HOW I SEE MUSIC

THE SUBSTANCE « MUSIC »

For a long time I wondered what Music is.
My vision changed, and might change again - so I will try to tell you what Music is according to me in 2010.
 
I think Music is not a paper, nor technique, a reflexion, nor magic formulas, I just think MUSIC=INSPIRATION. It is universal, true for any kind of music. When I realized that, I started to wonder what Inspiration is, and especially where that amazing feeling comes from.
 
At my 25th birthday, I fell in Love like it never happened before nor after for now - I felt that unknown force coming from nowhere, huge, far stronger that me and very hard to manage. Then I finally realized at 25 that Love is the most powerful force on earth (I wonder why it took me that long to understand it, but however, some people won't ever understand in their life) When this Love strength came to me, my inspiration has been increased so much, and not only for Music, that the link was just obvious... Inspiration comes from LOVE.

THINKING ?

I think thinking is a mistake.
The more we think, the less we are inspired. And I really believe it is harder to do simple than complicated. When you start creating complicated things, you are probably on the wrong way because LOVE is pure - only thoughts can be complicated. Each time I have searched for an idea or inspiration, it never came. It is a scary feeling and you must go to bed after that. To « get » an idea, the best way is to forbid yourself from thinking and focus on the FEELING without any judgment on yourself - inspiration will express by itself.
Feeling is not about the brain, but the heart.

LEARNING ?

So for me, LOVE is mother of Inspiration, mother of Music.
Then, academy, learning, teaching, conservatory, constipation, working and thinking, are enemies of inspiration and therefore enemies of real and pure MUSIC. There is nothing to learn about Music, just something to feel: LOVE.
When I think of all these children encouraged by their parents to go learning an instrument by WORKING from 7 to 9pm every Thursdays with Miss teacher - don't be late - I am just extremely pained for the wholeness of Music. If you really want your child to serve and feel REAL Music, just show him an instrument. If he starts PLAYING with it, let him finding his way because it will be the way of Love. If he does not, then he will find something else to be better at.
When you « learn music » you don't. What you learn is a world apart where you will be able to replace your teacher and invite students to replace you - Music is another planet.
There is even worse: Sometimes I close my eyes in front of good studio monitors and listen to a very emotional film music like The Village, then I can cry.
I believe that happens only on the music planet - I do not think people who studied music can feel that, and I am sad for them. It is because once you learned the crime of thinking music, you cannot listen it 100% with your heart anymore, murdered by a think reflex. They analyze what most composers never though about when composing.
To compose music we need feeling - To feel we need innocence.

MATHEMATICS ?

The sound waves, papers, the equipment, are mathematics. But they are just tools to drive real « Music » between us. I love the equipment, it is another passion I have for a long time - I like programming and huge studios... the great new technology helps me to share the emotion of Music. But I never forget that, when I start using technique, it means the inspiration process is already done.
I would even say that something created with the heart sounds different than this exact same thing created by calculation - The calculated creation just sounds though. The way I see music is something which sounds like it is coming from nowhere, as if it has always existed. So for me, technique is not a question, it is just not the point.
 
Only LOVE can feed her daughter Inspiration and her child MUSIC.
 
Did you ever wonder why you can remember the exact words and melody of that song you have never heard for 10 years, just when it starts playing it again on the radio, but you are unable to remember a quote someone said 3 years ago ? It is proven : our memory works with emotion.
Now that makes sens - Music is all about Love.

FILM MUSIC :

Every composer has a different vision of what music is to a movie. Mine is that music is an ACTRESS in the movie, and she is here to tell something: EMOTION.
Because it TELLS, it has to be very NARRATIVE. So for me, an illustrative music is sound design, not a « Film Music ». This is the reason I never speak about « soundtrack » ... I don't like this word - 90% of my favorite « soundtracks » are composed by James Newton Howard and I think a such word is an insult to them.
Because for me film music has to be narrative, I do believe in film music which works also without picture.
 
To compose for a movie, please, I do not want to see any picture - even storyboard - before inspiration came. It is because focusing on the picture will activate the brain, then lock the inspiration process. The only thing to know before starting to compose is the basic story, and feel deeply its emotion because it is only what this is about.
 
If your movie speaks about LOVE, any kind of love, a person, a place, a strength, even love itself, please contact me because I am sure we will understand each other very well and do something emotionally very strong together !
 
If you did not read my biography yet, please do it now !
Thank you.