Story
I didn’t put anything out for over a year. That wasn’t a break I planned.
Through 2024 I was playing around with Udio’s orchestral capabilities. It took a whole bunch of re-rolls to get anywhere, but I kept preferring some of what it was outputting to what I was writing myself. It sounded closer to a real orchestra than anything I could get, and I enjoyed it more. That discouraged and demoralized me deeply. With the click of a button, something better than my own work. I felt I wasn’t good enough, and I stopped.
What I needed first was some time to wallow and sit with it. Then around February 2025 the mindset shifted: I could think of AI as just another composer. So what if it sometimes makes something I enjoy more than my own work, something that sounds closer to a real orchestra. I wasn’t competing against other composers, so why should I compete against it? The other half was people - joining Zach Heyde’s composer circle put me back among composers, and that gave me the inspiration and the confidence to start writing again with joy.
This is the first thing I put out on the other side of that.
So this whole thing started with just a solo horn I was playing around with. You know those really emotional moments in Star Wars or God of War where they hit you with that mellow horn over strings? That’s what I was going for.
The funny thing about my composing process is that I never really know where a piece is going to end up when I start. I just follow where the music wants to go. My tracks tend to evolve and transform rather than stick to a single theme - I used to think this was something I needed to “fix” about my writing, but I’ve come to embrace it as my natural storytelling style.
I had fun leaning into and experimenting with different woodwind instrument combinations for the track. Since I don’t have formal training, it’s all about trying things until they sound right. That exploration is half the fun for me.
The last section of the track was driving me crazy though. It felt weak and empty no matter how many instruments I threw at it. I kept redoing it over and over. Then I finally added these low Taiko drums and some lighter percussion on top - and suddenly everything clicked! It’s weird because I didn’t initially think percussion was necessary, but I think there’s something about percussion that adds intention to music. It doesn’t change what’s being said, but it changes how confidently it’s being said. That was definitely the breakthrough moment for this track.
Funny thing is, after I finished, I started hearing Jeremy Soule Elder Scroll influences that I didn’t even realize were in there. Your brain just absorbs that stuff without you knowing it.
Honestly, I create this music mainly for myself and just share it hoping someone out there might connect with it. It’s like putting a piece of myself out into the world. I don’t overthink how others will experience it - I just hope people like it!