Please tell our readers who you are and what you do?
Under the pseudonym Wyshwood I have been a composer, recording engineer and producer for 30 years. My CV includes a television theme, collaborations with the BBC and ITV, incidental music for corporate video and song writing, including a musical. I have worked as a professional, amateur and enthusiast over many mediums. I recorded with bands and individuals from metal to choirs, blues to location atmos tracks. Currently enjoying composing all the music for a video game, including stingers and stems, sound effects and soundscapes.
How would you describe your style and genre?
Eclectic. From Medieval to Victorian orchestral, Italian Cajun to Electronica and Pop, soundalikes to 12 tone serialism.
Who are your biggest idols ever? Dead or alive, musician or non-musician.
Ennio Morricone, Hans Zimmer, David Bowie, Bob & Barn, Jan Jodelko and Dave Grohl.
What was the biggest mistake you made when you started making music and what would be the number one tip you could give to a newcomer musician?
Not protecting myself from theft. It was so easy for your information to be separated from your taped works, that someone could lay claim or rework your efforts into a tune under their own name. It took me five years to get over it. No one has enough money to fight the big players, certainly not back in the 1980s. I also sold my CZ5000 keyboard which turned out to be an absolute classic.
How do you get gigs? Can you share any tips?
I am not a performing artist. I stick to composing behind closed doors and playing the results to willing ears.
What has been your biggest challenge right now? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
After a serious car crash over ten years ago, I had to relearn how to play keyboard. I have adapted what I remember and what I can play into a layering exercise, building up the tracks piece by piece using a combination of MIDI sequencing and clever sampling.
How do you promote yourself? Do you have any specific promotion tips for other musicians?
I am only just starting to reconnect with the world regarding my music. Promotion comes in the form of short updates highlighting the progress of Clive 'N' Wrench video game. These are showcased on YouTube and picked up by the fan base as well as industry players which has a solid subscription base that grows every month of development.
We meet again in one year. What has happened?
Clive N Wrench will have been released, raising enough profits and awareness to develop another game and afford my being able to concentrate on composition full time.
My studio will have been enlarged to encompass visiting musicians and vocalists so I can expand the palette of sounds I currently have access to.
I will have a solid crew of session artists that collaborate with me on the OST for sound tracks and incidental music.
Website:
https://www.facebook.com/Wyshwood/
Soundcloud
https://www.facebook.com/Wyshwood/
Twitter
Tweets by WyshwoodStudio
Other Website(s) and Social Media Profiles 1
http://wyshwood.wixsite.com/wyshwoodstudio
Other Website(s) and Social Media Profiles 2