NATASHA INTERVIEWS DANIEL J. COE (2006)

1. Introduce yourself and tell us: Where you’re from, How you first became involved in Music, etc.

I’m Dan Coe, born and raised in Northern New Jersey. Very early in my life I can remember being very passionate about all kinds of music. I remember being 7 or 8 with the headphones on at the stereo listening to and singing along with the La Bamba soundtrack again and again (to this day I can sing the whole song in spanish, which is the start and end of my Spanish-speaking). I also listened to the LP of the Star Wars soundtrack over and overparticularly the Main Title and The Cantina Band.

But it wasn’t until high school that I dedicated myself to a professional career in music. I was a junior when I said to myself, “I want to write movie scores, or conduct the scores of others.” I applied to colleges with that goal in mind, eventually choosing the orchestra-friendly Ithaca College over the pop-oriented Berklee College of Music.

1. How would you “categorize” your music?

I categorize my music as having weight. What that means is that whether it’s humorous or terrifying it has a weight, richness and depth to it that gives meaning (or “gravitas,” as Stephen Colbert might say). Or at least that’s what I aspire to.

1. What are some things that influence you musically and otherwise?

If being a musician is first and foremost on my list of career choices, a close second would be a film maker. I love and am inspired by all types of movies. As a composer, I love the process of film-scoring because I collaborate with moving pictures.

4.How is your music produced-Do you generally record in your own studio, or with a Producer?

I produce all of my music in my home studio, which until recently was powered by a mere Power Book G4. The limited processing power definitely hampered my music-making; however, I recently upgraded to a very powerful dual G5 desktopso no more excuses. I use many pieces of software including Logic, ProTools, and Digital Performer.

1. Describe your composition process:

Though I’m certainly of the younger generation, I do like to use pencil and paper now and then. I am very visually oriented and seeing the music written down highlights many different motives and the like. From an original idea (maybe a 4-note cell or a melody) I usually process it on the paper: Inversion retrograde, retrograde-inversion, transposition, truncation, diminution, augmentation, harmonization, re-harmonization, are just some of the things I might do at first. I then take those elements I like and I go with them. OR, I forget all that ‘pre-composition’ and just start writing at my sequencer!!

1. How did you originally become involved with Angelo Badalamenti? What does your assitant position with him include?

I let my performing-rights organization, ASCAP, know that I was interested in a position with a film composer. A few weeks later a position opened up and I JUMPED at the opportunity. I was in LA on a project with record producer Jack Douglas so I pulled together some demo materials (though FAR from home) and express-mailed them to Angelo. I had a tracking number which I checked a few days laterand much to my surprise it reported the package as unable to be found!! I nearly crapped myself, so I got ahold of Angelo’s (phone-number) and cold-called him to check up on the package. My somewhat desperate phone call gave me an opportunity to verbally highlight some of my abilities and develop a more personal association with Angelo. It paid off.

1. Please tell us a bit about the “Wicker Man” project….

The Wicker Man is a remake of the 1973 original starring Christopher Lee. Locations and character names might have been changed, but the film remains very true to the original script. It’s much more of a surreal detective story/thriller than a horror film, though it does have creepy moments and quite a horrifying climax. Some of the preview screenings didn’t do so well because the temp-score was very poorly put together and made the well-acted film look like crap. Angelo’s score is really beautiful and has taken the movie to a whole other level.

1. I noticed that you have a theme entitled “NYC olympics 2012”. Is this piece officially comissioned or licensed by the The United States Olympic Committee (USOC)?

This piece is from a television ad campaign which was attempting to bring the 2012 Olympics to New York City. NYC didn’t win.

1. What are your future plans? Do you ever plan to perform live (either solo or with an ensemble)?

I’ll definitely continue my work in film scoring, but I plan to produce more bands. I’ve learned many fine insights from my work with some notable record producers: Jack Douglas (Aerosmith; John Lennon) and Phil Ramone (Ray Charles; Billy Joel).

1. Do you have anything/anyone you’d like to thank/promote here?

Thanks to [this] Magazine for taking an interest in me and my music! Also, I’ll thank all my music teachers from throughout the years: Mrs. Gray, Mrs. Smerald, Mr. O, Mr. Silvestri, Mr. Seibert, Mrs. Limmer, Dana Wilson, Greg Woodward.

Official Website:

http://www.danieljcoe.com/