- Introduce yourself and tell us: Where you’re from, How you first became involved in Music, etc.
I’m Dan Coe, born and raised in Northern New Jersey. Very early in my life I can remember being very passionate about all kinds of music. I remember being 7 or 8 with the headphones on at the stereo listening to and singing along with the La Bamba soundtrack again and again (to this day I can sing the whole song in spanish, which is the start and end of my Spanish-speaking). I also listened to the LP of the Star Wars soundtrack over and overparticularly the Main Title and The Cantina Band.
But it wasn’t until high school that I dedicated myself to a professional career in music. I was a junior when I said to myself, “I want to write movie scores, or conduct the scores of others.” I applied to colleges with that goal in mind, eventually choosing the orchestra-friendly Ithaca College over the pop-oriented Berklee College of Music.
- How would you “categorize” your music?
I categorize my music as having weight. What that means is that whether it’s humorous or terrifying it has a weight, richness and depth to it that gives meaning (or “gravitas,” as Stephen Colbert might say). Or at least that’s what I aspire to.
- What are some things that influence you musically and otherwise?
If being a musician is first and foremost on my list of career choices, a close second would be a film maker. I love and am inspired by all types of movies. As a composer, I love the process of film-scoring because I collaborate with moving pictures.
4.How is your music produced-Do you generally record in your own studio, or with a Producer?
I produce all of my music in my home studio, which until recently was powered by a mere Power Book G4. The limited processing power definitely hampered my music-making; however, I recently upgraded to a very powerful dual G5 desktopso no more excuses. I use many pieces of software including Logic, ProTools, and Digital Performer.
- Describe your composition process:
Though I’m certainly of the younger generation, I do like to use pencil and paper now and then. I am very visually oriented and seeing the music written down highlights many different motives and the like. From an original idea (maybe a 4-note cell or a melody) I usually process it on the paper: Inversion retrograde, retrograde-inversion, transposition, truncation, diminution, augmentation, harmonization, re-harmonization, are just some of the things I might do at first. I then take those elements I like and I go with them. OR, I forget all that ‘pre-composition’ and just start writing at my sequencer!!
- How did you originally become involved with Angelo Badalamenti? What does your assitant position with him include?
I let my performing-rights organization, ASCAP, know that I was interested in a position with a film composer. A few weeks later a position opened up and I JUMPED at the opportunity. I was in LA on a project with record producer Jack Douglas so I pulled together some demo materials (though FAR from home) and express-mailed them to Angelo. I had a tracking number which I checked a few days laterand much to my surprise it reported the package as unable to be found!! I nearly crapped myself, so I got ahold of Angelo’s (phone-number) and cold-called him to check up on the package. My somewhat desperate phone call gave me an opportunity to verbally highlight some of my abilities and develop a more personal association with Angelo. It paid off.
- Please tell us a bit about the “Wicker Man” project….
The Wicker Man is a remake of the 1973 original starring Christopher Lee. Locations and character names might have been changed, but the film remains very true to the original script. It’s much more of a surreal detective story/thriller than a horror film, though it does have creepy moments and quite a horrifying climax. Some of the preview screenings didn’t do so well because the temp-score was very poorly put together and made the well-acted film look like crap. Angelo’s score is really beautiful and has taken the movie to a whole other level.
- I noticed that you have a theme entitled “NYC olympics 2012”. Is this piece officially comissioned or licensed by the The United States Olympic Committee (USOC)?
This piece is from a television ad campaign which was attempting to bring the 2012 Olympics to New York City. NYC didn’t win.
- What are your future plans? Do you ever plan to perform live (either solo or with an ensemble)?
I’ll definitely continue my work in film scoring, but I plan to produce more bands. I’ve learned many fine insights from my work with some notable record producers: Jack Douglas (Aerosmith; John Lennon) and Phil Ramone (Ray Charles; Billy Joel).
- Do you have anything/anyone you’d like to thank/promote here?
Thanks to [this] Magazine for taking an interest in me and my music! Also, I’ll thank all my music teachers from throughout the years: Mrs. Gray, Mrs. Smerald, Mr. O, Mr. Silvestri, Mr. Seibert, Mrs. Limmer, Dana Wilson, Greg Woodward.
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