#youngcomposer

This week Musica in Extenso is hosting Eric Britt [ @the-versatile-composer​ @ericbrittmusic​ ] as invited guest-editor in our special Composer Portraits series, a young composer for media and concert hall.

Our staff made an exclusive interview with Eric Britt, focusing on some interesting questions about her connection with music, compositional style and general hobbies.

How would you describe your compositional style?

Tonal. That’s the "rst wordthat always comes to mind when I think of my music. Most of my music sounds like it could come out of a video game soundtrack. Some of it in fact is from a video game soundtrack. When I was undergoing training to write chamber music in college, my style became more lyrical, and "lm score-esque music was less of a focus. Now that I’ve graduated, I take all that I’ve learned about writing for concert hall and apply it to any video game commissions that come my way.

Tell us your proudest achievement in composition!

My greatest achievement has to be my "rst video game soundtrack for Underspace. It’s an hour long, and I essentially lived with the score writing it for months. Completing it was bittersweet, but I’m incredibly proud of the work I did for it.

How do you spend your free time?

If I’m not writing music for professional purposes, I write it for fun. I also enjoy working with the music of other composers to see what I can do with it (that is how my Disgraceful Series came into being). I have few other interests outside of music, aside from being a news junkie.

Lifelong dreams?

That ultimately depends on how realistic we are talking. In autopian alternate reality, "lm scoring and making it "nancially as a composer. I realistically know that I can only get so far with music, and need sustainable income. My more realistic dream is to "nd a career in arts administration, while taking commissions when I have the time.

Five words that describe your character:

Honest, ardent, creative, go-getter, kind

First contact with music:

From my memory? Banjo & Kazooie. I used to play boss battles just to listen to the music. That soundtrack was gold. That’s howI started getting into soundtracks.

Join us this week and stay tuned! - Editor-in-Chief

Eric Britt is a 23 year old composer for media and concert hall. In 2018 he graduated with a Bachelor's in Music, having majored in both Theory/Composition and Music Business. His training during undergrad was centered around writing for chamber ensembles. He now applies his traditional training to modern day video game scoring. In addition to writing music, Eric enjoys working with the works of other composers, whether it be creating his own arrangements, remastering the compositions, or creating comical versions of them for his Disgraceful Series. Past college he has continued writing music and is also pursuing a career in arts administration.

This week we will present four compositions and we hope that you will enjoy the music of our guest-composer.

Theo was written immediately after the passing of one of Eric’s closest teachers, who the composition is named after. Written in 2017, it is one of Eric’s earliest compositions where more emphasis was placed on emotional pull than compositional structure. It needed to sound soft, lyrical, and most importantly, it had to end on a positive note. The intention of the final chord was to celebrate the life Theo had and the impact she left on everyone. 

Enjoy! 

You can listen to more of Eric's music at https://www.orchestorm.com

Metropolis is Eric’s strongest composition to date. The aim of the piece is to emulate a 1960s vision of a city of tomorrow. The composition begins with a melody which recurs throughout the piece, each time with differing character due to the constantly changing textures and timbre of the work. Harmonielehre by composer John Adams was a key source of inspiration for the piece, particularly for its polyphonic structures. Polyphonic rhythms were critically important to achieving the sound of a bustling city. When the composition darkens, Eric used low register instruments such as bass trumpets and alto flutes while harps play quietly beneath the low strings. The alto flute sounds the main melody, as if rising from the ashes, and shortly a build begins. In the final build, giving the composition a sense of closure was imperative. What mattered more was that the main melody be heard just before the ending of the work. 

You can listen to more of Eric’s music at https://www.orchestorm.com

Next week on Musica in Extenso!