My guest today is Grammy-nominated producer/mixer/composer, Richard Tozzoli.
Rich may be the most prolific television composer anywhere, as his work has appeared in an astounding 1800 TV series, 20,000 episodes, in 40 countries. His unique style has been featured on CBS Sports, NBC Olympics, Counting Cars, Pawn Stars, Duck Dynasty, Trading Spaces, MLB, FOX NFL and many more. Artists he’s worked with include Al DiMeola, Ace Frehley, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Omar Hakim, and others.
Prior to turning his attention to composing, Rich was an excellent recording engineer and mixer, working on 5.1 surround sound projects for the likes of David Bowie, Carly Simon, Boston Pops, Blue Oyster Cult and Hall & Oates. He has also authored numerous articles on audio production and technology as well as the book Pro Tools Surround Sound Mixing.
During the interview we spoke about transitioning from engineering to television composition, how his engineering skills were important in gaining music supervisor attention, his annual writing trip to the Caribbean, expanding in to full orchestration, focusing on planetarium shows, and much more.
I spoke with Rich from his studio in Northern New Jersey
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Timestamps:
00:00:00 - The Importance of Reinvention
Discussing the necessity of reinventing oneself and the learning process involved.
00:00:22 - Introducing Richard Tozzoli
Overview of Rich's impressive career and accomplishments in television
composition.
00:01:50 - The Volume of Work. Rich shares the staggering number of cues and series his music has been featured in.
00:02:35 - The Role of Agents. Exploring how good representation can lead to opportunities in the industry.
00:03:29 - Transitioning to Composition
Rich discusses his shift from engineering to composing for television and the motivation behind it.
00:04:37 - The Unique Approach of Artists
Insights into how successful artists carve out their unique niches in the music industry.
00:05:29 - Ego and Confidence in Music
The balance of having confidence without letting ego take over in the creative
Explore The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook (6th Edition), the go-to guide for modern mixing: https://a.co/d/eEEpPrL
This edition adds chapters on intelligent processor plugins, saturation and distortion, and mixing in small studios. Learn to use reference tracks, mix in Dolby Atmos and Sony 360RA, and master modern techniques like MS processing, frequency-based panning, and sidechain compression, all to make your mixes sound pro.
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