Today we’d like to introduce you to Rotem Cinamon.
Rotem, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was attracted to music from a very young age. I’ve played the trumpet for almost 20 years, since the age of nine. When I was 14, I added the upright bass to my arsenal of instruments. I used to listen to all kinds of music — jazz, hip-hop, Israeli, Latin, classical, film scores, and more, and I think it contributes to my style of writing today.
As a teenager, I fell in love with jazz music as well as composing original tunes. I also self-learned how to use the computer to produce hip hop beats. I played in classical orchestras, jazz big bands, and a funk-hip-hop high-school band that I started with my friends. Together, we won multiple contests and awards,
After high school, I was accepted to Rimon Jazz Institute, which is one of the best jazz education programs in Israel. I was very fortunate to study with the top Israeli jazz musicians, many of them divide their time between Tel Aviv and New York City. While studying, I performed and recorded trumpet and upright bass with many Israeli artists, in addition to my own groups.
After graduating from Rimon, I was auditioned and received a scholarship to continue my studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. In Berklee, it was when I switched the course of my studies to be more focused on composition — film scoring in particular. While still performing and enjoying jazz, I found media composition to be challenging and satisfying, combining my passion for telling stories with music, along with using the computer and technical tools to create an original sounding score for films.
After graduating, I moved to LA to pursue my dream and become a film composer. I got to intern for two of the biggest film scoring studios in LA. After interning, I worked as a composer’s assistant, composed original music scores for several short films and a web series, and produced original tracks for music production libraries. I find my education and experience in diverse genres to be helpful in writing music for film and in finding my own voice.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road hasn’t been always smooth. As a composer, the professional competition is very high, especially in LA. As a result, I received countless “no”s and rejections. However, my attitude has been always to try to learn from every rejection and improve. These improvements, together with keeping positive and professional, have helped me to get the “yes”es.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I’m a media composer, a multi-instrumentalist and a music producer. I write music for film, produce library production music tracks, and compose original music. My style of writing ranges between orchestral, jazz, electronic, and everything in between. I’m especially proud of my recent film scores for Lambert Hall (2020) web series directed by Danilo H. F. C.; Two Cats (2020) and Where the F*** is Chris Evora (2019) directed by Ali Haejl; About the Cat (2019), EVVY Awards nominee, directed by Miles Coplin and Christopher Hurt; and May This Memory (2018) directed by Fernanda Frotté, selected for the Mostra CineBH International Film Festival (Brazil). In addition to film scores, I produce tracks for Velvet Green Music library and other production music catalogs. My original tracks, “Deep Insight” and “Lost in Space,” are available on all streaming services. My deep knowledge and experience in diverse genres of music benefit my ability to write unique and original music.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
To me, success is a relative thing. I always try to ask myself: am I in a better place now, then where I was, for example, a year ago? Have I made any progress? Some markers can be how many films have I scored, how many tracks I’ve produced, or how many new industry people have I met for a coffee? However, the criteria is not only professional but personal as well. How is my mental and physical health? How is my family? I always try to improve and get better. Sometimes when I feel unsuccessful, I look back and find out that I did quite a lot.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rotemcinamon.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/rotemcinamonmusic
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/rotemcinamonmusic/
- Other: https://soundcloud.com/rotemcin
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