Today we’d like to introduce you to Brett Bailey.
Brett, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Music was first introduced into my life at six years old. I began taking piano lessons and soon discovered that I had a natural intuition for music. I enjoyed listening to and performing all different styles and genres, from pop music all the way to classical and the standards. As my musical development and experiences were coming along, I always enjoyed film/television and playing video games. Part of it can probably be attributed to a child’s addiction to screens, but there was always something about the art of storytelling that captivated me from a young age. As I got older, creating musical ideas began to peak my interest, and I began getting serious about writing. I eventually put two and two together, coming to realize that film music was my calling. I started small, rescoring any scene I could get my hands on and doing some work for local directors and businesses.
This gave me a good foundation of experience, which launched me on my trajectory to the USC Screen Scoring Program. It would be there that I would find my voice as a composer. I received the opportunity to work with the world’s finest film and game developer students over at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and Game Program, along with the unparalleled experiences getting to record my cues in professional settings and getting individual coaching from professors that are currently working in the industry. This has brought me where I am today, giving me a breadth of experience and putting me in a position to succeed moving forward.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have certainly been struggles along the way. This is quite a competitive industry, and I believe it takes a certain belief in what is the marathon of developing a career. Trying to write music that is the best possible fit for a film or video game invites a challenge that can be hard to overcome. I’ve found that it’s important to trust my dramatic instinct and training. During and after school, the situations that were challenging made me grow as an individual and as a composer. Looking back at those experiences, I can take joy in knowing I was able to persevere.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I like to blend traditional and modern writing techniques to create my own unique sound. There’s so much that I love about the composers and traditions from the past, but it can be interesting to explore new sounds and methods of writing, especially with the technology at our disposal. I would say I’m most proud of the work that I’ve done that is true to my voice. Composers for visual medium can and have to work in a variety of styles and genres, so whenever the opportunity comes to write something that honors the needs of the project and allows me to bring something unique to the table is very fulfilling.
Any big plans?
I plan to stay in LA and continue working as a composer for visual medium. I look forward to continuing the collaborations with filmmakers and game developers that I’ve connected while getting to meet and work with new people! I’m planning on investing in my home studio, specifically to have a variety of instruments to play so I can provide a live, unique sound to my scores.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.brettbaileymusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brettbaileymusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brett.bailey.31586
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/brettbaileymusic2020
Image Credits
Held – Orchestrator It’s All Criminal – Composer
