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Episode 22

Christopher Barnett talks about hearing Ravel's Bolero in primary school

Personal stories of inspiration from professional composers, songwriters and musicians.

In this episode, Gareth chats with composer Christopher Barnett about hearing Ravel's Bolero in primary school, his love of music and his determination to learn everything he possibly can.

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Host: Gareth Davies

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Transcript
Gareth:

Welcome to the music room.

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At this time in the music room.

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: I'm

fortunate enough to teach down myself,

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you know, I do some lecturing and I say

the same thing to my students, it's

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not really so much about the music.

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I mean, you're expected to

be able to write great music.

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But, um, the thing that they don't teach

you is that you need to be able to get

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along with people and, work with people,

work with different people, you know,

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and kind of read the room those soft

skills are ones that you really need.

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Hello and welcome to The Music Room,

the show where I chat with composers,

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songwriters and musicians about what

they're up to before going back in time

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to find out how it all began for them.

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How are you at the moment?

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Doing okay?

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Autumn can be a good time

creatively to knuckle down after

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the summer, get some stuff done.

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I've actually recently been doing a bit of

an audit of my social media use and I've

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found I've just had too many accounts.

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Too much time spent preparing

posts for too many accounts.

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So, I had a long hard look at what

I should be posting and where.

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And this is what I came up with.

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You can do this too, but this is just what

I decided is going to work best for me.

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So, uh, let's go through them.

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LinkedIn, great for networking

with potential hirers and fellow

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podcast industry people in my case.

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So that's all I use it for now.

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The other networks are great

for keeping up with peers.

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Whose peers?

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You know, composers, friends, musicians.

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Um, Instagram.

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Now I like Instagram, but there's a Music

Room account that doesn't really do much.

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And I always feel guilty for

not spending more time on it.

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So from now on, all the Music Room

content, in fact all of the content

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that I produce, will go via, uh, my

personal account, atGarethSounds.

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So come and follow me there.

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Generally, if you're a similar

composer, musician, songwriter,

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Whatever, I will follow back.

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Facebook.

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I have an artist page and, of course,

the lovely Music Room community group.

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So, I'll be on Facebook

as long as the group is.

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Um, I think Facebook has its

drawbacks on the community side, but

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it's where a lot of my peers are.

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Uh, there's peers again.

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And, uh, so there we go.

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That remains home for that.

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And then, here's the clever bit.

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I cross post, or I've set it up, from my

Instagram account to my Facebook page.

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Boom.

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I still keep an eye on the

comments and messages, of course.

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But there's about a

minute saved right there.

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They all add up, don't they?

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Ex formerly Twitter.

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Hmm.

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Um, I don't know about

you, but I think I'm done.

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I'm plucking up the courage to

pull the plug on the account.

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But I don't like what it's become, really.

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And, in fact, you could argue it's

not the same platform anymore.

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Crucially though, if I'm spending

time preparing stuff, it would be

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nice to know that the platform will

still be there this time next year.

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So, thanks for the tweets,

but I'll be seeing you.

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Which brings me to Threads, which

had a rocky start, but I can say with

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confidence, that so far it's a nicer

experience than X and recently there's

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been a, one of those deer algorithm

post things that seems to have sorted

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the feed into who I want to see.

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So now my feed is full of musos, perfect.

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Hello threaders if you're listening

and welcome to the music room podcast.

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Anyway, that's enough of that.

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How do you use the social media?

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Do you limit yourself, or

do you try to be everywhere?

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Get in touch via, well, wherever

you use social media, I suppose.

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My links are in the show notes.

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In this episode, you're going to hear

from composer Christopher Barnett,

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who's had an extraordinary journey

from hearing Ravel's Bolero in

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primary school, to scoring countless

feature films, documentaries and more.

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And if you stick around, Chris will

also be leaving an amazing item, gave

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me goosebumps actually, and a solid

piece of advice for anyone trying to

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navigate becoming and being a composer.

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But first, music stories.

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session cellist and sample library

developer Matt Constantine has a

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brand new and very interesting library

out via his company It's All Noise.

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The release reads, We're proud to

announce our first contact player product,

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Ultimate Cello Textures Harmonics Pad.

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This is a prequel and sister library

to the larger Ultimate Cello Volume

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1, Harmonics, which will be out soon.

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This textures series of libraries...

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Focuses more on sound design, with this

specific library being a pad designer,

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using samples of cello harmonics.

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And here's the good bit, if you're

a member of the Music Room group on

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Facebook, you get an extra 10 percent off.

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Link is in the show notes.

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That's like free money right there.

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Next, just for fun, I asked the Facebook

group their top three movies about music.

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Let's see

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Pete said tar is my favorite.

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Oh, I've not seen that soul

rocket man bohemian rhapsody.

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That's for I know the one I

hate most is whiplash Jonathan

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says this is spinal tap classic.

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Mr.

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Holland's opus bohemian rhapsody That's

a couple for bohemian rhapsody, isn't it?

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David says, Barbarian sound

studio, if sound design counts.

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The soloist, the piano teacher,

all had quite an effect on me.

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Robin, almost famous.

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Amadeus, oh great old classic that is.

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Uh, the piano.

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Uh, Rod says, Singstreet, Featuring

music from Music Room guest Gary Clark.

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Uh, Spinal Tap and Dig.

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Uh, Matt says, The only one which

really strikes me that hasn't been

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mentioned yet is The Red Violin.

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Oh, that's a great film.

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Daisy says, Brassed off.

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Absolutely brilliant.

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Tara says, Lots of those mentioned,

but also the beat my heart skipped.

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I've not heard of that one.

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I might have to look that up.

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Alexandra says, Want to

add tick, tick, boom.

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Started sobbing at the truth of the

throwing a ball against the wall line.

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Again, not, not seen that one.

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Uh, Claire says, it's very silly

but still crazy is a classic.

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Quite right too, it is a classic.

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Herman says Amadeus and would be

hard pressed to think of two more.

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Come on Herman, you can think of two more.

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Uh, Broly, close encounters.

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Hmm, is that because of the spaceship?

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Shine.

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Shine is brilliant, isn't it?

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Yeah, Blues Brothers.

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Obvious classic.

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Tom says Brasdorf 8 Mile.

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8 Mile's a good one, yeah.

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The Man Who Knew Too Much.

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It's not about music, it has Bernard

Herrmann as the on screen conductor.

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I'm not sure that qualifies, Tom.

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But yeah, so many great movies there.

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What are your favorites?

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You can get in touch in

all the usual places.

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Christopher Bara is a versatile

and dynamic composer known for

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his work in cinema and television.

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His extensive list of credits include

feature films A Dose of Happiness

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and Borrowed Time and documentaries

Breaking Boundaries and Joy Womack

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the White Swan, which charts the

story of the first American to train

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a dance with the Bolshoi Ballet.

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Airedale Records will be releasing an

EP of Chris's score for the Joy Womack

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documentary on Friday the 8th of December

this year and will be available on.

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All streaming platforms, his personal

EP, which, uh, you'll hear more about

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shortly featuring Andy G Jones, Ashok

Clowder, Daisy Cool, and Joni A.

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Fuller will be released early 2024.

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Let's get into that there music

room and catch up with Chris.

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Here we go.

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Gareth: Christopher Barnett, composer.

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Welcome to the music room.

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

Thank you, Gareth.

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Wonderful to be here.

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Track 1: You're very, very

Uh, how are you today?

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

I'm good.

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as you say, it's been a bit rainy,

bit of flooding here in North London.

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Um, and I'm just kind of, uh, trying

to keep a bit of a sore throat away,

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but, um, otherwise I'm, I'm good.

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Very well.

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Track 1: Yeah, we were having a quick

chat about the colds before hitting

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record and it's, uh, yeah, we're so

used to, COVID and testing and, uh,

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it's quite a surprise to have a cold.

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: I know.

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Track 1: uh,

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

I feel, I feel like Barry White

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with a, you know, low husky voice.

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Track 1: So in planning for this chat,

Chris, I had a listen to your stuff,

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of course, and I've, seen your progress

on, uh, social media over the years.

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I find it a bit difficult to categorize

you or pigeonhole you as a soundtrack

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composer, which personally, I think that's

a big compliment because, I can't find...

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Who you sound like to in order to do that.

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What's your approach when you're

first attached to a project?

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How do you decide sonically?

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What's right for the production?

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

Thank you.

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That is a compliment because,

um, I am a bit averse to, to, you

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know, quote unquote, film music.

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so to answer your question, I try to

find a way into the, um, the story.

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you know, try, try to, to compose from the

inside out, you know, really get to the

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heart of the characters and, and who they

are and the story and the environment.

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And it, it, you know, sometimes when

I, when I ask directors questions that,

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you know, they, they wonder why I go.

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I tried to go quite deep, so I might

be asking questions about, you know,

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how did this character grow up?

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You know, what trauma did they experience?

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And really try to build a picture so

that I can draw on that to, to kind

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of speak about them in musical terms.

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So maybe that's why music

sounds very non soundtrack like.

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Track 1: Yeah, yeah.

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And it I guess that time spent

at the start, if you're putting

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in the time, you're more likely

to be on the same page on you.

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It's the producers and the director.

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

Exactly, yeah.

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Track 1: Saving time later on.

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

Yeah, you know, and, and, you know,

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the time directors are hearing things

that they never would have expected,

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Track 1: Yeah.

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

from, from the, the, the temp track,

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you know, the dreaded temp track.

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Um, but you know, I, I, I do try to be,

um, as original as, as I can, you know,

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Track 1: Yeah, so it's having

a brave o meter, isn't it?

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How brave are you going to be?

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there are you going to be?

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do you think they're

prepared to listen to?

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Uh, yeah,

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: So,

so very grateful for the trust that

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my director's placing me, you know,

cause it is a huge amount of trust.

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Track 1: that's when you know when

you're working with people who

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really care about what they're doing.

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

Definitely.

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Definitely.

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Track 1: Yeah, and you

have a forthcoming EP,

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: Yes.

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Track 1: found out.

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What prompted that and when

can we expect to hear it?

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: so,

um, I'm kind of at the moment awaiting,

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a couple of projects to start that

they're in post production and filming.

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Uh, last year, um, I lost

three people very close to me.

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My father was one of them.

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And, um, at the time I was scoring.

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two pictures at the same time and

didn't really have a chance to

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really grieve, if you like, you know.

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But still, while I was busy going

about my day, doing my job, I noticed

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certain feelings would come up and

all out of the sudden and couldn't

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really understand them, you know.

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So I thought, you know, I really want to

document these feelings, these emotions.

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Um, I wouldn't say they were

even negative emotions, just,

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just weird, just weird emotions.

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Um, so I thought, you know,

I'll, I'll write this EP.

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so having the thought and then actually

getting started are two different things.

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But, uh, I think we got to,

um, August and I thought, you

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know, I just got to get started.

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Um, went on holiday with my family

and had a good think about it.

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Came back and then just dived in.

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So it's been a wonderful experience.

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I've really, really enjoyed it, actually.

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Scoring to picture is such a

different way of working, you know.

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You have visual in front of you, and

you have the characters, and this is a

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bit more introspective, really having

to kind of work out what I want to say

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and how I'm going to say, you know.

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But it's been, it's been great.

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Track 1: yeah, so instrumentally,

style wise, we expecting to hear?

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: Hmm.

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Um, I, very, very difficult to,

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Track 1: let me put it another

way, is like a leap away from

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what you, your usual approach?

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Or is it, You know, have you

leaned into the things that

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you're most comfortable with?

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How have you approached that?

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

it's been a mixture of things.

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You know, my, my musical background has

been so eclectic, but there's, I would say

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there's some, there's some jazz in there.

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Um, there is some orchestral,

delvings in there.

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There's some almost like 20th century

musical ideas in there, you know, it's,

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it's all done with a sense of,

dare I say, melancholy, you

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know, and, um, heartfelt writing.

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So, you know, I'm working, I've, I've

invited four wonderful instrumentalists

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that To um, be featured on each

track and um, they're bringing

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their own gifts and you know, to it.

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So yes, it's wonderful.

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you'll have to just wait

till I share it with you all.

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Ha ha ha

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Track 1: It's fantastic.

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And I'm so to hear about your dad.

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and hopefully there was some

catharsis in writing an EP

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

absolutely yeah, yeah.

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Track 1: and putting it out there.

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Um.

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Are we ready to go back in time?

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Let's find out how it all began

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

Well, well, yes, um, I don't come

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from a musical family, first off.

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So, for me, it, you know,

it's been a bit of a journey.

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I've always had a love for music, though.

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You know, my family, my earliest

memories are going to parties with

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my family, listening to reggae

music and that kind of stuff.

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I played the drums for about a year.

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When I was at school, I was at 11.

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Absolutely loved that.

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Track 1: Oh wow, was intro to

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

yeah, first foray.

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Yeah, yeah.

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But before that, around this, yeah,

probably about a couple, maybe a

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year or two before that, I have a

very strong memory of sitting in

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school assembly and hearing um,

Ravel's Bolero for the first time.

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And, It just knocked me for six,

you know, it's like, what is this?

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Because up to that time it was all reggae,

you know, and so maybe that has something

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to do with the drums, I don't know.

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But, um, I absolutely loved the

drums, but sadly couldn't, wasn't

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able to keep it, keep it up because

I couldn't afford a drum kit.

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I come from a very, very poor background.

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And, um, yeah, so I had to give that up.

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And then, um, for several years

I, Began DJing through my teens,

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so I would organize, parties.

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you know, sell tickets, sort

of did boat trips, you know,

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you know, that kind of thing.

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And I would say through DJing, I kind

of found a way to understand what music

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works and what music doesn't work with,

with an audience, if you like, dancers.

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and then, uh, when I left

school, I had to get a job.

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So I became, uh, an engineer.

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Working on power stations and doing

drawings and that kind of thing.

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Track 1: actual engineer, not a, not a

sound, I'm not saying sound engineers

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aren't engineers, of course they are, but,

you actually getting your hands dirty.

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

Yeah, exactly.

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So I would do you know drawings on for

power stations and stuff like that But

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in the evenings I began I met met a

chap called Michael Riley who was former

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lead singer of, the band Still Pulse,

which is a Birmingham reggae band.

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And he was producing chart

music, top 40 chart music.

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Um, he ran a, uh, an outfit called

the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra.

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And they would provide strings for

artists, soul to soul and these people.

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So I, I spent a year shadowing

him and, and tape, learning

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how to tape op in the studio.

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Track 1: Hang on, hang

on, back How did happen?

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you're working as an engineer and

meet this guy, was it in a pub or was

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

no, it was through a family friend,

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um, who was a fashion designer

and she, she knew everybody.

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So she knew him and said, Chris has

this burning desire to do music.

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Can you, you know, take

him under your wing?

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And he very kindly said, yeah,

just come, keep your mouth

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shut and, you know, tag along.

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So I would, I would go

to work during the day.

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Do my, my, my engineering during the day.

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In the evenings, I would be out with

him till two, three in the morning.

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Um, letting how to let in the

studio, you know, had the desk.

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And, uh, it was real tore

tapes in those, in those days.

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But, um, I very, I had a very, a very,

very good understanding of, of the

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studio layout and how to, you know,

how to record and produce just by

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watching what he was doing, you know?

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Track 1: So, I spoke about

the engineering thing earlier.

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that actually help you being

an engineer and then being

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put in a studio environment?

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Did that engineering brain of yours

kind of make those kind of sonic

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connections, those audio connections,

signals, and you know, this goes

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there, that connects to that?

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: yeah.

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Kind of.

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I mean, it's, it's hard to really.

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Pin down, you know, how the brain was

working at that time, but, um, I really

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wanted to be a record producer at that

time, you know, I was inspired by Quincy

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Jones and, uh, you know, listening to

albums of Michael Jackson and, George

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Benson, you know, and how Bruce Sweden.

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mixed and mastered those tracks,

it's just, just so, so great, you

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know, it's such a great sound, like

galaxy chocolate type sound, you know.

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So that, that was really my kind of

thinking and way in, you know, um.

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Then the engineering world, that kind of

stopped, dried up, and I thought, well,

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okay, I'm going to be a poor anything.

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I'm going to be a poor musician.

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So I, um, I dived into the world of music,

learned how to play the piano, practicing,

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you know, seven to ten hours a day.

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Track 1: old would you have been

when you started learning the

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

by this time I was early twenties.

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Track 1: Wow.

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chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: I was

early, I was really very late starter,

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Track 1: I think there's a little pause

button to be hit there because, you

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know, for people who think, oh, no,

it's too late to to learn something new.

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I mean, that's quite something to go.

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Just take yourself from that point

in time to where you are now.

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That's amazing.

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:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

Absolutely.

359

:

And I had a young family as well.

360

:

So, know, yeah, it was a,

it was a, it was a task.

361

:

It was a daunting task, but it

was purely the love of music.

362

:

You know, I'd, I'd no, no real

ambitions to, to, to be anything

363

:

and be this film composer or didn't

even enter my mind at that time.

364

:

I just wanted to, to learn music.

365

:

So I enrolled at Morley college,

which is an adult education.

366

:

College in Waterloo.

367

:

I mean, Gustav Holst used to

teach there in the 40s and 50s.

368

:

And, um, I just did literally

every course in that place.

369

:

You know, there was sight singing,

there was jazz piano, jazz composition,

370

:

um, harmony and counterpoint.

371

:

I did a bit of acting, you know,

just, just all these different,

372

:

different courses, uh, jazz theory.

373

:

And then when I came out, I felt I had

a really quite strong grounding in,

374

:

being able to notate and write music.

375

:

And I did a degree, three year degree

at Roehampton Institute in, um.

376

:

Just basic music, but we did a

lot of, the classical music,

377

:

but we also did, world music.

378

:

So, I learned gamelan, uh, still pans,

um, I spent three months in America

379

:

learning Native American music and

spirituality, music of Shona, you

380

:

know, so it's a wonderful place.

381

:

Wonderful three years I had there.

382

:

I, then I came out of there and

thought, okay, what do I do now?

383

:

I know.

384

:

I love you.

385

:

Do a film masters.

386

:

So I did a, uh, yeah, a year

film masters after that.

387

:

And that helped me to consolidate

the previous six years of intense

388

:

study that I'd embarked on, you know,

389

:

Track 1: Did it kind of put it all into

context in terms of writing to picture?

390

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

absolutely.

391

:

And working with musicians, um,

because my, my experience of working

392

:

musicians was, was before that was

just to have like, I had, I used to

393

:

run like a quintet, a jazz quintet.

394

:

We would, you know, gig around

London while I was studying and doing

395

:

odd jobs and that kind of stuff.

396

:

Which was, which was great,

you know, really valuable.

397

:

Um, but doing the master's course helped

me to work with, um, string players and,

398

:

um, woodwinds and brass and that kind of

stuff and kind of put it all into context.

399

:

And then once I finished that,

it was, okay, what do I do now?

400

:

Okay, I better try and get some work.

401

:

Track 1: Right.

402

:

So you, you've done your film masters,

you walk through the gates to the

403

:

big wide world What are you thinking?

404

:

I mean, are you thinking at that point, I

really want to actually be a film composer

405

:

because you've put it into context?

406

:

Or are you thinking, I don't know anybody?

407

:

Or I mean, for me personally,

when I started, I have no clue.

408

:

I didn't know quite who

to contact or, or what.

409

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

Absolutely.

410

:

Track 1: it for you?

411

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

I, you know, I think, you know,

412

:

going from engineering into

recorded engineering and then study,

413

:

you learn how to be personable.

414

:

and um, how to kind of get along

with people and embrace people

415

:

and have them embrace you.

416

:

So, I knew it was really a matter of

just, just meeting film people and

417

:

offering my, you know, my services and

luck, lucky for me, um, I managed to...

418

:

To get, I think, quite a few short

films straight off the bat, and then,

419

:

um, a feature film in my second year

out of college, you know, um, which is

420

:

an Albanian, an Albanian feature, uh,

comedy as well, so, yeah, for the first

421

:

year A few films that I scored were

comedies, um, which is, when I look

422

:

back now, is quite a challenge because

it involves different styles of music

423

:

throughout, you know, so I was kind of

bringing in all the training I'd had

424

:

up to that time in a film, you know.

425

:

Track 1: Yeah.

426

:

Yeah, did through your training

years, you had a set of contacts

427

:

that you kind of dove into or was it

largely just going out and networking?

428

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

It was just going out and networking

429

:

because I knew nobody, you know,

anybody in film, you know, um,

430

:

Track 1: peers, so other people

trying to do the same thing.

431

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

yeah, yeah, yeah.

432

:

There was a few of us on the course

and, you know, I think only, only

433

:

three of us are actually working

now from, you know, early:

434

:

But, um, yeah, literally just, just, Get

out, you know, kiss babies, shake hands

435

:

and, and meet people, you know, and, and

436

:

Track 1: folks.

437

:

That's what you have to do.

438

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

that's what you have to do.

439

:

Track 1: Yeah.

440

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

The presidential campaign.

441

:

Absolutely.

442

:

You know, and I'm fortunate enough

to, to teach down myself, you know,

443

:

I do some lecturing and I say the

same thing to my, my students, it's

444

:

not really so much about the music.

445

:

I mean, you're expected to

be able to write great music.

446

:

But, um, the thing that they don't teach

you is that you need to be able to, to

447

:

get along with people and, work with

people, work with different people, you

448

:

know, and kind of read the room those

soft skills are ones that you really need.

449

:

Really important.

450

:

Track 1: right.

451

:

And that's led you to

collaborate with people as well.

452

:

I know you've, you've collaborated

on a number of things with, uh,

453

:

Frank Hilfman, who was a guest

454

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: Yeah.

455

:

Yeah.

456

:

Frank.

457

:

Frank is, um, yeah, he's

a very close friend.

458

:

He's like, like a, like

a brother to me really.

459

:

Um, and yeah, but when, when

he, whenever he's in the studio,

460

:

I, I tend to tag along and.

461

:

You know, help with the producing

and, you know, be an extra

462

:

set of ears in the studio.

463

:

He had a documentary called Spear

Goes to Hollywood, um, which

464

:

he was scoring a few years ago.

465

:

And he brought myself and his

assistant, John Lou Pinson, on board.

466

:

And, together we, we scored that.

467

:

I think it was...

468

:

just prior to the COVID outbreak.

469

:

Um, it was quite, quite an intense

period, but, um, it was great to work

470

:

with him and, and, you know, learn how

he does things and, you know, vice versa.

471

:

So, yeah, wonderful experience.

472

:

Yeah.

473

:

But he's a good friend.

474

:

Track 1: It sounds like you've

been a sponge for just the any kind

475

:

of knowledge and experience just

476

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

and I'm still, and I'm still learning.

477

:

I'm still learning and still, still

have been that sponge, you know.

478

:

It's, it's good to just kind of

keep your, your, your ears open.

479

:

Keep yourself open to that.

480

:

Track 1: we're veering into

bits of advice here, aren't we?

481

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: Ha ha

482

:

Track 1: why don't we, uh,

why don't we get into that?

483

:

Um, I do ask all of my guests to

leave an and a piece of advice in

484

:

the music room for others to find.

485

:

I didn't even ask.

486

:

Have you prepared an item

and a piece of advice?

487

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

I have a couple of items.

488

:

This is a bit like desert

island, island ist it?

489

:

Track 1: it?

490

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: Um, can

it be, um, paper with some words on it?

491

:

Or does it have to be an actual thing?

492

:

Track 1: Well, paper with words

on it is a thing, isn't it?

493

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: Okay.

494

:

So when I decided to embark on

this journey, I had, I had lots of

495

:

trepidation, you know, coming from

my background where we didn't know

496

:

how to even get started in the music

business because I didn't know anybody.

497

:

I didn't even know if, if I could

or was allowed to, you know, so I

498

:

came across this quote by Goethe.

499

:

Um, let's see if I can find it.

500

:

And it, it really inspired me,

and it goes um, he says, Until one

501

:

is committed, there is hesitancy.

502

:

The chance to draw back always

in effectiveness concerning all

503

:

acts of initiative and creation.

504

:

There is one elementary truth, the

ignorance of which kills countless

505

:

ideas and splendid plans that

the moment one definitely commits

506

:

oneself, then providence moves him.

507

:

All sorts of things occur to help one

that would never otherwise have occurred.

508

:

The whole stream of events.

509

:

Issues from the decision.

510

:

Raising in one's favor all manner of

unforeseen incidents and meetings and

511

:

material assistance Which no man could

have dreamed would have come his way.

512

:

So whatever you can do or dream you

can begin it Boldness has genius,

513

:

power and magic in it, begin it now.

514

:

And I always go back to this quote,

whenever I'm, you know, trying to figure

515

:

out whether, um, I can actually do

something or maybe I'm a bit tentative or

516

:

shy or, or, or afraid, fear, it's huge.

517

:

You know, and I know there are lots of

people who, who feel that, you know,

518

:

what we do is not for them because

they don't have the years of musical...

519

:

training or these sorts of things.

520

:

So just, just find that quote and

just keep it pegged on your wall.

521

:

So what I'm handing over is a

piece of paper with this quote,

522

:

pin it to your wall and just keep

reading it over and over again.

523

:

Track 1: that's brilliant.

524

:

I had goosebumps then.

525

:

Because this is it.

526

:

And other guests have said

similar things about get started.

527

:

You know, it's all very well.

528

:

Sitting in your head, but until you

get going and get that idea out,

529

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

Absolutely.

530

:

Yeah.

531

:

Track 1: know, it's easy to

hide behind as well, isn't it?

532

:

I've got this great idea.

533

:

Well,

534

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: Yeah.

535

:

Yeah.

536

:

Track 1: not, it's not a

thing until you've made it.

537

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

Getting started is tough.

538

:

It's hard.

539

:

Track 1: Yeah, and getting over

that fear of failure, like you say,

540

:

that, that ties in as well.

541

:

That's great.

542

:

That's going in the music room then.

543

:

Does your advice tie in with

that, or do you have a piece of

544

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: A

separate piece of advice would be to have

545

:

a very open mind to music, to explore.

546

:

One of the challenges I had when I

started my degree was, we did like a

547

:

year of learning 20th century music.

548

:

So, you know.

549

:

Wayburn and Berg and you know,

Sean Berg and all that stuff.

550

:

And at a time I really hated it.

551

:

You know, it was, it was excruciating

hearing all these screechy and, you know,

552

:

Track 1: extremes,

553

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434:

yeah, yeah.

554

:

You know, look, you know, one, one task,

look at the, the wall and, and score

555

:

the wallpaper, you know, it's like.

556

:

Come on, what the, you know, I

was going to swear then, but my

557

:

love at the time was, was jazz.

558

:

I was heavily into jazz, but when

I look back now, I, I'm so grateful

559

:

for that time because it's really

opened me up to, to really being able

560

:

to, to write almost anything, you

know, um, and having the, the, the

561

:

courage to explore different things.

562

:

So that, that will be my

thing, you know, just.

563

:

Try to be open, um, to

anything that comes your way.

564

:

Don't, don't block it because you

say it's not my, not my thing.

565

:

Just explore it and then see

where the road takes you.

566

:

You know, I never expected to be a film

composer and yet here I am, you know?

567

:

So,

568

:

Track 1: Wow.

569

:

Okay.

570

:

Well that, I think, is a very

good place to round things up.

571

:

Christopher Barnett, thank you so

much for joining me in the music room.

572

:

chris-barnett_2_10-30-2023_133434: thank

you Gareth and, what you do is wonderful.

573

:

So yeah, keep going.

574

:

Track 1: Will do.

575

:

Gareth: Thanks for listening to

the Music Room podcast today.

576

:

If you'd like to know more about the

show or the community that surrounds

577

:

it, head to music room.community.

578

:

The link is in the show notes.

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About the Podcast

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The Music Room
Personal stories of inspiration from music industry professionals.

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About your host

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Gareth Davies

Composer of music, producer of podcasts. Latest TV series: Toad & Friends (Warner Bros. Discovery). Current podcasts include The Music Room and Podcasting People.

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Saw your excellent post on Facebook, and happy to become a supporter!
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Thanks for making this podcast! I appreciate all the advice and useful items that guests leave, it’s helped me think about how I go about things.