Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Williams.
Hi Richard, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Around 2007, I decided to pursue composing instead of taking the more secure, stable route that a normal job affords. After returning to BYU after my LDS mission to Japan, I constantly worked often until the library would close at midnight, composing and finding projects where ever I could. I scored various student films, and eventually won 2 Student Emmys at the National College TV Awards in Hollywood in 2010 and 2014. After graduating, I was able to compose music for Brandon Sanderson’s Way of Kings fantasy novel soundtrack, which had us recording our music in Prague and Budapest. I have written music for all sorts of media, from viral Youtube stars, to rising artists, to video games and other media outlets. My band TREN has also written a number of fantastic custom songs that many fans love. I also recorded an Incredibles themed song during Chris Walden’s jazz band masterclass which was the impetus for wanting to record at Capitol Studios again, so this Christmas album was exactly that. I was able to record with some of the best jazz band players in the world at Capitol, and recorded the strings and woodwinds in Budapest. I have always been a fan of creating more beautiful music for the world to hear.
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?
The music industry is not easy by any means. I was rejected from the BYU School of Music four times. After I was finally let in, I had to spend 5 more years to finish my music degree. After graduating from BYU, I wasn’t still able to find enough work so I had to pass out thousands of fliers to create a piano teaching business from scratch. I was able to teach 39 students at its peak, which is actually a lot to do! I have traveled to LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Budapest, Prague, and Las Vegas to pursue my music career by attending conferences, 1 on 1 meetups, and recording in various recording studios. The music industry gives no promises, and you meet a lot of disappointments along the way, so for those who are interested in the music industry, I think knowing that firsthand is more helpful than not knowing it at all. I did not know that the industry was this bad when I first started. I did not know it would take this long and take as much effort as it did, but it has.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in composing especially for orchestras. I can play 10 instruments, and I have written for practically every major genre such as rock, jazz, ethnic folk, EDM, solo relaxing piano, choirs, chiptune, anime, etc but orchestra music tends to be my favorite. My favorite classical composers are Beethoven, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky, and my favorite modern composers are Thomas Bergersen and John Williams.
I generally am most proud when I can take a song and am able to bring something new and fresh to it, like a key change that works, or when I am able to take a melody or motif and change it up into something different yet still recognizable to the original melody or motif. If I enjoy listening to my own music repeatedly, then I know it’s good, and that does happen. That’s my sort of quality assurance test. Additionally, I feel like the composers I look up to or that I want to emulate often have a decent amount of ear candy or things going on in their music to keep things interesting. Often when songs are very simple, I find myself trying to fill in the gaps to imagine what else can be there. But when I hear a good composer and a good song in my opinion, I am often so engaged that I don’t have room to do that, but am just able to listen to and enjoy all that is there.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
As musical as I am, I actually, generally speaking, don’t really like musicals 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.richardmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicrichardwilliams/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=714541366
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bufjap
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLfcRvGFQVmBJmqKlsAImw
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2qj9lrQAC40WfaxQtS3ziv
- Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/hollywood-christmas/1646966540
- Amazon CD: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK4K12LH/
Image Credits
Viktor Szende
Jacob Boden
Ionut Cuc
Josh Sales
