportive fiance, bought me Spitfire Audio's Albion One library, which is a really great library of orchestral patches and it comes with a huge library of digitally processed material that Spitfire turned in to excellent synth parts using their EDNA Engine. 
It was around this time, that I discovered the talents of Nick Murray and his YouTube channel. Nick Murray was and still is a huge influence on my writing style as he basically taught me the formulas, processes and so many tips & tricks involved with writing good sounding trailer music. You might even recognize some of his work on the trailer for Disney's latest version of Cinderella. He composed the music, which he calls Aeon and it's a perfect example of good, simple and extremely effective orchestral trailer music. Have a listen here (but don't forget to come back and read the rest). Nick made amazing videos like his two part 'How to Write Epic Music' series.

So finally, I'll explain. The trailer music I typically write is roughly 3 minutes in length. It features a 3 act structure, like that of a trailer and it almost always starts with some ambient or simple introduction. This introduction or Act 1, is where you introduce the main melody, perhaps in a processed manner, like a Harry Gregson-Williams style reverse piano line, or a particularly punchy staccato cello part. The second section or Act 2, is where you build on this idea, you introduce a few more orchestra sections and you expand on the melody, perhaps giving it to a different instrument, doubling it or something of that nature. You then move on to Act 3 with a vigor not yet musically portrayed in the previous two Acts. This is where you build the entire piece or cue, adding counter-melodies, bringing in more sections and more instruments, pushing the dynamics and pushing for the climax. Finally, we can not forget the trail. This is the part that usually ends up being played over the credits of a cue, like when the narrator says' JUNE 4TH' in some Hollywood voice. This trail gives you a chance to wrap things up musically making sure you still have enough material to finish the cue and give the editors of the trailer something to use in the wrap-up. 

So fast forward to 2017, and I have written several songs and an EP of original music using this formula. I have the Spitfire library and I have a Composer Cloud Student Subscription, which gives me access to 7 of EastWest's libraries. I have Logic Pro X and all that it contains and I have some valuable writing practice under my belt. I have even purchased a short course from ThinkSpaceEducation, there 'Template In a Weekend course, to increase efficiency and improve my workflow, from writing to orchestration, to the arrangement, all the way through to mixing and mastering.