Balancing

[andreagiuseppe]

Hello Mr Powell!

It is very exciting to get to pick the brain of such a prolific composer! First of all i want to day that Mammoths from your score from Ice age 2 is one of my all time favorite cues. My first question is with the long hours composing and recording, how do you balance being a busy composer with your family, social, and personal life? My second question is how much of your music do you orchestrate yourself or do you leave it all for orchestrators?

thanks very much,

Andrew O.

[John Powell]

I work from home and try to take breaks when I can get to see my family.

Regarding "orchestration", this term needs some updating in the field of film composing. There's orchestration A. the Rimsky Korsakov - Borodin type, then there is orchestration B. in midi, then there is orchestration C. as in turning midi orchestration into something that musicians can play - this is sometimes more like transcription. All difficult in their own way but different as can be from a musical standpoint.
I do A. and B. but never C. Well, I say never. I have done it but I'm too slow and inaccurate so I fired my ass.