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An effective combination
There will always be those who stand up for the inherent virtues of physical instruments, also commonly referred to as traditional instruments.
Indeed, acoustic instruments have been the dominant musical force since the beginnings of the human race. It’s only in the last 60 years or so that partial- or fully-electronic instruments have risen to prominence and become more accessible to the average person.
For many years, these two varieties of instruments have had a bit of a rivalry, but is it possible for both to be used together seamlessly?
“I was classically trained, so I mostly use traditional instruments for my compositions, but I’ve learned to love electronic instruments and sampling. I like it when electronic instruments and traditional instruments blend together. It helps the music have more textures and layers, and it also sounds wider and richer.”
This comes from professional composer Cynthia Lin, who is also a lauded pianist and violinist. She has deep insights into the advantages of physical instruments while also being an advocate for the power and capability of electronic music components.
Films she has scored have screened at the Hollywood ArcLight Theater and the TCL Chinese Theater, formerly Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Many of the films she’s scored have also been featured in many different festivals and showcases.
With Lin’s help, we would like to make an argument for a kind of peace treaty between electronic and traditional instruments, especially within the area of composition for movies and other media.
It’s not only possible but advisable to create compositions that effectively utilize both traditional instrumentation and electronic and digital instruments.
Many skilled composers have proven time and again that there’s plenty of room for these two sides to work together, creating tracks and entire scores that sound completely fresh.
If you’re a longtime movie soundtrack fan or you’re a musician looking to expand your outlook, we’ll do our best to talk about the possibilities and the challenges that come along with this innovative new approach to music creation.
The future of instrumentation
let’s assume a young film composer has decided to only use traditional instrumentation, ever.
On the professional side of things, would that work? Could such a composer have a steady, healthy career in the entertainment industry?
Well, as Lin sees it, we’ve already reached a point where it’s an unofficial prerequisite for composers, whether brand new or well-established, that they be able to use both types of instrumentation on just about any project.
“Knowing how to make and use electronic instruments will be the new standard in the music industry, but I won’t say electronic instruments can substitute for traditional instruments. Electronic instruments are more controllable and have more possibilities. In film music, electronic instruments and acoustic instruments can support each other very well.”
We would like to highlight that idea: the way in which electronic and traditional instruments can supplement each other.
This was true even in the 1960s, when electronic music pioneers like Pauline Oliveros would layer tape machine manipulation sounds to classical compositions. But it’s especially true now, when advanced electronic instruments and sound engines are capable of creating an enormous range of sounds, including sounds that the composer designs independently.
Sample-based digital instruments as well as refined analogue synths, which are now being produced by the boatload, are more sophisticated than ever, and, more importantly, more intuitive than ever.
This means that young composers just about anywhere are growing up with access to these instruments and learning them as intimately as others have learned to play the piano or the guitar.
In fact, if you decide to pursue a degree or certification in music composition or production, it’s just about guaranteed that you’ll be required to learn how to work with DAWs, VSTs, and sample-based hardware that can be used for everything from sound generation to effects processing and live performance.
Even for slightly older composers who have already established themselves in the industry, it’s easy and (somewhat) affordable to get your hands on equipment that makes use of modern-day digital music technology.
The virtues of physical instruments
If you find yourself on the electronic side of the fence when it comes to favorite instruments, we would like to take a moment to make a case for the historic, and continuing, relevance and value of physical instruments.
Just as there are some classically trained musicians who hate the idea of using electronic instruments, there are also plenty of composers who would prefer to stay away from real-world instruments entirely.
To put it kindly, this approach is short-sighted, and it ignores the incredible capabilities of thousands of years’ worth of instruments.
Physical instruments are much more versatile than they may first appear, and for many years, creative players have found ways to get new sounds out of very old instruments.
But traditional instruments also just have a very intimate connection with the people playing them. When you listen to a solo violinist, you’re not just hearing the instrument, you’re hearing the musician as well.
Every note played is the result of very specific choices on the part of the musician. Lin explained this concept very well during our talk.
“Physical instruments are made beautiful by the natural sound from its body and the feeling conveyed by players. When I record woodwind instruments, I always try to capture the players’ breath. It brings out a kind of natural beauty that’s different for each person.”
Perhaps physical instruments haven’t really gotten old simply because every performance is slightly varied.
Yes, electronic instruments are incredibly useful, but by no means should they come to fully replace acoustic instruments, especially in scores for movies and video games.
Composing under a time crunch
But instruments are not the only thing changing in this equation. Film itself is an ever-evolving medium, and that means that other aspects of production have to change along with it.
With the sheer amount of content being produced, much of it by boutique streaming services that may not have much experience with producing original content, composers have to be ready for anything.
Sure, if there’s plenty of time and a group of session musicians readily available, traditional instruments can add a lot to a score.
But when time becomes an issue, the main goal is to stay creative and communicate with other production professionals to find solutions.
Lin recently participated in the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge, which involves small groups of filmmakers creating an original work over the course of a single weekend.
The experience was a kind of workout for Lin’s composition skills, and it highlighted just how flexible and creative modern-day composers need to be.
“I got the locked picture on the last day of the challenge, and the deadline was only eight hours away. The timing was super intense, but the whole experience was precious, and I felt satisfied when it was screened at the Arclight Cinema in Hollywood. On any production, the composer will be challenged, and I think that composers willing to stretch themselves are more likely to succeed.”
Whether we like it or not, contemporary score composers need to be able to find solutions in many different situations. Choices regarding instrumentation are important in this realm, solidifying even further that personal biases about which instruments are and are not appropriate for score composition only get in the way of progress and might even make a composer miss a deadline.
The stepping stones of progress
Before we finish up, we’d like to quell the idea that famous composers who haven’t used many electronic elements are somehow lagging behind or that they failed to innovate.
This just isn’t true. Specifically, when it comes to some of Lin’s all-time favorite composers like John Williams, Howard Shore, Thomas Newman, and Kathryn Bostic, many of them have in fact used electronic elements in their music. But even when they haven’t, these composers have given an even greater gift: the introduction of whole new styles and feelings they infuse into their music.
These legends continue to inspire contemporary composers like Lin, not only through their melodies but through their technical skill as composers and orchestrators.
“John Wiliams was my first inspiration to enter the entertainment industry. His music has been keeping me company for years. I was also deeply influenced by Bernard Herrmann, Howard Shore, Thomas Newman, and Ennio Morricone. In addition to melody and harmony, orchestration stands as a very crucial role in their music.”
This highlights our central point: these incredibly successful composers didn’t get caught up on their own habits and biases. They didn’t just find a comfortable groove and stick to it throughout their careers.
Instead, they did the real work of any composer, which is to explore different options and find what fits the project best.
Creating an end result that has an impact on its audience is always the primary goal. This can be accomplished solely with traditional instruments, only with electronic instruments, or an elegant combination of the two.
No matter what project you’re working on, take some time to experiment and see what will make for the best fit. In almost every case, you’ll find that using both electronic and traditional instruments is a fantastic combo.
by Giorgio Chang
