Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Hartman
Hi Kyle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing up in Texas, I was lucky to have access to great music teachers and educational programs. I started piano lessons at a young age, sang in church choirs, performed in musicals, and discovered my passion for film composition after hearing Michael Giacchino’s score for “The Incredibles” in a huge theater. That moment sparked my interest in composing, leading me to pursue a Music Composition degree at SMU in Dallas.
While at SMU, I became the Music Director for the a cappella group “Southern Gentlemen,” arranging numerous songs, including Cam’s “Burning House” for a cover competition. Cam actually loved our version so much that she selected it as the contest winner and even performed it with us during her Dallas tour stop. My time with that group was full of memorable experiences like that, and we even recorded an album, The Gentlemen’s Guide To A Cappella, which is still available online for those who’d like to listen.
After SMU, I attended the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring program at the Seattle Film Institute under Dr. Hummie Mann. The program was intense, especially when we started orchestrating pieces for live ensembles. Hummie is a fantastic musician and educator, and remains a dear friend to this day. The highlight of that program was definitely the thesis project: conducting a 52-piece orchestra at Bastyr Chapel for my piece, “Dance of the Magicians.” That one is also available online for your readers to listen to. So yes, I’m very grateful I’ve had the chance to continue collaborating with many of my classmates from that program on media scoring projects to this day. Even now, I’m working on a handful of television projects for Netflix alongside my classmates from grad school.
Since graduating SFI, I’ve worked in the Los Angeles film music industry in various roles, starting with Copyist & Music Prep work and several studio internships. My first feature-length Orchestrator credit came after interning with composers Chris Lennertz and Tim Wynn. This success led me to assist a great composer Anže Rozman at Bleeding Fingers, where I was also invited to compose tracks for the Extreme Music production library. Additionally, I’ve had the great honor of working alongside many other talented composers like Marco Beltrami, Daniel Hart, Tyler Bates, and Tim Williams.
In Fall 2022, I was invited by John Paesano and his team to write additional music for the video game “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2” by SONY & Insomniac Games. It was a huge honor, so it really motivated me to bring my entire skill set to the table. This project involved a mix of composition, orchestration, synth programming, and arranging. It was a rewarding challenge and our efforts even earned a BAFTA nomination for the soundtrack! I’m extremely proud of my contribution to this game and look forward to writing a lot more game music in the future.
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?
No, it’s definitely not always easy. Any creative field is going to come with lots of ups and downs. Consider that in recent years, the film and television industry has been in massive flux as writers and actors have gone on strike for better pay and representation in the new AI economy. I’ve found that one of the biggest factors that determines success is your level of resilience towards rejection and failure. A great example of this was a Scooby-Doo project I was involved with that unfortunately got cancelled before it ever premiered thanks in part to the Warner/Discovery merger. It was a pretty sad occasion because we were all excited to hear the results of our hard work, but alas, some things are not meant to be. I’ve been asked to step down from some projects and asked to come in after people to help clean up other projects or even completely start over from scratch. That happens. That’s the job. And the trick is to not take any of it personally. You really have to build a thick skin to survive as a creative entrepreneur.
There have been several times in my career so far where I’ve thought about giving up completely. I’ve been told that’s normal, but the doubt and imposter syndrome can be very strong. The best way to combat this is to create a kind of “trophy room” of accomplishments that you can always be proud of and surround yourself with folks who also deeply value gratitude and integrity. Self-improvement is a very underrated skill and it takes practice just like a musician practicing scales. A cool quote I heard from a friend recently speaks to this exact issue: “Every No is one step closer to a Yes.”
Speaking of quotes, Conrad Pope once told me, “I’m not so much a musician as a problem-solver. Some composers don’t read music or can’t write well for orchestra, and that’s actually great news for me because I can be the bridge between them and the musicians.” He taught me to really hone my skills as a problem-solver first in order to become indispensable regardless of the project, and I like to think I’ve taken that advice to heart. It’s helped me tremendously and I hope it helps other aspiring composers and orchestrators too.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a composer and orchestrator for Film, TV, and Video Game projects. I specialize in writing and producing orchestral music with an emphasis on high-quality production value and exceptional storytelling. I also provide music and audio consultations for live entertainment projects such as dance, theater, & magic shows, and right now, I’m actually working with a magician who fooled Penn & Teller to create a unique music product specifically for live performers.
Directors and collaborators have called my music “vibrant,” “magical,” and “dazzling.” Starting from a traditional orchestral palette, I always like to add some extra ear-candy in the way of synths, percussion, vocals, or unique sound-design elements to each piece I’ve been writing lately. This can be heard a lot in my work for the short film “Wishmaker” as well as the latest tracks I’ve written for the Extreme Music catalog.
I’ve also partnered with several sample library companies like Naroth Audio, Soundpaint, Orange Tree, and Triumph Audio to beta test and write custom demos for their sample library products for fellow composers. The process of designing new toys and instruments in collaboration with these musicians is a really fun sandbox to play in, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to workshop and test new ideas with these developers.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I’m gonna be a bit naughty and say two if that’s alright, one music-related and one non-music-related.
My favorite non-music-related childhood memory is the first time I rode a roller coaster. It was the Steel Eel at SeaWorld. I think we rode it three or four times before I started to turn green. It honestly just blew my mind because it’s such an intense experience for a kid, and I’ve been hooked on coasters and theme parks ever since.
My favorite music-related childhood memory is probably the story behind my first composition. The very first piece of music I ever wrote was called “Gentle Waters” and it was made as part of the requirements for the Music Merit Badge in the Boy Scouts. I’m sure that crudely made sheet music still exists in a box somewhere in Texas, but I’m incredibly proud of writing that by hand and then entering it all by myself into Finale. RIP to that notation program, by the way. End of an era. But I digress. So I’m pretty sure I ripped off Pachelbel’s Canon in D for a portion of that first composition, but honestly who hasn’t at this point? It’s a popular chord progression for a reason, so let’s call it a tribute. And yes, I was able to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout! Still super proud of that too.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://kylejhartman.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylejhartman/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7270764/
Image Credits
Alissa Wyle, Holy Smoke Photography
