Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Dib.
Adam, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve had an interest in music for as long as I can remember. From watching and singing along to classic Disney musicals to listening to classical music around the house, music was always a part of day to day life. I picked up the saxophone in the fourth grade and was lucky enough to have the opportunity to study and perform classical and jazz music throughout my high school career (which unfortunately, is not always the case in many public school music programs today).
I began studying music seriously when I attended Wayne State University in Detroit, MI for my undergraduate degree. Primarily, my focus was jazz performance. Through my time at Wayne State, I was exposed to all sorts of musical cultures and studies and had the opportunity to perform and build lifelong connections with the amazing musical community in Detroit. During my time at Wayne, I found a particular interest in composing and arranging music for many different ensembles ranging from jazz to modern-classical, pop and big band – an interest which would take shape through the years as I continued my education.
I am forever grateful and humbled to have been accepted to the Composition for the Screen MFA Program at Columbia College Chicago as a graduate assistant. Through this program not only are you taught to refine your musical chops as a composer and arranger, but also to gain the knowledge and insight of the many technical aspects, business, and day-to-day activities as a composer for film music. During my time at Columbia College, I was lucky to collaborate with exceptional filmmakers on award-winning live action and animated short films such as Warm Regards (Daniel Dinh), Mission Late Bell (Ana De La Ossa and Gaby Fernandez), and Marked (Courtney Le’Flore).
One of the many great aspects about the program at Columbia College is it’s “Semester in LA”, during which students interview for and are placed in internships with local Los Angeles composers for film and television. I was lucky enough to be placed with Marcelo Zarvos and had the opportunity to learn first-hand composing and assisting experience helping work on projects such as The Affair, Ray Donovan, and more.
After graduating and moving to Los Angeles, I have had the opportunity to work with many great composers learning and contributing additional writing, arranging, and orchestrations. Since moving to Los Angeles, I’ve been happy to work alongside amazing creatives on projects such as Healing Powers of Dude (Michael Kramer, Composer), Axis Sally (Kubilay Uner, Composer), Vanguard (Nathan Wang, Composer) and Estranged (Xiwen Miao, Director, Francesco Raffo, Producer) among many others. Currently, I work full time with composer Michael Kramer (Ninjago, Lego Star Wars, Healing Powers of Dude) assisting on more than a few awesome TV and film projects, many of which I’m super excited to share, but can’t at this time.
Today I find myself learning and growing daily under the guidance of Michael Kramer and with the many great musical organizations throughout the city – including the SCL Mentorship Program, which I was lucky enough to participate in this year. I’m happy to be a part of the composer and creative community in Los Angeles and am excited to see what the future has in store!
Has it been a smooth road?
Deciding to not only to study music but choosing it as a profession – as a way of making a living- inherently comes with its own set of challenges and struggles, financially or otherwise. To overcome these seemingly unending hurdles, you have to wear many hats and be prepared to jump into any situation and perform with flying colors. To get to where I am today, I’ve had to work and grow in many different areas of the music industry, from working as a theatrical sound technician, performing in bars and restaurants, leading to stadiums and festivals arranging music for friends and local bands, to creating books of original music and arrangements for touring shows. The best piece of advice I ever received was to always say yes to new opportunities and perform at your highest ability to make each new opportunity a success.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Adam Dib Music specializes in creating evocative, eclectic, and adventurous music for film, tv and all media platforms. We strive to stand apart by collaborating with filmmakers and storytellers to craft a musical sonic identity that is unique to each project alone. When you boil everything down, what we are at the core are storytellers – and the medium in which we choose to tell stories is music. Whether the story at hand calls for an awe-inspiring orchestral soundtrack, fun and exciting jazz big band backdrop, or a modern hybrid-electronic score, we are excited to find and create the sound for any project.
Outside of writing music for film and tv, I enjoy orchestrating and arranging for many composers and ensembles throughout the country. There is nothing quite like the joy and the awe you experience listening to a live orchestra perform and record (especially with the incredible local Los Angeles musicians), or the exhilaration and excitement produced from a jazz big band. To have any part in making this a reality through orchestration, arranging and working with composers and musicians on the creation of scores parts is a gift.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Los Angeles has been nothing but exceptional and inviting! I have lived and worked in Los Angeles for a year this May, and I have nothing but great things to say about the composer and creative community. Through every step of my professional and musical development, individuals, organizations and outreach programs like the Society of Composers and Lyricists, Academy of Scoring Arts, and many others have been there to guide and provide opportunities for young professionals to learn and flourish. The creative community here is unparalleled and I’m lucky to call Los Angeles home.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.adamdib.com
- Email: adamdibmusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adam_dib_music/
Image Credit:
Liam Rice, Eron Rauch, Samantha Hageman
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