James Marangone, composer

Who or what are the most significant influences on your musical life and career as a composer?

I always find answering this really difficult because I have a very eclectic taste and there are so many different parts of the creative process to be inspired by. I’ve always loved the storytelling interplay between imagery and music and the way music can transcend us to a different world.

I guess that fundamentally, the journey of discovery for me would have to be indebted to my parents (who aren’t at all musical!) for their unwavering support in enabling me to find something that I love doing and to develop that into a professional career.

Since graduating, I’ve been very lucky to spend a lot of time in a studio environment, surrounded by some incredibly talented musicians and composers, orchestrators, engineers, producers, contractors… (the list goes on!) whose creativity has always driven me to challenge myself. I think that the symbiotic ‘collaborations’ that excite me the most, are the moments when any egos disappear, and composer and musician are so connected by the music at hand – this is the point at which something really special happens.

What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?

Imposter syndrome – turning my hand to composing as a viable addition to my multifaceted professional career. For me, the compositional side of music began as more of a side-line as I first trained and mastered in performance. However, having sat in the heart of the orchestra
and experienced the power and three-dimensional connection with the sound around me, changed my perception of the way I wanted to hear the music back.

I’ve always liked to try and break free of the classical mold and delve into other genres. I don’t have a ‘voice’ that everybody talks about that I’ve secretly been honing for years, or the foundational knowledge that many other composers have trained hard at mastering, so the acceptance of my own creative output has been a bit of a journey and it’s one that seems to evolve depending on the project at hand.

What are the special challenges/pleasures of working on a commissioned piece?

For me, perhaps the desire to do something that exceeds the initial expectation! However, writing my first concert piece recently (Fred and the Fantastic Tub-Tub) was something a bit different for me, so that in itself presented me with a set of hurdles to overcome.

I’m very used to writing to a specific format in order to fulfill a preconceived concept and with an endpoint already in sight. The creative process for Tub-Tub however, was very fluid between Zeb Soanes and myself. The interplay and relationship between the text and musical description was really important to the process as we wanted them to play an equal role.

The challenges, but also the great pleasure in writing this piece wasn’t about creating something musically ground-breaking, but instead finding accessible formats to create a sense of fun, not only for the audience, but for the musicians too! The collaborative spirit between us meant we could really explore organically without trying to force synthetic alternatives. Perhaps the idea of including something a little unique led me to try and get a plant to sing… to be honest, the whole process was a bit of a whirlwind!

What are the special challenges/pleasures of working with particular musicians, singers, ensembles or orchestras?

I think there are times when the intensity of our world can manifest itself as quite a hostile environment. It is wonderful when you find a selection of incredibly talented musicians who are willing to engage on any level and ‘let go’ – it’s really rather refreshing to see some of the stress of it all disappear, especially in a performance scenario.

Of which works are you most proud?

This will come as no surprise…..Fred and the Fantastic Tub-Tub.

How would you characterise your compositional language?

This can vary considerably – I don’t set out to have a compositional language, but rather to fulfill the brief at hand.

How do you work?

I have good days and bad days. I hate forced creativity. I do try to work with an organised approach however that’s not always the way of creativity. Sometimes things come to me erratically and sometimes I work through them linearly. I know I’m driven by musical ideas and when they are kind enough to present themselves, I try and get them into a tangible format so that I can revisit them when I need to. It’s always nice to have an idea or two up your sleeve…

As a musician, what is your definition of success?

Happiness.

What advice would you give to young/aspiring composers?

I’m not sure I’m in any position to offer advice. Everybody is different and needs to find the path that’s right for them – and even then, it evolves! However, I would say that you don’t get anywhere without hard work and that success is not handed on a plate. There are a lot of late nights that happen behind closed doors – regardless of the journey, be prepared to put the hours in. Do be open minded to exploring the different ways to make a profession from writing music – and as the saying goes “don’t try to be somebody else, those shoes are already filled!”

What do you feel needs to be done to grow classical music’s audiences?

It’s no secret that music and the arts are seriously underfunded and that there is a perceived elitism to enjoying certain types of music. Music speaks to everyone in a different way, it’s not a conscious response. I think that by working in partnership with our arts allies to find common and affordable pathways to these experiences, strengthens all our causes and has to help, at least in some way, towards giving audiences the tools and means to find their way into ‘classical’ music.

It is this very sentiment that made me so passionate about bringing Fred and the Fantastic Tub-Tub to a concert stage. Accessibility of the format; embracing literature, illustration, topical themes that people can relate to, and at its very heart, music! It is this storyboard structure that helps to accomplish this.

What’s the one thing in the music industry we’re not talking about but you think we should be?

It’s not one thing, but I can’t help feel that the only solutions to any of the multiple issues facing our industry (that we are all so well aware of) has to be cohesive and connected. There is no quick fix. It is only by collaboration and interwoven thinking that we’ll achieve meaningful change – we are so much stronger together.

What is your present state of mind?

I’m both extremely nervous and excited about introducing Fred and the Fantastic Tub-Tub to a wider audience this month in the London Literature Festival at the Southbank Centre, which pulls together all the facets of collaboration that are so central to my musical journey.

Fred and the Fantastic Tub-Tub, a brand new children’s work for narrator and orchestra by Zeb Soanes and James Marangone will receive its London Première on Sunday 22 October in the Southbank Centre’s London Literature Festival, given by Orpheus Sinfonia with Zeb Soanes narrating. 

Developed from a desire to produce a piece that is relevant and connected to the world children grow up in today, Tub-Tub’s themes include those of reuse, resilience and acceptance, and the richly cinematic score features a wide variety of organic sound effects. Find out more

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James Marangone is a composer who works mainly in TV and film, including work on soundtracks including The Hobbit, Skyfall, The Flash, Bad Guys and Enola Holmes. Fred and the Fantastic Tub-Tub is his first full length orchestral concert piece.