Philip Sheppard discusses with Garrett Hope of The Portfolio Composer the importance of knowing what your audience wants, finding freedom in restriction, arranging all the national anthems for the London Olympics, his rules for success and the following additional topics:
- Starting on cello
- The separation between composer & performer
- What audience’s want
- The meritocracy of movie music
- Seeking approval
- Freedom in restriction
- Library music
- Philip’s Rules:
- Play Bach in the pub
- Join a band
- Have a bucket list & a business plan
- Study outside your expertise
- Own a niche
- Work with people better than you
- If it’s at 70% start again
- Fire yourself
- Never relay a problem upwards
- Be busy even if you’re not
- If being asked to work for free, ask for a time exchange
- Own everything
- Be in the habit of writing
- USP (Unique Selling Point)
- SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis
- Impostor Syndrome
- You are a business
- Building a Kitchen Cabinet
- The 2012 London Olympic Games
- The bigger the project the less everybody knows
The mission of The Portfolio Composer is to help composers with the business end of writing music through mindset, marketing, and business skills.
The Portfolio Composer believes that composers are self-employed small business owners. In order to succeed in getting their music in front of people who are interested in hearing it, they need to know essential business skills such as marketing and networking. Building a successful career as a freelance composer is possible and thinking like an entrepreneur will help composers make a living writing music.
The Portfolio Composer promises to deliver high-quality free content through the podcast and newsletter that will help composers build their career.
