Today we’d like to introduce you to Risto Miettinen.
Hi Risto, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born in Finland and grew up in Helsinki. I started playing guitar as a teen and fell in love with music or addicted as my parents would say. I played in different bands. Very often I’d be the person the others would look to for new musical parts. That gave me confidence in pursuing a career in music.
After high school, I moved to London, England to study and during University I got involved with film music. I ended up working for film composers and got a taste of working with music in a new way. I’d always enjoyed film music but hadn’t thought about doing it till I got a chance. I dove in head first and my dive lead me across the pond to sunny Los Angeles.
In LA I started out working at a studio for another composer, eventually establishing myself as a freelancer. Which has been a wild and fun ride. Getting to meet people who have worked on films I grew up on and work at places where some of those movie scores were recorded, like the at Warner Brothers or Sony or studios like the Village.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
“There’s always something” as a score producer once said to me years ago.
It’s always a challenge to produce good music and keeping your client happy. Understanding what they want. What did their note of “it doesn’t feel right” mean? Should I change the instrumentation or perhaps the feel of the piece? They key is probing with the right questions.
And keeping up with technology and musical trends is important too. For my 50 cents, I’d say we live in the era of low-information music. Which means most scores tend to have less notes than say the music of the 90s. Same applies to pop music too, just look at it hip hop. This isn’t a negative criticism, it’s just something to bear in mind while working in music and what clients will want. Always check the current tends.
With technology, there’s a similar “Keeping up with Joneses” aspect. Most of the time clients will want music that sounds like the latest scores or music from the Top 40 charts. So you’ll need to know what the latest gear is and how to get those sounds. Or if it’s a specific period piece. For example, 1930s jazz would be a specific sound. Then you’ll need to know how to get the sound of that era.
I’d say those 4 things are obstacles you’ll always face. Four video game bosses to beat for Every project that you do. Plus then there’s deadlines, budgets, etc always to look out for. The additional bosses to beat.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work in numerous scenarios, it can be for filmmakers (producers, directors, etc). In which case we’ll probably have in-person or Zoom meetings and view a rough cut. Then we’ll start working out what the music should be. Or it can be as a member of a music team arranging, synth programming, music designing, mixing for another composer, who needs a set of helping hands on deck. Or it can be for a music library, in which case I’ll write music for a music brief and then they’ll have it placed on a TV show, film, game or whatever future “3D hologram metaverse” media is around the corner.
I’ve had my music placed on the Super Bowl, on Dateline on NBC, in a John Travolta Movie called I’m Wrath, music programming on the Sims 4 video game, music placed on The Daily Show, music placements on over approx. a 100 shows across the globe and I scored a film called The Edited recently. It’s always fun to think my music is touring the world, whether playing on NBC in the US or the BBC in the UK or on Korean TV.
What sets me apart, is that I love experimenting when possible. I’ve made music from Bumble Bees buzzing in jars, fish skeletons, cacti, hiring Death Metal vocalists for musical textures and using experimental techniques on the guitar.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Hmm, this is really a personality question. Mentors are crucial and can be of great help. I’ve had a few really good ones. But at the same time, youtube and social media have really changed the game in the past couple of years, just with the amount of information that’s out there online.
I suppose the key is understanding what type of student you are? If you can find someone you vibe with, someone who feels like a “big brother/sister” figure, they can be worth their weight in gold. The great thing about having a mentor is that you can have a question and answer relationship with them. Many years later, I’ll still call my old mentor “Jedi’s” for advice. Which is a really precious resource to have.
At the same time, you can get a lot of information from a youtube video or Facebook forums. But the one on one interaction might not be that great in a forum or social media setting. Say someone hands you a music licensing agreement and you’re able to call someone to discuss it with. Social media forums can give you advice, but will it be in detail and you can have many conflicting voices, which can be confusing.
That’s why when people say studying music or the arts isn’t worth it. It’s really important to contemplate what kind of contacts can be made and the type of experiences you can have. Mentors can be often found among tutors or work experience opportunities via places of learning.
But on the flip side, if you are good at independently studying from online sources that can lead to prosperous results too. And also keep in mind the world is constantly changing too.
For me, having a mentor was great. It helped with learning the craft and with contacts too. But I also recognize it might not be the path for everyone.
With networking, I’d recommend always being active. Both in person and online. And for anyone new coming in, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes when networking and it’s ok. Even if a door gets slammed in your face, eventually you’ll find a new door to open and the journey continues.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ristocomposer.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ristormuzik/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/risto.rmuzik
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/risto-miettinen-r-muzik-309922a/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ristormuzik1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCITxvVky0s2-iUk95GO7vuQ/playlists
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ristormuzik/sets/styles
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2731223/
Image Credits
Gui Bittencourt
