Life & Work with Lolita Ritmanis of Studio City, CA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lolita Ritmanis.

Hi Lolita, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started writing songs when I was around 10 years of age. That eventually led to composing small pieces for orchestra, eventually composing a full musical. As a child I took piano, guitar, flute and voice lessons, with great support from my parents. My sister Brigita is a professional musician, my mom, dad, and brother have always been involved in music as well. We are Latvian- Americans, culturally very involved in our Latvian roots. I sang in the choir (both at school in Portland, Oregon, and in the Latvian choir), played in the orchestra and in jazz band at Cleveland High School. Music was everywhere. When, at the age of 18 I was studying composing and arranging at the Dick Grove School of Music in Los Angeles, I became really interested in film music, continuing on to complete the film scoring program. The power of music to help tell a story was what captivated me. I am also a big lover of melody. I think film music benefits greatly from strong thematic composing, which is a very integral part of who I am as a composer.

At age 19 I started working in the industry, first as a music proofreader, then as an orchestrator on a range of projects from television, to tentpole films with huge orchestras. Parallel to that, I was still very actively composing on other projects on a daily basis – working on live performance projects, student films, etc. My really big break came when composer Shirley Walker hired me to be a part of her team for a series called “Batman: The Animated Series.” My first big screen credit as composer was for that show.
Fast forward to today – hundreds of hours of music composed for TV, film, the concert stage, I feel incredibly fortunate to have entered the business when I did.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This industry is not for the faint of heart. Navigating the stress of looking for work while you are working, keeping up with the job of “making connections” to stay working has been at times daunting. Very few composers experience a career where they get a job and are set for life. We all pretty much are constantly marketing ourselves, looking and competing for the next gig, be it through the help of an agent, publicist, music supervisor, etc. but mainly through diligent work on the part of the individual composer. Once you have the gig, to be fully present, to be available mentally and emotionally for true collaboration with a director or producer – to hear comments on one’s work and understand that change requests, etc, are all a part of collaboration not a criticism per se requires growth, a thick skin, and mainly a positivity that invites the collaborative energy to enter! I am not sure if what I am describing is a struggle, but it is something that few think about when entering this field. When you hit a groove with a director or producer, where the back and forth becomes exciting, it is so very powerful – and rewarding. Of course, keeping the joy alive for composing music requires quality time for reflection and a never ending quest for learning, a desire for becoming better at what I love, and embracing the art of pivoting from time to time.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an Emmy® Award winning, 10 time Emmy Award nominated composer and 2022 Grammy® Award winning music producer for “Women Warriors: The Voices of Change.” I earned the Grammy alongside the visionary creator of that project – producer and conductor Amy Andersson, music producer/engineer Mark Mattson, engineer Varis Kurmiņš. 2021, I was Oscar® shortlisted for best score for my 70 minute symphonic and choral score for the feature film directed by Dzintars Dreibergs: “Blizzard of Souls,” which earned numerous awards, including the Society of Composers and Lyricists Award for best score for an independent film, Hollywood Music in Media Award for best score for an international feature film, the Alex North Award for best score, as well as the Golden Microphone Award for best instrumental album, and the Big Christopher (Latvia’s equivalent to the Academy Award.) This score truly allowed me to showcase my deep love for composing melodic, theme driven music. It was an absolutely transforming experience to be a part of such a beautiful film.

I am one of the founders of the Alliance for Women Film Composers, serving as president 2016-2018, and a founding member of Dynamic Music Partners.
Other career highlights include my original score for Daniel Kreizberg’s film: “Tahlequah the Whale: A Dance of Grief,” “Christmas in Rome” for Hallmark, documentary “Wild Daze” (featuring Jane Goodall), as well as continued work alongside my fellow Dynamic Music Partners, Michael McCuistion and Kristopher Carter on fan-favorite productions: ‘Babylon 5: The Road Home,” “Young Justice,” “Batman: The Killing Joke” (starring Mark Hamill,) “Justice League” (the theme received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination), “Batman Beyond” (Emmy Award Win), “Teen Titans,” “Ben 10,” “Batman: The Animated Series,” as well as the Primetime Emmy Award nominated musical “Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Mayhem of the Music Meister” (starring Neil Patrick Harris.)

I compose for the concert stage as well, My works have been performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Koerner Hall in Toronto, Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, The Krakow International Film Music Festival, Fimucité International Film Music Festival in Tenerife, and Playfest in Ubeda, Spain. Early in my career, I learned from the masters while working for such composing greats as Michael Kamen, Basil Poledouris, Mark Snow and Shirley Walker, among many others. Prior to focusing my career on composition, I was an orchestrator on over 100 films, mini-series and television programs including Lethal Weapon 4, X-Files Movie, and Robin Hood-Prince of Thieves.

I am on faculty at USC’s Thornton School of Music Screen Scoring Program, am a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the Television Academy, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Society of Composers and Lyricists. In 2018 I was honored with the BMI Champion Award, and in 2022 with the BMI Impact Award. In 2021 I was awarded Latvia’s highest honor “The Order of the Three Stars,” by the president of Latvia.

June 9th of this year, director Timothy Mahoney’s feature film”The American Miracle” will be released theatrically. I enjoyed working with Tim, as well as with producers Ralf Augstroze and Doug Maddox. I am currently scoring Dzintars Dreibergs film “Escape Net.”

How do you define success?
Success is to live in a state of gratitude, to be thankful and present. Way more important than some sort of career success is love in my life. My marriage to music producer Mark Mattson, our three children – Andris, Aija, Ilze, and now our grandchild – Lilija bring me so much joy. I am blessed to have a family and extended family that nurture me, and that I get to nurture!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lolitaritmanis.com
• Instagram: @komponistelolita
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lolita.ritmanis/

Image Credits
Photo Credits
Sanita Ieva Sparane
Getty Images
Thomas Mikusz