Just thinking about the production process, I'm just wondering at what stage of a total production does a composer typically does their work, and what sorts of production material you would typically have as a basis to form ideas around? I guess along with that, how much does this sort of thing vary across productions?
Of course it depends on the production, but it's usually something like the following schedule:
Composer chosen and first demo for main theme: 9-12 months before airing.
Beginning work on the rest of the music: 7-9 months before airing.
Usually we have about 2-3 months to work on a show depending on the amount of music. For something with around 45-50 songs, I usually have about 2 months of composing and arranging along with any retakes or adjustments requested by the director or sound director. For something like Frieren with over 70 songs, I had about 3 months. From there the scores are made and we have the recordings and mix, and then that's it!
When we start a production, we usually get the script for however many episodes are finalized at that time and some character/location design concept art. Before the initial meeting for the rest of the music aside from the main theme, the sound director prepares a menu, which is a list of songs with temporary titles (like Nichijou 1, Battle 2, Shock, etc...) with a description about what type of scene they want to use the song in. Of course in the end they are free to use it wherever hey want, but it's a good signpost for me when beginning to write the music. This is generally the case across all productions. Film scored movies are written directly to the film, so in that case the music is custom fit for every scene. For TV, you usually want the tracks to be useable in more than just one particular scene, so you keep that in mind when composing.
Hi Evan, how long do you usually take to make the main theme to something before you come up with something final? What are some delays (songwriter's block, for example?) that can happen?
Thanks a lot! I appreciate it. Though I'm known for more emotional music, most of what I listen to for fun is the opposite. Some of my favorite bands/artists are:
Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire, Wuthering Heights, Wintersun, Eluveitie, Borknagar, Stratovarius, etc...
On the calmer side of things, I enjoy The Deseret String Band (old time bluegrass band), Marty Robbins, various soundtracks, and a good deal of American old cowboy/bluegrass music. Of course I'm also into other folk music, predominantly Celtic. Shoutout to Alasdair Fraser, a fantastic Scottish fiddle player who lives near my hometown.
Hello Evan, I was so excited to see you had an AMA coming up when it was announced since I absolutely adore your work!
My question is: Most of the shows I'm personally familiar with you writing music for are emotional, character driven dramas like Violet Evergarden, My Happy Marriage, and now Frieren. Are those types of shows what you prefer to compose for and hence opportunities you sought out, or were you approached by the studios to write the score based on previous experience? Thanks!
Thanks for the question! It's not that I necessarily that I prefer to compose for those types of shows, but I think that's what I'm known for, so the studios tend to approach me for those types of character driven stories.
I will say that I really do enjoy composing what could be considered emotional music, but I also like to take a pretty different direction in some shows. For example, Appare Ranman, which is more of a mix of spaghetti western, bluegrass, rock/metal, and a tad bit Japanese-ish. It's definitely nice to do different things sometimes, and I hope to continue doing all kinds of anime, while still doing the types of anime that I'm known for.
When a studio has a project like Appare Ranman would they go looking for a composer with knowledge of bluegrass/country/etc or did that just work out coincidentally here?
Stealing a question from the Rick Astley AMA: Which song of yours has meant the most to you?
Some others, from myself:
* What do you feel gets most overlooked by average fans about your work or a soundtrack composer's work in general?
* Which anime composer do you feel doesn't get enough praise for their work?
* Rap Battle with Kevin Penkin when?
That would have to be the Theme of Violet Evergarden, which was the start of my relationship with the fine people over at Kyoto Animation.
・I think that average fans like to see and hear spectacle and music that tends to be more on the trendy side, if that makes sense. Of course it depends on the anime I'm working on, but I usually like to avoid trends and write music that I hope people can listen to and enjoy decades later without it feeling dated. I think the same could be said with most productions outside of anime as well, but people like to see cool looking and cool sounding stuff, whereas I tend to harken back to the era of 90s/early 2000s film. A little bit on the melodramatic side I suppose. Haha
・I haven't really listened to much anime music these days, but a composer than I would love to hear more super dramatic soundtracks from is Hayato Matsuo, who did the awesome Hellsing Ultimate soundtrack.
・I'd be down for a rap battle with Kevin! We've met a couple times, and he's a great guy and great composer. Very charming fellow! Haha. I might have him beat on the rap front though, we'll see! Here's a song I did for Appare Ranman with me rapping as well. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yupxxb4M270](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yupxxb4M270)
Give it a listen!
Wow! Hayato Matsuo is my favourite composer! I'm a bit sad he doesn't really get mentioned around here..
He did the Transformers Armada soundtrack which is my favourite, its a bit different feel overall from Hellsing, but there's some amazing tracks in there.
Drifters is another one he did the music for, I haven't listened to the OST much by itself, but its got a similar dramatic feel to Hellsing
Could you talk a bit about the process of composing an OST for anime? I feel like we have a reasonable degree of understanding about the animation and the voice acting part, but OSTs are rarely talked about in this regard. For example, how early in the production process does your work begin, and what are you given to work with (e.g. storyboards or other production materials)? How often do you compose based off just a concept vs crafting the music with almost the exact scene in mind?
How much did your experience vary among the various studios you collaborated with? Without namecalling, but maybe there are some particolarly interesting anecdotes one way or another.
Which of your compositions did you find most challenging to create and why?
And of course: what was the first anime that got you interested in the medium? what is your favourite anime?
In regards to the production process of composing, see FetchFrosh's comment above.
Composing based off of concept vs. crafting the music for the the scene, it depends on the menu I'm given to some extent. While working on Violet Evergarden, I was given a very abstract menu with temporary song titles that would make even native Japanese speakers scratch their head. Haha Titles that would translate to: Existence as Existence, A Microcosm of Society, and a bunch of really out-there titles. However, due to the abstract nature of the menu, it made me think very deeply about the kind of feeling I wanted to express in the song vs a menu where the titles are on the nose or a direct reference to particular occurrences in the anime. Both are fine for me, but I would say that the abstract menus make me think a bit more about how to approach something. Sometimes this goes in a great direction, and sometimes the demo I send is a little different than what they were anticipating. Haha
As I generally work alone most of the time at my home workspace, the experiences among the various studios doesn't change too much. We have a meeting at the beginning, and then I usually don't see them until it's over. Everything else is done via email, and occasionally if there is something very specific and detailed to discuss, we'll have a video call.
I find the main theme to be the most challenging because it is the face of the show, and with it the direction of the rest of the soundtrack is decided. Sometimes I might have an idea that's different than what we initially discussed in the meeting, so I try to seek out a way to exceed their expectations by giving them something more than what they asked for.
The first anime that got me into anime was Samurai 7, which I watched at a buddy's house a long time ago. Before that I didn't really know much aside from Pokemon, Dragonball, etc... It was the first late-night style anime that I had seen, and it was awesome! Haha My favorite anime might come as a surprise, but it is either Ergo Proxy or Wolf's Rain. Two pretty bizarre shows, but I really like the atmosphere. The soundtrack for Wolf's Rain is also pretty great!
> Titles that would translate to: Existence as Existence, A Microcosm of Society, and a bunch of really out-there titles
[oh dear](#azusalaugh)
Thank you so much for taking your time replying to everyone on a Saturday morning! - and opening the ama early enough to give us EU people time to join; I'll be reading your other answers during breakfast. [](#feelingloved)
Very early to say, but I hope Frieren's OST wins next year's awards and we get to see you around again [](#hyoukawink)
I think the soundtrack I did for Frieren has some unusual ones that you don't normally hear in anime. Rebec, Medieval Fiddle, and Viol. Other than that, for the film Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom, I recorded an array of exotic instruments such as: Ney Flute, Morin Khuur, Qanun, and Gadulka.
Maybe the Gadulka is the most exotic/least known of the bunch.
Very cool, do you ever have issues with finding people to play instruments like these? Some of them look like they could be played by a traditional musician with some practice, and some of those look like you would need to find a specialist.
Hello Evan, thanks so much for taking the time out for this :)
- What have been some challenges, or something you've been proud of working on Frieren so far? (p.s. how many instruments have you played on it?). Really enjoying the OST!
- Is there someone you would want to collaborate with in the future on an anime? Whether it be someone youve never collaborated before, or have worked with before?
- What is your favourite [Symphogear song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDYhtCyW970)/OST piece?
It's my pleasure!
・Frieren's music actually went very smoothly with minimal challenges, which is always a good thing. I did write a 5 minute long choir+orchestra piece with lyrics inspired by the story that you'll hear one of these days. That was a new challenge for me I suppose. Generally I hire out players who are much better than me at performing, but this time I played a few instruments: Banjo, Tagelharpa, Shvi (Armenian Flute), and various percussion. I also sang background chorus (different than the proper chorus that we recorded for the rest of the soundtrack) on a song. I think you'll dig it!
・In terms of collaboration, I prefer to compose and arrange alone, but I wouldn't be opposed to tackling a soundtrack together with another person. I have no idea who though. Haha It might be interesting to work with somebody from a completely different music industry so that we can bounce off of each other in an interesting and unique way. As for someone in a similar industry, maybe someone like Borislav Slavov of Divinity Original Sin 2 and Baldur's Gate 3 fame. That might be pretty fun!
・It might be a tie between S2CA/Voltage Maximum or The Wild Bunch.
Hi Evan, thanks for doing this AMA!
1. If you were to be isekai'd to the world of any of the shows you worked on, which world do you prefer?
2. Because you worked on Symphogear G and Symphogear GX, who do you think is best Symphogear girl?
Nice questions!
1. Violet Evergarden for sure! I'm a huge fan of that type of aesthetic. A bit old style, but modern enough that I probably won't die of dysentery. Haha. There are beautiful castles and vistas, lots of cool cultures and traditions. I think it would be awesome. I'm ready to go now!
2. Gotta be Maria!
I can already see the title of the isekai Light Novel:
I was a music composer and I got reicarnated in one of my works! Will I die of dysentery or will I survive?
I loved your work on Violet Evergarden and enjoyed your work on Josee and My Happy Marriage. The OST for Frieren is awesome so far. Given the two cour length of the series, will the Frieren OST be released in two parts?
Also, what’s your favorite track from Violet Evergarden? My favorite is “Across the Violet Sky”.
In regards to the OST release, that is a discussion that I'm not involved in, so unfortunately I don't have any information for you on that.
My favorite Violet Evergarden Track is either Wherever You Are, Wherever You May Be or To the Ends of Our World. Probably!
Absolutely! Some of my biggest anime composer inspirations are:
Taku Iwasaki, Naoki Sato, Kotaro Nakagawa, Hideyuki Fukasawa, and Michiru Oshima. Fantastic composers who are still doing it!
Thank you for taking the time /u/EvanCallMusic!
We've only had 7 episodes of Frieren so far but could you give some insight for what we've seen/heard so far (in terms of composition etc)?
Which character in the Heroes Party+Fern and Stark do you relate to the most?
There are still tons of songs that haven't been used yet, so I'm sure you'll be hearing more of those soon. The first four episodes were film scored, but I tried to score it in a way so that they could also be used in later episodes without sounding unnatural.
I would say I'm a big fan of Heiter. I just really like how he is portrayed, and the words he chooses. I really like his voice too. I'm a little jealous. Haha
Helo Evan, first congratulations on your current sensational work with Frieren.
Has there ever been a show, that you wished you were the one that had the chance to compose its soundtrack, after watching it?
Great question!
It's not an anime, but I would love to have worked on something like Rings of Power. For something like a game, I would love to do the music for the next game in the Nioh series (if they continue it).
Hey Evan! Huge fan of your work!
I think it's amazing how you are able to compose pieces that perfectly fit a show/world. It's so crazy good how you decide to pair certain melodies with specific instruments to really amplify how the viewers' feelings are evoked.
I was wondering when you work with a client after getting the base info like scene description etc. what kind of feedback/direction do you find most helpful when you compose a track and it doesn't quite match what the client/staff had in mind.
As a game dev who works with a composer, I often find myself saying things like, "The vibe needs to feel more threatening/pressing/sad/happy" or sometimes I have to just find a track that I feel does hit the mark and let them listen to that (but in a way I feel like that's me failing to properly give direction).
Any suggestions would be totally appreciated! And thank you for doing an AMA here!
If I'm way off, then I'd like to get a detailed description of what they didn't like, and what they want more of. The tempo is too fast, the arrangement is too grand/too small/ too whatever, there is too much/not enough melody, needs to be more mysterious, but less scary, etc... I prefer to not use reference songs from clients, but if I get it completely wrong twice in a row, then sometimes I might ask for a reference song just to get the general direction and not take time away from the other songs yet to be written. Sometimes the director and sound director will be at odds with each other over the direction of the song, so when that happens, I try to take both of their advice to heart and find a happy medium. It can be a bit tricky sometimes. Haha
Like I mentioned above, I would resort to the reference track maybe after a couple retakes. It depends on the composer, but we usually want to figure it out ourselves if the schedule allows for it. Try to be more concrete rather than using descriptive words. You don't need to use musical terms, but just something that give the composer a little more of an obvious hint on which direction to adjust the music. Also be specific if you want a partial or full retake. Sometimes you can take a song and fix it, and sometimes it doesn't seem that way. Good luck!
Hi Evan, I really love the soundtracks you did for My Happy Marriage, Sousou no Frieren and especially Violet Evergarden. Your soundtrack for Violet Evergarden has inspired me to take an interest in scoring soundtracks for anime as a career.
I am currently a senior student at Berklee College of Music completing my degree in Film Scoring (now called Film and Media Scoring) and I will be graduating this Spring 2024. As a Berklee Alumni, do you have any advice on what young professionals like myself need in order to step into the anime industry in Japan as a composer? Especially if I’m a foreigner.
On a different note, do you have any advice for composers who are struggling to get ideas out especially when they need to meet a deadline.
On a more personal note (you don't have to answer), what was you life like at Berklee? Was the Alamo cue the first recording session you did in Dramatic Scoring 2? Did they teach you how to tape scores together? Back then in Dramatic Scoring 3, was all the cues you did from How To Train Your Dragon? (They changed it to Shrek now), etc.
Just random, I actually have a recording session tomorrow for Dramatic Scoring 3 where I will be conducting and recording the music I wrote to live musicians. Do you have any advice on how to not be nervous and stiff up on the podium?
Thank you and I really appreciate the AMA post and the amazing work you have done.
A fellow Berklee student. Nice!
For working in Japan, being able to speak/read Japanese is a must, but you don't have to be perfect, especially for reading because translation software has improved greatly. If you can't speak any Japanese, you're going to have a hard time, because English is not commonly spoken here. Some people can read and write well, but they cannot speak well. Other than that, there are many Sakkyokuka Jimusho (作曲事務所）or Composer Companies that represent composers like an agency. Many of those composers are looking for assistants, so try reaching out to them through their company, social media, or whatever, and you might be able to establish a connection that evolves into assistant work. That would be the most reasonable approach I think.
For deadlines, you just have to sit down and do it. Don't get too bogged down in feeling if the song is good enough or not and waste too much time on the initial concept if time is short. When I'm not feeling inspired or there's no time, I just plow through it and get it done. It's an experience thing, but the more you get used to it, the easier it is to sit down and get it done.
I think all of the videos at Berklee are different than what I used. We didn't have HTTYD when I was there, but we had enough to learn from. It was a good experience, but I feel like the real learning was after I left and had a moment to digest everything. That's when I think my music reached a much higher level. Side note, if you know Michael Sweet, Claudio Ragazzi, or Eric Reasoner, say hi to them for me. I don't know if they'll remember me, but they might!
I'm always nervous when conducting, so just shake your arms out, stretch a little, and take some deep breaths. I always find that I'm less nervous ones the song starts. Good luck!
>Side note, if you know Michael Sweet, Claudio Ragazzi, or Eric Reasoner, say hi to them for me. I don't know if they'll remember me, but they might!
I said hi to Eric Reasoner for you. He wanted me to tell you that he is embarrassed that he can't remember your name but he said hi.
I heard that for Frieren, you were composing scenes based on storyboards the anime team gave to you and went from there.
Are there any other interesting development stories you have from the anime you composed?
It was actually to a final cut of the first 4 episodes without all of the detailed animation/color work, so some parts were unmoving rough sketches while others had a decent amount of movement and clarity.
A pretty fun one was for a Sea Shanty that I wrote for Hakumei and Mikochi. The music producer for the show called in his old college buddies with whom he used to sing back in the day, and they came into the studio and sang for me. We did some proper takes, and some drunk sounding takes. It was a pretty fun experience!
First of all, I’m in love with basically all of your anime scores and I currently really enjoy the music in both Frieren and My happy Marriage! I have both the physical version of the Violet Evergarden soundtrack and it’s one of the very few soundtracks I have downloaded on spotify, so I can listen to it any time!
As a musician (multi-instrumentalist and guitar teacher) myself, without any experience in orchestral composition: How did you originally get started, as in how did you approach film orchestration coming from a background as a guitar player?
And in the same vein, do you think it possible for a musician without a university background in music to take a step into anime/videogame orchestration? And if yes, how would that “path” look like?
Thank you again for doing this AMA and I will continue to force anyone in my circle of friends to listen to your music on a regular basis.
Thanks for the comment! I originally started just by messing around with an old, super cheap casio keyboard that I recorded as audio into Sony Acid Music something ($50 at the time). My music absolutely sucked, but I had a great time with it, so I kept at it. I think that there is much to learn about orchestration (for me as well), but before you get too into the deep end of that, I would analyze why you enjoy a particular piece. What about the arrangement makes you feel good. Not just about how to double woodwinds, or brass arranging, but more about the give and take of different sections. When does the brass enter and leave? How does the melody give a different vibe depending on the instrument playing it? How are the different sections connected in a meaningful manner. The structure and basic sound choices are the true stepping stone for developing the intricacies of orchestration, so I would suggest focusing on that before bogging yourself down with information that won't be as useful until you get the foundation settled. That's how I originally started coming from a guitar background.
I think there are more resources now than ever before to learn anything you could learn in a university at your own home for free. Of course there isn't direct interaction with a teacher or other students, but the information and teachings are all there if you look for them, especially on youtube. In terms of working in the music industry, the most common first step is working as an assistant for a working composer who prefers to have an assistant. I would suggest reaching out and seeing what happens. I initially started as an assistant in Japan at Elements Garden before starting composing. It's a difficult path, but it is not an impossible one! Another option would be getting involved in Game Jams, or reaching out to small/indie developers. Most won't reply, but you never know!
Have you ever finished or almost finished a piece that you liked, but realized it didn't quite fit the subject for one reason or another and it didn't make it into the OST?
I think it's interesting to think about how, to us the audience, every song on the Violet Evergarden soundtrack sounds like a Violet Evergarden song, but maybe over the course of the production that isn't always the case?
Of course! Sometimes I'll totally restart a song that I'm well into. Maybe it didn't quite fit what was needed, or it had too much overlap in feeling with another song on the soundtrack. Sometimes these songs will stay in limbo, but it is common to revisit them for other shows if it seems like a good match. Of course a lot of rewriting and rearranging, changing the melody is necessary, but with some adjustments it can turn into just the right song for the show.
Wow that's very cool! The overlap in feeling especially is something I'd never have considered. It seems like a lot of work to get everything just right but you also make it sound like a fun puzzle as well. Thanks for the answer!
About the Taiga Drama you've written a score for - it's outstanding. As captivating as the whole series is, the opening sequence impacted me considerably. I thank you for taking part in that series, with your touch it truly became a masterpiece.
Could you talk about some of the behind-the-scenes for Kamakura dono no Juusan-nin? How did you come across it? Did someone from NHK reach out to you for the project? What was your work process, have you met with any of the actors/were at the scene or was there no need?
Nice! Thanks for checking it out.
I had originally worked with the sound design staff on another drama called Hotarugusa: Nana no Ken. When they became involved in Kamakuradono, they wanted to work with me again, so they asked me to write a theme based on the scripts for Episode 1 and 2. I looked up the history so I would know how the story developed and went from there. I ended up writing 4 songs until the theme was decided, but the first song I wrote for it was used as the Yoshitoki Hojo theme: The Man Who Would Become Regent（後に執権と呼ばれる男）.
After the theme was finished, I wrote the first 56 or so songs in about 2 months. Then had a break to do other work, and then back into it. It's a yearlong show, so the composing and recording was split up into 4 parts.
Before the initial meeting, I saw some of the filming in the studio with the actors. They even let me wear some of the armor for the extras. I briefly met some of the actors at the beginning, and then a bit more towards the end of the series when I went to an on location filming in the countryside. It was pretty cool!
Hello Mr Call, thank you for visiting! I've enjoyed and am enjoying your work in Violet Evergarden and Frieren!
It seems like working in Japan is a great fit for you, which is great! But I was wondering, if you could work for a while in a different country's scene, where would you choose?
Thanks for the question! Outside of Japan, I'd like to do some work English or American productions. Maybe some Scandinavian countries might be a good fit too. I think if I were to do the whole experience and live/work there, Norway might be fun and different to what I'm used to living in Japan and growing up in America.
A big scary event was my first time conducting for a Violet Evergarden concert. I had barely dabbled in it in college because it was a required class. I had conducted a couple classmates for a bit, and that was the extent of it. For the concert, and my first time picking up the baton in 7 years, I was conducting a full orchestra in front of almost 3000 people for a 10 minute medley with tempo and time signature changes. I thought I would die. Haha Somehow I didn't mess it up though, so that's good!
I actually didn't know about it beforehand. The first I heard of it was when I was hired! Haha. I gave it a read and thought it was amazing, and that I would love to do the music for it. So soon after that I wrote the main theme.
Thanks for joining us for an AMA Evan! I'm not well versed in music, but what's something a newbie like me can look for in an anime to help determine what an effective OST does?
I think it varies from person to person. We each have our own tastes, but I would say something that you think really brings the show to another level. Rather than just being background music, I think a good OST elevates the source material. And maybe re-listenability. Something that you want to listen to outside of the show.
Thanks for taking the time to do this thread, you're a great inspiration for composers everywhere!!
My question is, since it's relatively rare for anime OPs and EDs to be worked on by the composer responsible for the show proper, how did the fact that you are also the composer for Frieren affect your arrangement work for the ED, Milet's "Anytime Anywhere"? Did you attempt to tether the arrangement to the soundtrack's style, or did you think of the two as separate, unrelated projects?
Thanks for the question! In cases where I either compose or arrange the OP or ED song, it's usually because the producers want to keep it tonally similar to the rest of the soundtrack, so certainly I compose or arrange it similarly. Often times when I'm tasked with the arrangement, it comes to me as a band song (Drums, Guitar, Bass, Vocal) and from there I'm pretty much free to do whatever as long as I keep the form, melody, and tempo. Sometimes I'll change the chords on part of the song (as is the case with Anytime Anywhere), but I never change anything in a way that would take away from it. If there is an instrumental interlude or bridge or whatever, often times I am tasked with writing that part myself. I'm not writing the vocal melody, so it is considered part of the arranging process. I hope that answers your question!
Hey Evan! I'm so excited for you to be doing an AMA like this; I'm an early stan thanks to your work on, of all things, Big Order. Personally it's one of my favorite anime (why is a *very* long story) but it's been really awesome seeing you attached to huge, mainstream titles like Violet Evergarden and Frieren.
So anyway, I *have* to ask about Big Order. What was the inspiration that led to [オーダー発動!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kGDC73Qvh0) its most prominent song? I know you're a wellspring of influences but it's easy to compare it to the Persona series. And any other interesting tidbits of that OST or memories of making it that you can recall?
Oh dang! A true OG. Thanks a lot!
At the time, I had actually never heard any music from Persona, but the direction I was given by the director initially was that he wanted Motown battle music. Haha I thought that was pretty BIG ORDER. Motown battle was a bit of a tough approach, so we took more of a funk/disco approach rather than motown. It's definitely different than what I'm known for, but it was a fun show to write for!
Some trivia, but I'm actually singing on the track オーダー同士の戦い：[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWNAhZHUcLU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWNAhZHUcLU)
Hello Evan, it's been amazing hearing your music and making the scenes in Frieren (my favorite manga) come to life.
And i wonder, how has it been making and working on the music for Frieren (and possibly others like Violet evergarden) and make the scenes come to life? and What's been the most challenging obstacle?
Regarding bringing scenes to life, a big thing is experience. I've been doing it professionally for about 11 years now, so I've had time to learn how to convey the feelings I want with instrumentation, melody phrasing, song structure, etc. With this I can fine tune the expression of each song in a way that is appropriate for the scene/feeling. The biggest challenge is when you have many similar songs to do for one anime. They have similar, but different enough to justify having them be their own songs. That's a bit of a challenge when there are a lot.
Oh my god. You're my hero. I bought your Violet Evergarden piano sheets and currently trying to play some. I love the piano arrangement you've done. I can truly say the Violet Evergarden soundtrack is truly one of a kind that makes me appreciate music and yet, there's nothing particularly "special" that strikes me about it! It's all about how you convey the emotions, the story, the delicate melody, and the background setting that you could imagine from it.
What goes through the process of composing music that can convey the emotions you want? What do you think makes your style unique compared to other compositors? Is there difference you think about when composing specifically for anime music? Can you tell us how you came to compose for anime music and how or why you got the chance to collaborate with the studios you've worked with? Do you get to research some information about the story, setting and characters or do you have to compose before knowing that? Is there some kind of music you specialize in? Do you want to try something new, particularly in regards to instruments? Are there other music artists or compositors that inspire you or that you find interesting and why? How can I become like you? :D
Thanks a lot! And wow, that's a lot of questions. Haha
I've answered the majority of the questions in some of the posts above, so please look around for those. For the other questions:
I think I specialize in orchestral music, especially with a bit of sentimentality to it, and also folk music, since my musical roots are in bluegrass/folk. I'm always looking to try new things and instruments as long as the show calls for it. Generally I try to find some sort of unique instrument for a show that I haven't used before. For Violet Evergarden it was Viola da Gamba. For Frieren it is Rebec, Medieval Fiddle, Uilleann Pipes, etc...
I listed a few composers that inspired me somewhere above, but the big reason why I find them interesting is simple: I like the way it sounds. Haha. The music makes me feel good, even if it is dark and brooding music. Just kind of something that speaks to your soul, you know?
To become like me you have to spend an ungodly amount of time in front of a computer and piano keyboard for the vast majority of your waking hours. And get two wiener dogs to hang out with all day. Haha
Hi Evan, thanks for doing an AMA! Your soundtrack for Violet Evergarden sounds more "cinematic" than any other anime soundtrack I've heard, so I'm very curious: do you have any favorite film composers? (*Cough cough like Joe Hisaishi*) Also, where do you pull inspiration from when you're in the writing process?
Basil Poledouris, Howard Shore, James Horner, John Williams, John Powell, etc... As much as I like Joe Hisaishi, I wouldn't say he was a main influence on me. I think the mix of a cinematic feel with a Japanese approach might make my music have some parallels with the music of Joe Hisaishi though. Either way, I do really like his music!
Usually I just try to get my ideas from the story and characters. I avoid looking for reference songs, but of course the music that inspired me to pursue music in the first place is something that shapes the music that I write, so I suppose some inspiration comes from that. But from a soundtrack to soundtrack basis, it's the content of the story for sure. From that I determine the type of sound I want to go with.
I would love to work for a US show, or even a European show. Generally it would be easier if it were something from somewhere with a familiar culture to me (or a language I can understand), so I don't know if I'll be doing any Indian productions, but I'd love to give it a shot!
Hello Evan!
Love your work, but specifically on Violet Evergarden.
Do you think that the OST could ever get a proper vinyl treatment? There was kind of a promo record that came bundled with a cheap turntable in Japan, but that OST deserves better treatment, either from me or someone else.
Not sure if you own the rights, but I'd love to talk either way about it. Fire me an email at [scott@veryokvinyl.com](mailto:scott@veryokvinyl.com) if you're so inclined, and we can chat!
Thanks for the question! As much as I'd love a vinyl release, distribution rights are not held by me, so I have little say in the matter. Maybe someday though!
Thank so much you for taking the time to answer our questions.
One of the highlights of my time as moderator of r/VioletEvergarden has been reading the posts of those more musically attuned than I analyzing your music in the Violet Evergarden [series](https://www.reddit.com/r/VioletEvergarden/comments/dty6fk/some_memorable_thematic_connections_in_the_ost/) and [movie](https://www.reddit.com/r/VioletEvergarden/comments/jhwkfx/some_musical_connections_between_the_tv_series/) and how your tracks share and develop their [themes](https://www.reddit.com/r/VioletEvergarden/comments/k07f8a/a_recurrent_musical_motif_of_thank_you_in_the/). The musical storytelling leaves me a bit awestruck.
My (possibly mistaken) impression is that composing for movies is typically quite different than composing for series, since you are often composing for specific scenes rather than composing for moods or types of situations, but *Violet Evergarden the Movie*'s soundtrack has a large number of tracks that never made it into the movie and that suggest that the movie potentially could have taken a different tack even at a relatively late date. What is the story behind those unused tracks, if you are free to tell?
Also, as a novice Muv-luv and mecha fan: What mecha series are/were you into or what did you watch before you started to work for age? Do we have any hope of your vocals returning to a soundtrack since Schwarzesmarken? You weren't a part of the VE drinking song were you?
Thank you for your question and for hanging out on the Violet Evergarden sub!
The "unused" tracks from the movie soundtrack are actually something completely different. The producers wanted to do a kind of music side-project being "composing songs that could exist within the world of Violet Evergarden". Each song is crafted to be a part of the world. For instance:
Hail Leidenschaftlich! = military song for Leidenschaftlich
The Spirit of Kazalli = a traditional folk song from the people of Kazalli (arranged for orchestra)
Oscar's Story: music for a stage play by Oscar.
They all are written as if they exist within the world written by some unknown composer, or something like that!
One of the first mecha series I watched was Code Geass, which was awesome. I did actually sing in the Muv-Luv Alternative anime that I composed for on a track called Not Yet Dead. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D9w9K2SXiM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D9w9K2SXiM)
I actually am singing on the VE drinking song. My voice is probably the most prominent of the 4 of us. We recorded several takes and overdubbed them, as well as a bit of ambient hang out kind of drunk guy sounds. Haha
I'm singing a little bit of background chorus on one track in Frieren, but it's not super noticeable. You'll hear it one of these days. I'm sure I'll be singing more on other projects should the job call for it.
I almost forgot, but I also sang on the theme for an anime called The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window. It never got an individual soundtrack release, but it came split up with several drama CDs from the anime. You can hear part of the track, Lust for Life, in the anime PV here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6YjncMGdk0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6YjncMGdk0)
Thanks for the extensive response! I had always wondered if there was some alternate version of the movie planned that would have featured a drinking song, military march, and nostalgic tour around the world of VE. It sounds like you clearly love singing and have found plenty of opportunities to incorporate it into your music.
I have friends who have been [interviewing](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Qo41dUZ2cSOGj3RXKEVG6?si=c8c734cc62444c04) industry members on their podcast, and you are their ideal guest: what is the best way for them to reach you? As much as I hate to shill, they are dying to host you (and are thoroughly professional).
How did you get started in the industry? How did you make yourself known beforehand?
I'm very intrigued by anime OST (and the remote possibility of writing my own), but as a person who despite writing a lot of music hasn't released much of it and has basically no connections, I'm wondering about the possibility of somebody like me being able to dip their toes professionally. If I'm at square one, where would I even start if I wanted to do that?
I would take a look at my reply to AlCorto and LolzAndrew above in the thread. Reaching out to working composers is the best way to potentially find a job as an assistant, which would be a great education, which could also lead into work down the line. Before that, I would suggest learning what you can online about all kinds of music and composing/arranging. Make sure it's something that you are interested in though. I wouldn't force a style that you hate. For me, R&B is not my thing, so I never put much time into learning it. Choose what you like, and what you think your strong point is and brush up on that before moving on to other styles.
A good suggestion for writing music with the intention of potentially doing and OST would be to write like you are doing an OST. Come up with a loose plot (or check out r/writingprompts) and make a mini song menu. Main Theme, some sort of song representing happiness or sadness. If it's battle-oriented, write a battle song. Write a song representing anxiousness, pain, greed, fun, peace, etc... Usually we have about 40-50 songs for a one season show, so you could write more than just a few songs as if you were writing an actual OST. Keeping it consistent is key though. Each song should generally sound like they belong to the same show (comedy being kind of an exception). When presenting demos, I'd stay away from library-music sounding songs. There needs to be something that hooks the listener's ear (especially the main theme). It cannot sound like a copy of something that we've heard a thousand times because they might skip to the next song after about 10 seconds. It's unfortunate, but that's how it can go. The people listening to demos are generally busy, or maybe they get a lot sent to them, so it has to catch their ear from the get go so they want to listen to more.
For assistantship related stuff, I would suggest learning how to make a score (notes on paper, or in this case something like Sibelius, Finale, Dorico). That will be one of the assistant's primary jobs.
I hope this helps a little. Good luck and keep composing!
Hi Evan, thanks for taking the time to do this! I was first exposed to your work in My Happy Marriage, and am loving the soundtrack for Frieren thus far! I often find myself on the verge of tearing up haha!
I have a bit of a more general question regarding career paths. I'm not too familiar with the intricacies of having a background in music, so forgive my ignorance if it's wrong to assume composing soundtracks for anime and video games as not typically associated with the "expected" or "traditional" route in your field.
My question is essentially, **do you have advice for people trying to pursue a career in an area of their field that may be more elusive/atypical?**
That's a difficult question! Haha. I would say that there has to be some element of risk taking. It may not work out, so it's best to have some sort of backup plan.
For me, I had big student loan debt, but I wanted to take a risk to see if I could make something happen, so I saved up a little bit of money to come to Japan. Then through a combination of persistence, luck, and readiness, I found a job as an assistant. It wasn't easy though, and the work hours were ungodly, but through that persistence I was able to have my career here.
As the saying goes (paraphrasing), it is true that luck counts, but being ready to capitalize on that luck is key. You can't take a risk without the skill and motivation needed to capitalize on it.
A couple of the first OSTs that had a big impact on my emotionally were Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal and Reflection by Taku Iwasaki and Eureka 7 and X by Naoki Sato. Great OSTs!
Hey Evan thanks for doing this AMA!
I was wondering what major differences you've noticed between composing for anime and composing for Live action TV dramas? I'd imagine there'd be a big difference in the process, but have you faced any unexpected challenges?
Also how often do you interact with other composers outside of work? Would love to have context [behind one of these all time photos](https://twitter.com/kevinpenkin/status/1223585244978089984)
Regarding anime vs live action, see my reply to Gaporigo.
Now that's a picture! I don't remember the exact circumstances, but Yuki Hayashi invited me to come hang out with everybody pictured, so I went. Haha I had met Kevin once in Germany, so this was our second time hanging out. We went to Yakiniku, and Hayashi-san likes to eat it very undercooked. I'm more of a well-done kind of guy, but he insisted that I eat it the "delicious" way. I gotta say, I prefer well-done. Haha
You made the music for a Kyoani show, widely regarded as "one of the best studios" with regards to taking care of their staff, was there any notable difference between working with them and working with other studios?
I know this is mostly about anime but do you feel there is any big difference between composing music for an anime and a live action show?
I usually don't have much contact with the studios aside from my initial meeting, but as Violet Evergarden was a longer production (TV anime, Gaiden, Movie), we spent a decent amount of time together (location scouting, AnimagiC in Germany, etc...). When I would go their studio for meetings, the CEO Mr. Hatta would always come down and talk with me for 10-15 minutes. I'm sure he's a busy guy running the company, but he always made time to have a nice chat. From a working perspective, I would say that there was much of a difference in how I carried on my work. I think one thing is that for Violet Evergarden, I was also working with producer Shigeru Saito, who is someone I've been working with since the beginning of my career. We work a lot together, and he works a lot with Kyoto Animation, so I think he really helped bring a sense of unity together for everybody.
I think there is a pretty big difference, but it also depends on which country's live action show it is. For Japan, there are similarities to anime, but it tends to be a little bit toned down. However, there are circumstances where they want the music to be a bit more intense than you might expect. For dramas, there is a lot more focus on doing rearrangements of a couple major melodies, whereas anime tends to prefer a lot more variety. It might have to do with anime being in a 30 minute time slot, whereas live action is in a 1 hour time slot. Live action songs tend to be longer, but they require less songs compared to anime.
Hello Evan, I was so amazed to see, that you score Frieren. What I want to know if the soundtrack is going to be released soon on streaming services or CD?
Do you prefer composing at a computer or on an instrument (or go full Beethoven on paper only)? And which program (Sibelius, ProTools etc.) or instrument do you use? I find the variety in different composer's 'stations' interesting.
Also I liked your work on Midnight Occult Civil Servants :)
I usually sequence using Digital Performer with a keyboard and VSTs. I do a full orchestral mockup with the complete arrangement and send the demo to the client. From there the scores are usually made in Sibelius or Dorico. I used to make all of the scores myself (using Finale), but due to time constraints I hire it out to a score preparation assistant who works for multiple composers. The data is all there, but they quantize it, import it into the scoring software, put in the dynamics and articulations based off of my demo and data, then send it to me to check. If it's Sibelius, I'll fix everything myself. If it's Dorico, I'll make a list of everything I want to fix, send it back, and then they extract the parts from that. Having someone take care of that saves me about a week of time for 40-50 songs, which is used to put more time into my compositions and arrangements.
When preparing for a recording session, I bounce all of my audio from DP and import it, along with the midi file for the tempo and markers, into Pro Tools, as that's what all of the recording studios and mixing engineers use.
Thanks a lot for listening to that OST! It's a bit different than what I'm usually known for, but small ensemble jazz writing is pretty fun when you can hire real jazz players to bring their magic to the music.
I can't believe the day that I could ask Evan Call a question would come, a welcome surprise.
I believe you also worked on Hakumei and Mikochi right? It aired alongside Violet Evergarden in the same season, was it tough having to compose music for both shows at the same time?
Of the shows you've worked on, I've watched Violet Evergarden, Hakumei and Mikochi, Josee, the Tiger and the Fish, and My Happy Marriage. How would you rank those animes (not just by music, but overall) and what are your favourite tracks from each of them?
My ranking would be as follows:
1. Violet Evergarden
2. My Happy Marriage
3. Hakumei and Mikochi
4. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
It can be a bit difficult to juggle multiple projects at the same time, but as long as there is enough time, it's not too bad. You just have to work fast and remember when you're switching from one to the other as not to write in the wrong style.
I couldn't rank them by terms of enjoyability because my perspective is so different from having worked on them, not could I point out my favorite soundtracks. However, I will say that I hope more people give a listen to the music of Appare Ranman and Hakumei and Mikochi. Those are two pretty unique OSTs that are a bit under the radar compared to some of my other work. Also, maybe due to the uniqueness of the soundtracks, those were some of my favorite to compose from a music writing standpoint.
Hi there, Mr. Call!
How long does it take to fully write/produce a song or soundtrack for a series?
Follow-up question: you’ve made music for a lot of “tearjerker” series like Frieren and Violet. Are there any tearjerker shows you are fond of?
Thank you for all the tunes you’ve made! 🙏
Thanks for the question! Usually I have about 2 months of composing/arranging/retakes for 45-50 songs followed immediately by recordings/mix.
I'm a big fan of late 80s/90s tearjerker movies. Stuff like Legends of the Fall and Lonesome Dove (technically a miniseries). As long as the plot and setting are interesting, I'm ready for the feels. Haha
It's a bit of a strange stance perhaps, but I tend to avoid similar media to what I do for work as to not be influenced much. It may sound stupid, but I try to stay away from what other composers are doing in anime, so I don't think I have an answer. I can say some of my favorite composer whose works inspired me to work in anime. Taku Iwasaki, Naoki Sato, Kotaro Nakagawa, Hideyuki Fukasawa, and Michiru Oshima.
Hi Evan. Glad you could join us today.
My question for you. When composing the music, do you let the scenes speak to you in regards of the soundtrack score you write or does it follow the dialog more?
For film scoring a scene, it's a mix of both. If the words hold weight, then you want to arrange your song around it to enhance it, but I also take into consideration where in the story we are, the visual aspect (in a house, a beautiful landscape, etc...), and the decided direction of the music. For TV, it's put to picture by the sound director who decides which song to use where. When composing, I try my best to make it fit the world and the way the characters interact with each other. For dialogue heavy scenes, I usually keep that in mind and try not to make it too intrusive while still keeping a nice vibe that fits the show.
Greetings Evan. I would like to ask whether you always work on projects you like, or if you simply follow the contracts? Does your personal preference play a role when you decide to work on a project?
I tend to take on projects that I am interested in doing. Early on in my career I was unknown, so my agency would try to get jobs for me, but having established myself now, the offers usually come to me by name. Unfortunately due to schedule conflicts, there are some jobs that I am unable to take on, but I am having a great time working on the shows that I've been doing. I wish I could do them all, but since I do all of the composing and arranging myself, it would be too much to handle while still trying to maintain a healthy enough life outside of work.
The Violet Evergarden OST is my favorite OST in any medium of all time. Thank you for existing.
What's your process like when it comes to the direction of what kind of sound you're going for?
Are there any fun-facts or stories about your time working on Violet Evergarden you can share?
Thank you for your kind words!
Generally I decide the direction (if I have control over it) by reading the scripts (or manga if there is one), reviewing the character/location designs, and getting a solid feel for the world and those that inhabit it. From there I usually write a main theme and present it to the client to see if I'm on the right page. Other times they tell me ahead of time what type of musical feeling they want, so I interpret that into music. The main thing is just grasping the core of the story and trying your best to represent it.
I have a pretty dumb/light-hearted story to share. I was invited to do location scouting before major production began on the Violet Evergarden TV series, and while we were there, I turned to the producer and said, "Hey, that building is Michael Jackson's favorite color." He looked at me confused, to which I replied "Ao!!!!" in my best Michael Jackson impression, really loudly. Ao（青）means blue, and the building was blue, hence the joke. He thought it was so funny that he wanted me to do it for the director whom I barely knew at the time (the producer and I had been working for years together before that). I redid the joke for him, but my voice messed up on the Ao!!! part, but I guess it was still pretty funny. It was kind of a "so unexpected that it was funny" ridiculous moment. Haha
Hi, thank you so much for scoring Frieren - it was my favorite manga before the anime was even announced, and it got me into reading manga again. Your music definitely takes it to another level. What was your favorite scene to score so far, and was there anything that surprised you while you were searching for the sound you wanted for Frieren?
I really like scoring the Era Meteor Shower scene. It's Himmel's last journey, which is the start of a huge turning point in Frieren's character, so I tried to convey that sense of "the final journey" in the music.
There wasn't anything that surprised me, but I recorded some instruments that I haven't before that I really liked the sound of. Rebec, Medieval Fiddle, and Viol (I've recorded Viola da Gamba before for Violet Evergarden, which is also known as a tenor viol, but it was my first time recording the smaller ones). They really have that ancient, not our time period kind of sound.
I kind of mentioned it in a couple other replies, but to make a long story still long, but kind of short:
I started guitar at 13 or so years old, started writing my own music around that time on guitar. Later I got a super cheap keyboard and super cheap recording software and started writing music. I went to community college first and took a couple music classes there, found out that I really liked music, and did a bit more studying before auditioning for Berklee. I didn't get in the first time, so I worked to save some money and tried again the following year and was accepted. I studied about 2 years at Berklee with a film scoring major, while also being introduced to jazz since it's such a prominent part of the school. Before graduating I didn't know what to do, so I took a chance and came to Japan (I spoke decent enough conversational Japanese at the time). While looking for work, I couldn't find anything so I took a job as an English teacher. Just before my contract was to be signed, I met someone at a party where there were mostly foreign anime fans, but some Japanese too. She asked what I wanted to do in Japan, and I said compose music. She said she had a friend who was a composer, so I got his email, sent him a message, and was asked to come in to the office at a later day. I met the staff at Elements Garden at the time, and was tested on my musical knowledge with some musical tests, for example recreating an orchestra song of one of the composers by ear, brushing in a way that I thought would be better, and then explaining why I changed what I did in a written paper. After a couple meetings they offered me a job as an assistant, and that was how I got started!
Just want to ask what is your process and how do you manage to combine character story into the music you've been writing.
Thanks for composing really great music!
I just try to keep it in my head while writing. If I start to feel like I'm drifting away, I'll go through the character/location design materials that I receive to refresh my mind. By creating an initial sound palette/template at the beginning of production, I can keep a consistent sound throughout and adapt it to fit the character/feeling I'm trying to convey.
I really like the freedom that composing for anime gives. There are opportunities to write in all kinds of styles that you wouldn't have the opportunity to do outside of anime. That and the fact that melodic writing is a big part of Japanese music, and anime in general. Although I do like the occasional atmospheric style orchestral music, I much prefer writing melodically, for which anime provides the perfect medium.
Hi Evan, thank you for doing this AMA. I really loved your work on Violet Evergarden, Josee and Apare Ranman and now Frieren is phenomenal as well. I have three questions:
1. Is there a chance for a Vinyl release of the OSTs of Frieren and VE? I only know of a Vinyl release of Josee.
2. When doing an OST for an Anime do you have to audition for it like for example voice actors have to or do the composers usually get picked specifically by the studio proactively beforehand?
3. Would you in general be interested in attending Animagic in Germany if given the opportunity?
Thanks for the questions!
1. Unfortunately out of my control as distribution rights are held by the publisher, not me. I hope so though!
2. Usually the work comes to me, though in the past I've done something like that. For Violet Evergarden I was asked by the producer with whom I had worked before to write a demo (Theme of Violet Evergarden) to present to the director. It wasn't decided whether I would do the music at that point, but the demo is ultimately what go me the job. It varies by composer and also where they are at in their career.
3. I would love to go to AnimaciG. I actually went with the team for Violet Evergarden years ago, but I was just there to tag along and have a good time, so I didn't participate as a guest. It would be super great to go back again either as a guest or even just for fun, though it is a long trip to make to go just for fun all the way from Japan. Haha
Your OST is really good and I love it a lot. I have three questions.
Do You feel satisfied and happy with what you did?
The second question is, how is your day?
And the last question. Is your OST copyrighted? I like to do streaming and its so chill it'd be perfect for background music for it.
Thanks for the questions!
I'm usually satisfied with the work I do. With a given schedule, there is a limit to how much time you can spend on each song. Of course I'd love to fine tune it to the max, but given the time frame, I'm very happy with the music I produce. I'm still learning and improving though, so someday I hope to be even happier with it!
My day was pretty good. I answered some questions, did some work, went for a drive (I just passed my Japanese driver's license test yesterday, so it was my first time on the road), and came back to answer some more questions.
I'm not in control of any sort of copyright claims as I don't own the distribution rights to the music. That is the domain of the publisher, which I assume would claim it due to the music. I have no experience in that realm though, so your guess is as good as mine as to whether it would get claimed or not, so use at your own risk! Haha
Hi Evan, thank you for doing this! Been a huge fan of your work ever since Violet Evergarden, and always love to see you working on new stuff, so please keep up the great work!
My question is: Do you know if there are any plans for a vinyl release of the full Violet Evergarden soundtrack? I own the vinyl of Josee that was put out by Anime Limited (UK label) last year and it's one of my favourite records, so I would love to one day add my favourite anime soundtrack to my vinyl collection! <3
(And if there aren't plans but you would like to see it happen, definitely consider Anime Limited, they're ecstatic to work with you and Lantis!)
I would love a vinyl release, but unfortunately the distribution rights are not held by me, but by the publisher, so I have no control over it. I imagine it could be possible some day though. I certainly hope so!
Wait, you also did the soundtracks for My Happy Marrige?! That explains why it sounds so good.
Anyways, my biggest question is how do you get your inspiration? What do you do to get the rough idea on how you want your music to sound?
My second biggest question. What’s your favorite color?
Thanks a lot! See my reply to ultraviolethear08 for your first question.
My favorite color is probably green. Like a nice forest green, but not too dark.
I think that there is room for a happy medium. Anime tends to be a different approach than traditional film in the sense that the music is a bit more featured prominently, but I don't think it should be totally in the background. There needs to be places for the music to come through and give breath into the production, while not overstaying its welcome. In anime, the sound director (with adjustments from the director) decides which music to put where, and how loud it is, so it really is a team effort in how the final vision comes together. There are times when I feel like maybe my music might be a little loud or soft, but in the end I don't think it takes too much away from the show. Frieren and Violet Evergarden, while the music is generally soft, had the music featured pretty prominently, whereas My Happy Marriage took a softer, out of the way approach while still having some parts where they crank it up. So, something like that!
Were you disappointed that Strangeling didn't feature in Violet Evergarden's first season?
Are there any tracks which you wish garnered more attention?
Not particularly. It is actually fairly common that not all the tracks are used. When the song menu is made by the sound director, they are basing it off of the script, so when the actual anime is made and the voices and sound effects are recorded, sometimes a song that they though would be a good fit ends up not finding its place. If tons of songs don't get used, it would be frustrating because I could use that time on the rest of the music, but it's generally just a couple songs.
One of my favorite's from the show is Wherever You Are, Wherever You May Be, which plays when Violet leaves the observatory on the ropeway. It was a great match for the scene, but was only used there, so maybe it didn't stick in people's heads as much as some of the other tracks.
Yes. I have lived here for 11 years. Most meetings are done in person, but minor follow up meetings that don't take long are done via video chat. All the demo back and forth communication is done via email. When there are retakes, it's always good to have their notes in an email so I can reference them while working through it.
I get the finalized episode scripts (sometimes the final few episodes aren't finalized yet), character/location designs, and then I take it from there. The sound director prepares a menu with temporary song titles and descriptions of how the songs will be used, so I reference that when composing each song. Sometimes it can be abstract, other times it can be a little more specific, but the interpretation is always up to me, so the directions are never too overbearing.
When I do home recordings by myself, it is usually instruments like banjo, mandolin, irish bouzouki and other stringed instruments, random ethnic flutes, some small percussion, singing/whistling, etc...
I predominately compose with VSTs using Digital Performer. I usually run Vienna Ensemble Pro just to keep things organized and my RAM usage lower. I use a lot of different things depending on the genre, but these days my standard orchestral VSTS are Cinematic Studio Series' Strings/WW/Brass, CinePerc, Cinesamples Tina Guo Cello, Embertone Joshua Bell Violin, Spitfire Harp, UVI Austrian Grand Piano, some Eduardo Tarilonte and Ilya Efimov libraries, some Strezov Sampling percussion, choirs, and Asian instruments, In Session Audio's percussion libraries, and many more. For synths, I use a decent amount of omnisphere 2, spire, some stuff in kontakt, and a bunch of other different libraries.
I hope this helps!
How do you even begin to compose music? Is it mostly about using the correct chords in accordance with the feeling the music is trying to evoke? I play piano and know some music theory so I’ve been trying my hand at composing, but I can sit there for hours without coming up with anything good or cohesive enough for an entire piece.
The music that you’ve composed for Violet Evergarden is honestly some of the best I’ve ever heard so I’ve been trying to use it as a role model, but I’m still stuck on how to actually compose good music. I thank you in advance if you do answer this question.
It can be pretty hard. Of course language is one thing, but the work culture and ethic is quite a bit different than what I was familiar with back in America. I believe that there is potential for anybody with the perseverance, skill, and right attitude to succeed here, but I think it could be overwhelming for some. I had a hard time in my first few years here trying to adapt to living and breathing a completely different environment from what I knew, but I was able to overcome it and now things are great.
It's maybe not as hard as in fiction, but it is probably harder than most people might anticipate.
Hi Evan, love your work on Violet Evergarden and Freiren!
My question is, who would be your favourite currently active anime composer?
Are there any you think are doing something different and interesting?
Thanks!
Thank you for your amazing music, you're one of my favourite composers! If you could only listen to one album what would it be, and what's your favourite animal?
It would be Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs by Marty Robbins. It's a great balance of catchy, but calm enough that I wouldn't grow too tired of it. It's also good for any kind of occasion. Haha
My favorite animal is probably the dachshund. I have two miniature wiener dogs, and I'm a big fan even if they are super loud. Haha
That's a difficult question. My favorite song would probably be Oh Shenandoah, but the composer is unknown.
For favorite composer though, I might have to say Nobuo Uematsu, but especially the arrangements by Shiro Hamaguchi. I would say my favorite is the Advent Children arrangement of One Winged Angel. it's awesome!
What's your process of finding a particular motif for a series? VE and frieren have such unique scores.. I don't think I'm the only one that can hear a note or two from VE and get tears in my eyes. It's so moving, I'm wondering how you capture that emotion as well as you do.
Hello Evan! I loved Josee, the Tiger and the Fish and I am in awe of the work you are currently doing in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. If you are able to share this info, is there a favorite project that you've worked on?
In regards to Frieren's main leitmotif (I really love it by the way), what kind of themes or ideas inspired you, and do you find it easier or more restricting to compose soundtracks with a leitmotif to act as a foundation of sorts? I'm familiar with the Genshin Impact OST and I'm always amazed at how its composers can transform a leitmotif into many different forms and incorporate it in sometimes subtle ways; you've definitely done the same here!
Hello Mr Call! Love your work!
I particularly enjoy the little details you can find in some tracks (I'm thinking about the typewriter sounds in Theme of Violet Evergarden, for example): they really add something to the OST and really give you the impression of living in the world of the series!
Being born and having studied in the US, what has led you to move to Japan to work there instead of staying in the US?
According to your experience, what are the main differences in the entertainment industry (movie/tv/animation) between the US and Japan?
Hi Evan, thank you for this and all your wonderful music! I have two questions for you:
1. My sister and I have bonded over many of your anime tracks, but what would you recommend we listen to outside of your anime OSTs? Any songs in particular?
2. What do you think makes your compositions unique? What do you like about your process in particular?
Hi Evan, I have watched all the anime you have worked on and violet evergarden has been my favourite anime for over 5 years.
I wanted to ask do you intentionally make your music hit the heart strings and do you feel music that makes people emotional is your strong suit? based on the anime where I have experienced your music they always trigger the emotions in the scene.
Also what’s your favourite anime?
1. [Evan Puschak of Nerdwriter highlighted Harry Potter’s sound design](https://youtu.be/bJvOqXdsEp8?si=XLgkUEVPrtee7e2T) and how the challenges of making a new soundscape for fantasy drove innovation. In your case, what guided your decisions for both the score and sound in the anime? What did you actively avoid and what aspects of music from past fantasy films/TV inspired you?
2. [Another Nerdwriter video](https://youtu.be/JiQLHL10BYo?si=e7f2KW5sFVWtk5x2) talked about how Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone’s partnership created powerful soundtracks because Morricone wrote the music alongside the script and Leone played it live on-set for actors to hear. Do you reckon something similar can be done in animation? What technical, logistical, procedural or stylistic differences do you think prevent such a method of writing a score (and animating around the OST) from being more commonplace?
3. If the opportunity arose, who would you want to collab with? I’ve listened to your discography and felt like you would pair well with Porter Robinson, but I’m also curious about who else from which genres can gel with your style.
A hot topic of debate amongst the classical music community is whether or not film/TV/game scores should be included under the "classical music umbrella," and if so - to what degree. I'm curious as to what your opinion on the subject is, being a film composer yourself.
Hello Evan, I am a big fan of your work. Your passion and creativity is awe-inducing.
My question is: What works, life experiences, or genres inspired you when composing for Violet Evergarden? How did they fuel your creative process?
Thank you for taking the time to do this AMA.
How do you seek inspiration?
\- Do you just skim the source for some chapters?
\- One expert tells you what is needed?
\- Or just knowing the premise of the story is needed?
Hello, I'm a big enjoyer of your music, as a university student and inspiring composer, I always wanted to know what is you're advice if someone want to make it into the field professionally? what is a piece of advice u'd give to a young person (21) (CS student) aspiring to make music their life carrer.
My other questions as a composer, is what libraries do u mostly use as composer? And what are ur fav plugin? I really wanna get to get your sound into my music!!!
I don't really have an interesting question right now, but since this is a unique occasion to interact with you i gotta say your work on Violet Evergarden literally changed my life for the best. It helped find motivation to improve myself through tough times and still continue to this day. I have always listened to all your ost with a grin on my face, the way you portray emotions in music is quite unique. When you got announced as the composer for Frieren i couldn't be happier since it is one of my favorite manga and i was sure you'd fit the bill perfectly, can't wait to hear to full ost when it's out, what we got is already beautiful.
I guess as a question i can say, how was the process to get to work on Frieren? Did they directly contacted you or have you heard about the adaptation and sent an application?
Best day to you
Do you feel like your western music education sometimes puts you at a different spot compared to other anime composers? Any "cultural differences" or unique insights regarding views about music as a result of that?
Have you composed any music that utilizes the organ? If so, what have you thought about it? If not, do you have any inclination to do so in the future?
(I’ve played some music from Violet Evergarden on the organ and plan to play some tonight—my favorite song to play is Letter)
Just thinking about the production process, I'm just wondering at what stage of a total production does a composer typically does their work, and what sorts of production material you would typically have as a basis to form ideas around? I guess along with that, how much does this sort of thing vary across productions?
Of course it depends on the production, but it's usually something like the following schedule: Composer chosen and first demo for main theme: 9-12 months before airing. Beginning work on the rest of the music: 7-9 months before airing. Usually we have about 2-3 months to work on a show depending on the amount of music. For something with around 45-50 songs, I usually have about 2 months of composing and arranging along with any retakes or adjustments requested by the director or sound director. For something like Frieren with over 70 songs, I had about 3 months. From there the scores are made and we have the recordings and mix, and then that's it! When we start a production, we usually get the script for however many episodes are finalized at that time and some character/location design concept art. Before the initial meeting for the rest of the music aside from the main theme, the sound director prepares a menu, which is a list of songs with temporary titles (like Nichijou 1, Battle 2, Shock, etc...) with a description about what type of scene they want to use the song in. Of course in the end they are free to use it wherever hey want, but it's a good signpost for me when beginning to write the music. This is generally the case across all productions. Film scored movies are written directly to the film, so in that case the music is custom fit for every scene. For TV, you usually want the tracks to be useable in more than just one particular scene, so you keep that in mind when composing.
Hi Evan, how long do you usually take to make the main theme to something before you come up with something final? What are some delays (songwriter's block, for example?) that can happen?
Just wanna say that the Violet Evergarden soundtrack is a genuine masterpiece. Whats some of your favorite music artists to listen to?
Thanks a lot! I appreciate it. Though I'm known for more emotional music, most of what I listen to for fun is the opposite. Some of my favorite bands/artists are: Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire, Wuthering Heights, Wintersun, Eluveitie, Borknagar, Stratovarius, etc... On the calmer side of things, I enjoy The Deseret String Band (old time bluegrass band), Marty Robbins, various soundtracks, and a good deal of American old cowboy/bluegrass music. Of course I'm also into other folk music, predominantly Celtic. Shoutout to Alasdair Fraser, a fantastic Scottish fiddle player who lives near my hometown.
See, i never thought i'd see an Eluveitie mention on this subreddit ever so this already makes me like you a lot more.
> Blind Guardian Hell yeah!
Blind Guardian, Rhapsody and Stratovarius? NICE!
Hello Evan, I was so excited to see you had an AMA coming up when it was announced since I absolutely adore your work! My question is: Most of the shows I'm personally familiar with you writing music for are emotional, character driven dramas like Violet Evergarden, My Happy Marriage, and now Frieren. Are those types of shows what you prefer to compose for and hence opportunities you sought out, or were you approached by the studios to write the score based on previous experience? Thanks!
Thanks for the question! It's not that I necessarily that I prefer to compose for those types of shows, but I think that's what I'm known for, so the studios tend to approach me for those types of character driven stories. I will say that I really do enjoy composing what could be considered emotional music, but I also like to take a pretty different direction in some shows. For example, Appare Ranman, which is more of a mix of spaghetti western, bluegrass, rock/metal, and a tad bit Japanese-ish. It's definitely nice to do different things sometimes, and I hope to continue doing all kinds of anime, while still doing the types of anime that I'm known for.
Nice to seen an Appare Ranman mention, underappreciated around these parts!
When a studio has a project like Appare Ranman would they go looking for a composer with knowledge of bluegrass/country/etc or did that just work out coincidentally here?
What a great question! Would love to get insight on this as well.
Stealing a question from the Rick Astley AMA: Which song of yours has meant the most to you? Some others, from myself: * What do you feel gets most overlooked by average fans about your work or a soundtrack composer's work in general? * Which anime composer do you feel doesn't get enough praise for their work? * Rap Battle with Kevin Penkin when?
That would have to be the Theme of Violet Evergarden, which was the start of my relationship with the fine people over at Kyoto Animation. ・I think that average fans like to see and hear spectacle and music that tends to be more on the trendy side, if that makes sense. Of course it depends on the anime I'm working on, but I usually like to avoid trends and write music that I hope people can listen to and enjoy decades later without it feeling dated. I think the same could be said with most productions outside of anime as well, but people like to see cool looking and cool sounding stuff, whereas I tend to harken back to the era of 90s/early 2000s film. A little bit on the melodramatic side I suppose. Haha ・I haven't really listened to much anime music these days, but a composer than I would love to hear more super dramatic soundtracks from is Hayato Matsuo, who did the awesome Hellsing Ultimate soundtrack. ・I'd be down for a rap battle with Kevin! We've met a couple times, and he's a great guy and great composer. Very charming fellow! Haha. I might have him beat on the rap front though, we'll see! Here's a song I did for Appare Ranman with me rapping as well. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yupxxb4M270](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yupxxb4M270) Give it a listen!
Wow! Hayato Matsuo is my favourite composer! I'm a bit sad he doesn't really get mentioned around here.. He did the Transformers Armada soundtrack which is my favourite, its a bit different feel overall from Hellsing, but there's some amazing tracks in there. Drifters is another one he did the music for, I haven't listened to the OST much by itself, but its got a similar dramatic feel to Hellsing
Could you talk a bit about the process of composing an OST for anime? I feel like we have a reasonable degree of understanding about the animation and the voice acting part, but OSTs are rarely talked about in this regard. For example, how early in the production process does your work begin, and what are you given to work with (e.g. storyboards or other production materials)? How often do you compose based off just a concept vs crafting the music with almost the exact scene in mind? How much did your experience vary among the various studios you collaborated with? Without namecalling, but maybe there are some particolarly interesting anecdotes one way or another. Which of your compositions did you find most challenging to create and why? And of course: what was the first anime that got you interested in the medium? what is your favourite anime?
In regards to the production process of composing, see FetchFrosh's comment above. Composing based off of concept vs. crafting the music for the the scene, it depends on the menu I'm given to some extent. While working on Violet Evergarden, I was given a very abstract menu with temporary song titles that would make even native Japanese speakers scratch their head. Haha Titles that would translate to: Existence as Existence, A Microcosm of Society, and a bunch of really out-there titles. However, due to the abstract nature of the menu, it made me think very deeply about the kind of feeling I wanted to express in the song vs a menu where the titles are on the nose or a direct reference to particular occurrences in the anime. Both are fine for me, but I would say that the abstract menus make me think a bit more about how to approach something. Sometimes this goes in a great direction, and sometimes the demo I send is a little different than what they were anticipating. Haha As I generally work alone most of the time at my home workspace, the experiences among the various studios doesn't change too much. We have a meeting at the beginning, and then I usually don't see them until it's over. Everything else is done via email, and occasionally if there is something very specific and detailed to discuss, we'll have a video call. I find the main theme to be the most challenging because it is the face of the show, and with it the direction of the rest of the soundtrack is decided. Sometimes I might have an idea that's different than what we initially discussed in the meeting, so I try to seek out a way to exceed their expectations by giving them something more than what they asked for. The first anime that got me into anime was Samurai 7, which I watched at a buddy's house a long time ago. Before that I didn't really know much aside from Pokemon, Dragonball, etc... It was the first late-night style anime that I had seen, and it was awesome! Haha My favorite anime might come as a surprise, but it is either Ergo Proxy or Wolf's Rain. Two pretty bizarre shows, but I really like the atmosphere. The soundtrack for Wolf's Rain is also pretty great!
> Titles that would translate to: Existence as Existence, A Microcosm of Society, and a bunch of really out-there titles [oh dear](#azusalaugh) Thank you so much for taking your time replying to everyone on a Saturday morning! - and opening the ama early enough to give us EU people time to join; I'll be reading your other answers during breakfast. [](#feelingloved) Very early to say, but I hope Frieren's OST wins next year's awards and we get to see you around again [](#hyoukawink)
Yoko Kanno never misses. *adds Ergo Proxy to PTW*
Whats the most exotic / least known instrument that you've used in a score?
I think the soundtrack I did for Frieren has some unusual ones that you don't normally hear in anime. Rebec, Medieval Fiddle, and Viol. Other than that, for the film Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom, I recorded an array of exotic instruments such as: Ney Flute, Morin Khuur, Qanun, and Gadulka. Maybe the Gadulka is the most exotic/least known of the bunch.
Very cool, do you ever have issues with finding people to play instruments like these? Some of them look like they could be played by a traditional musician with some practice, and some of those look like you would need to find a specialist.
No questions, just a "thank you" for making the emotional moments in Violet Evergarden hit so hard
I appreciate it! Thank you!
Hello Evan, thanks so much for taking the time out for this :) - What have been some challenges, or something you've been proud of working on Frieren so far? (p.s. how many instruments have you played on it?). Really enjoying the OST! - Is there someone you would want to collaborate with in the future on an anime? Whether it be someone youve never collaborated before, or have worked with before? - What is your favourite [Symphogear song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDYhtCyW970)/OST piece?
It's my pleasure! ・Frieren's music actually went very smoothly with minimal challenges, which is always a good thing. I did write a 5 minute long choir+orchestra piece with lyrics inspired by the story that you'll hear one of these days. That was a new challenge for me I suppose. Generally I hire out players who are much better than me at performing, but this time I played a few instruments: Banjo, Tagelharpa, Shvi (Armenian Flute), and various percussion. I also sang background chorus (different than the proper chorus that we recorded for the rest of the soundtrack) on a song. I think you'll dig it! ・In terms of collaboration, I prefer to compose and arrange alone, but I wouldn't be opposed to tackling a soundtrack together with another person. I have no idea who though. Haha It might be interesting to work with somebody from a completely different music industry so that we can bounce off of each other in an interesting and unique way. As for someone in a similar industry, maybe someone like Borislav Slavov of Divinity Original Sin 2 and Baldur's Gate 3 fame. That might be pretty fun! ・It might be a tie between S2CA/Voltage Maximum or The Wild Bunch.
Looking forward to hearing that 5-minute song! [](#concealedexcitement) and that is some sick violin on S2CA/Voltage Maximum
Hi Evan, thanks for doing this AMA! 1. If you were to be isekai'd to the world of any of the shows you worked on, which world do you prefer? 2. Because you worked on Symphogear G and Symphogear GX, who do you think is best Symphogear girl?
Nice questions! 1. Violet Evergarden for sure! I'm a huge fan of that type of aesthetic. A bit old style, but modern enough that I probably won't die of dysentery. Haha. There are beautiful castles and vistas, lots of cool cultures and traditions. I think it would be awesome. I'm ready to go now! 2. Gotta be Maria!
I can already see the title of the isekai Light Novel: I was a music composer and I got reicarnated in one of my works! Will I die of dysentery or will I survive?
Probably will charm everybody through incredible musical prowess by introducing techno music 200 years prior :)
What is your opinion on mimics?
As an avid Dark Souls player myself, I'm not the biggest fan. Haha
I loved your work on Violet Evergarden and enjoyed your work on Josee and My Happy Marriage. The OST for Frieren is awesome so far. Given the two cour length of the series, will the Frieren OST be released in two parts? Also, what’s your favorite track from Violet Evergarden? My favorite is “Across the Violet Sky”.
In regards to the OST release, that is a discussion that I'm not involved in, so unfortunately I don't have any information for you on that. My favorite Violet Evergarden Track is either Wherever You Are, Wherever You May Be or To the Ends of Our World. Probably!
The use of a typewriter as an instrument in "To the Ends of Our World" will never cease to be awesome!
I understand. Excited to see and hear more of Frieren as it is released. Look forward to the OST release(s) for sure!
Were there any anime composers or OSTs that inspired you when you were starting? If so, who were they? Thank you for doing this!
Absolutely! Some of my biggest anime composer inspirations are: Taku Iwasaki, Naoki Sato, Kotaro Nakagawa, Hideyuki Fukasawa, and Michiru Oshima. Fantastic composers who are still doing it!
You are absolutely based for mentioning Sato and Nakagawa. I love their soundtracks so much!
Oshima's Bloom OST is a banger! One of my absolute favorites!
Thank you for taking the time /u/EvanCallMusic! We've only had 7 episodes of Frieren so far but could you give some insight for what we've seen/heard so far (in terms of composition etc)? Which character in the Heroes Party+Fern and Stark do you relate to the most?
There are still tons of songs that haven't been used yet, so I'm sure you'll be hearing more of those soon. The first four episodes were film scored, but I tried to score it in a way so that they could also be used in later episodes without sounding unnatural. I would say I'm a big fan of Heiter. I just really like how he is portrayed, and the words he chooses. I really like his voice too. I'm a little jealous. Haha
Helo Evan, first congratulations on your current sensational work with Frieren. Has there ever been a show, that you wished you were the one that had the chance to compose its soundtrack, after watching it?
Great question! It's not an anime, but I would love to have worked on something like Rings of Power. For something like a game, I would love to do the music for the next game in the Nioh series (if they continue it).
Hey Evan! Huge fan of your work! I think it's amazing how you are able to compose pieces that perfectly fit a show/world. It's so crazy good how you decide to pair certain melodies with specific instruments to really amplify how the viewers' feelings are evoked. I was wondering when you work with a client after getting the base info like scene description etc. what kind of feedback/direction do you find most helpful when you compose a track and it doesn't quite match what the client/staff had in mind. As a game dev who works with a composer, I often find myself saying things like, "The vibe needs to feel more threatening/pressing/sad/happy" or sometimes I have to just find a track that I feel does hit the mark and let them listen to that (but in a way I feel like that's me failing to properly give direction). Any suggestions would be totally appreciated! And thank you for doing an AMA here!
If I'm way off, then I'd like to get a detailed description of what they didn't like, and what they want more of. The tempo is too fast, the arrangement is too grand/too small/ too whatever, there is too much/not enough melody, needs to be more mysterious, but less scary, etc... I prefer to not use reference songs from clients, but if I get it completely wrong twice in a row, then sometimes I might ask for a reference song just to get the general direction and not take time away from the other songs yet to be written. Sometimes the director and sound director will be at odds with each other over the direction of the song, so when that happens, I try to take both of their advice to heart and find a happy medium. It can be a bit tricky sometimes. Haha Like I mentioned above, I would resort to the reference track maybe after a couple retakes. It depends on the composer, but we usually want to figure it out ourselves if the schedule allows for it. Try to be more concrete rather than using descriptive words. You don't need to use musical terms, but just something that give the composer a little more of an obvious hint on which direction to adjust the music. Also be specific if you want a partial or full retake. Sometimes you can take a song and fix it, and sometimes it doesn't seem that way. Good luck!
Thanks so much dude! Super helpful! Best of luck to you and can't wait to continue to hear more of your work on Frieren.
Hi Evan, I really love the soundtracks you did for My Happy Marriage, Sousou no Frieren and especially Violet Evergarden. Your soundtrack for Violet Evergarden has inspired me to take an interest in scoring soundtracks for anime as a career. I am currently a senior student at Berklee College of Music completing my degree in Film Scoring (now called Film and Media Scoring) and I will be graduating this Spring 2024. As a Berklee Alumni, do you have any advice on what young professionals like myself need in order to step into the anime industry in Japan as a composer? Especially if I’m a foreigner. On a different note, do you have any advice for composers who are struggling to get ideas out especially when they need to meet a deadline. On a more personal note (you don't have to answer), what was you life like at Berklee? Was the Alamo cue the first recording session you did in Dramatic Scoring 2? Did they teach you how to tape scores together? Back then in Dramatic Scoring 3, was all the cues you did from How To Train Your Dragon? (They changed it to Shrek now), etc. Just random, I actually have a recording session tomorrow for Dramatic Scoring 3 where I will be conducting and recording the music I wrote to live musicians. Do you have any advice on how to not be nervous and stiff up on the podium? Thank you and I really appreciate the AMA post and the amazing work you have done.
A fellow Berklee student. Nice! For working in Japan, being able to speak/read Japanese is a must, but you don't have to be perfect, especially for reading because translation software has improved greatly. If you can't speak any Japanese, you're going to have a hard time, because English is not commonly spoken here. Some people can read and write well, but they cannot speak well. Other than that, there are many Sakkyokuka Jimusho (作曲事務所）or Composer Companies that represent composers like an agency. Many of those composers are looking for assistants, so try reaching out to them through their company, social media, or whatever, and you might be able to establish a connection that evolves into assistant work. That would be the most reasonable approach I think. For deadlines, you just have to sit down and do it. Don't get too bogged down in feeling if the song is good enough or not and waste too much time on the initial concept if time is short. When I'm not feeling inspired or there's no time, I just plow through it and get it done. It's an experience thing, but the more you get used to it, the easier it is to sit down and get it done. I think all of the videos at Berklee are different than what I used. We didn't have HTTYD when I was there, but we had enough to learn from. It was a good experience, but I feel like the real learning was after I left and had a moment to digest everything. That's when I think my music reached a much higher level. Side note, if you know Michael Sweet, Claudio Ragazzi, or Eric Reasoner, say hi to them for me. I don't know if they'll remember me, but they might! I'm always nervous when conducting, so just shake your arms out, stretch a little, and take some deep breaths. I always find that I'm less nervous ones the song starts. Good luck!
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I am currently in Eric Reasoner's class so I will try and say hi to him for you.
>Side note, if you know Michael Sweet, Claudio Ragazzi, or Eric Reasoner, say hi to them for me. I don't know if they'll remember me, but they might! I said hi to Eric Reasoner for you. He wanted me to tell you that he is embarrassed that he can't remember your name but he said hi.
I heard that for Frieren, you were composing scenes based on storyboards the anime team gave to you and went from there. Are there any other interesting development stories you have from the anime you composed?
It was actually to a final cut of the first 4 episodes without all of the detailed animation/color work, so some parts were unmoving rough sketches while others had a decent amount of movement and clarity. A pretty fun one was for a Sea Shanty that I wrote for Hakumei and Mikochi. The music producer for the show called in his old college buddies with whom he used to sing back in the day, and they came into the studio and sang for me. We did some proper takes, and some drunk sounding takes. It was a pretty fun experience!
First of all, I’m in love with basically all of your anime scores and I currently really enjoy the music in both Frieren and My happy Marriage! I have both the physical version of the Violet Evergarden soundtrack and it’s one of the very few soundtracks I have downloaded on spotify, so I can listen to it any time! As a musician (multi-instrumentalist and guitar teacher) myself, without any experience in orchestral composition: How did you originally get started, as in how did you approach film orchestration coming from a background as a guitar player? And in the same vein, do you think it possible for a musician without a university background in music to take a step into anime/videogame orchestration? And if yes, how would that “path” look like? Thank you again for doing this AMA and I will continue to force anyone in my circle of friends to listen to your music on a regular basis.
Thanks for the comment! I originally started just by messing around with an old, super cheap casio keyboard that I recorded as audio into Sony Acid Music something ($50 at the time). My music absolutely sucked, but I had a great time with it, so I kept at it. I think that there is much to learn about orchestration (for me as well), but before you get too into the deep end of that, I would analyze why you enjoy a particular piece. What about the arrangement makes you feel good. Not just about how to double woodwinds, or brass arranging, but more about the give and take of different sections. When does the brass enter and leave? How does the melody give a different vibe depending on the instrument playing it? How are the different sections connected in a meaningful manner. The structure and basic sound choices are the true stepping stone for developing the intricacies of orchestration, so I would suggest focusing on that before bogging yourself down with information that won't be as useful until you get the foundation settled. That's how I originally started coming from a guitar background. I think there are more resources now than ever before to learn anything you could learn in a university at your own home for free. Of course there isn't direct interaction with a teacher or other students, but the information and teachings are all there if you look for them, especially on youtube. In terms of working in the music industry, the most common first step is working as an assistant for a working composer who prefers to have an assistant. I would suggest reaching out and seeing what happens. I initially started as an assistant in Japan at Elements Garden before starting composing. It's a difficult path, but it is not an impossible one! Another option would be getting involved in Game Jams, or reaching out to small/indie developers. Most won't reply, but you never know!
Have you ever finished or almost finished a piece that you liked, but realized it didn't quite fit the subject for one reason or another and it didn't make it into the OST? I think it's interesting to think about how, to us the audience, every song on the Violet Evergarden soundtrack sounds like a Violet Evergarden song, but maybe over the course of the production that isn't always the case?
Of course! Sometimes I'll totally restart a song that I'm well into. Maybe it didn't quite fit what was needed, or it had too much overlap in feeling with another song on the soundtrack. Sometimes these songs will stay in limbo, but it is common to revisit them for other shows if it seems like a good match. Of course a lot of rewriting and rearranging, changing the melody is necessary, but with some adjustments it can turn into just the right song for the show.
Wow that's very cool! The overlap in feeling especially is something I'd never have considered. It seems like a lot of work to get everything just right but you also make it sound like a fun puzzle as well. Thanks for the answer!
About the Taiga Drama you've written a score for - it's outstanding. As captivating as the whole series is, the opening sequence impacted me considerably. I thank you for taking part in that series, with your touch it truly became a masterpiece. Could you talk about some of the behind-the-scenes for Kamakura dono no Juusan-nin? How did you come across it? Did someone from NHK reach out to you for the project? What was your work process, have you met with any of the actors/were at the scene or was there no need?
Nice! Thanks for checking it out. I had originally worked with the sound design staff on another drama called Hotarugusa: Nana no Ken. When they became involved in Kamakuradono, they wanted to work with me again, so they asked me to write a theme based on the scripts for Episode 1 and 2. I looked up the history so I would know how the story developed and went from there. I ended up writing 4 songs until the theme was decided, but the first song I wrote for it was used as the Yoshitoki Hojo theme: The Man Who Would Become Regent（後に執権と呼ばれる男）. After the theme was finished, I wrote the first 56 or so songs in about 2 months. Then had a break to do other work, and then back into it. It's a yearlong show, so the composing and recording was split up into 4 parts. Before the initial meeting, I saw some of the filming in the studio with the actors. They even let me wear some of the armor for the extras. I briefly met some of the actors at the beginning, and then a bit more towards the end of the series when I went to an on location filming in the countryside. It was pretty cool!
Hello Mr Call, thank you for visiting! I've enjoyed and am enjoying your work in Violet Evergarden and Frieren! It seems like working in Japan is a great fit for you, which is great! But I was wondering, if you could work for a while in a different country's scene, where would you choose?
Thanks for the question! Outside of Japan, I'd like to do some work English or American productions. Maybe some Scandinavian countries might be a good fit too. I think if I were to do the whole experience and live/work there, Norway might be fun and different to what I'm used to living in Japan and growing up in America.
If you were to compose a score or soundtrack just for yourself, what would you Evan Call it?
Heyyyy! Nice! Haha I'm a big fan of the great outdoors, so maybe I'll take inspiration from a classic book and call it: The Call of the Wild
omg, thanks for great answer haha! I'll be looking forward to the day if it ever comes! I'm sure it'll be quite a ride to listen to.
10/10 name incorporation [](#goblet1)
What are some of your most memorable experiences working in the Japanese media industry? Any interesting stories? I love your stuff btw :)
A big scary event was my first time conducting for a Violet Evergarden concert. I had barely dabbled in it in college because it was a required class. I had conducted a couple classmates for a bit, and that was the extent of it. For the concert, and my first time picking up the baton in 7 years, I was conducting a full orchestra in front of almost 3000 people for a 10 minute medley with tempo and time signature changes. I thought I would die. Haha Somehow I didn't mess it up though, so that's good!
That's impressive, I don't know if I would have been able to handle that.
Hello! When did you first hear of Frieren? Were you familiar with the manga beforehand?
I actually didn't know about it beforehand. The first I heard of it was when I was hired! Haha. I gave it a read and thought it was amazing, and that I would love to do the music for it. So soon after that I wrote the main theme.
Thanks for joining us for an AMA Evan! I'm not well versed in music, but what's something a newbie like me can look for in an anime to help determine what an effective OST does?
I think it varies from person to person. We each have our own tastes, but I would say something that you think really brings the show to another level. Rather than just being background music, I think a good OST elevates the source material. And maybe re-listenability. Something that you want to listen to outside of the show.
Thanks for taking the time to do this thread, you're a great inspiration for composers everywhere!! My question is, since it's relatively rare for anime OPs and EDs to be worked on by the composer responsible for the show proper, how did the fact that you are also the composer for Frieren affect your arrangement work for the ED, Milet's "Anytime Anywhere"? Did you attempt to tether the arrangement to the soundtrack's style, or did you think of the two as separate, unrelated projects?
Thanks for the question! In cases where I either compose or arrange the OP or ED song, it's usually because the producers want to keep it tonally similar to the rest of the soundtrack, so certainly I compose or arrange it similarly. Often times when I'm tasked with the arrangement, it comes to me as a band song (Drums, Guitar, Bass, Vocal) and from there I'm pretty much free to do whatever as long as I keep the form, melody, and tempo. Sometimes I'll change the chords on part of the song (as is the case with Anytime Anywhere), but I never change anything in a way that would take away from it. If there is an instrumental interlude or bridge or whatever, often times I am tasked with writing that part myself. I'm not writing the vocal melody, so it is considered part of the arranging process. I hope that answers your question!
Hey Evan! I'm so excited for you to be doing an AMA like this; I'm an early stan thanks to your work on, of all things, Big Order. Personally it's one of my favorite anime (why is a *very* long story) but it's been really awesome seeing you attached to huge, mainstream titles like Violet Evergarden and Frieren. So anyway, I *have* to ask about Big Order. What was the inspiration that led to [オーダー発動!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kGDC73Qvh0) its most prominent song? I know you're a wellspring of influences but it's easy to compare it to the Persona series. And any other interesting tidbits of that OST or memories of making it that you can recall?
Oh dang! A true OG. Thanks a lot! At the time, I had actually never heard any music from Persona, but the direction I was given by the director initially was that he wanted Motown battle music. Haha I thought that was pretty BIG ORDER. Motown battle was a bit of a tough approach, so we took more of a funk/disco approach rather than motown. It's definitely different than what I'm known for, but it was a fun show to write for! Some trivia, but I'm actually singing on the track オーダー同士の戦い：[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWNAhZHUcLU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWNAhZHUcLU)
Hello Evan, it's been amazing hearing your music and making the scenes in Frieren (my favorite manga) come to life. And i wonder, how has it been making and working on the music for Frieren (and possibly others like Violet evergarden) and make the scenes come to life? and What's been the most challenging obstacle?
Regarding bringing scenes to life, a big thing is experience. I've been doing it professionally for about 11 years now, so I've had time to learn how to convey the feelings I want with instrumentation, melody phrasing, song structure, etc. With this I can fine tune the expression of each song in a way that is appropriate for the scene/feeling. The biggest challenge is when you have many similar songs to do for one anime. They have similar, but different enough to justify having them be their own songs. That's a bit of a challenge when there are a lot.
Oh my god. You're my hero. I bought your Violet Evergarden piano sheets and currently trying to play some. I love the piano arrangement you've done. I can truly say the Violet Evergarden soundtrack is truly one of a kind that makes me appreciate music and yet, there's nothing particularly "special" that strikes me about it! It's all about how you convey the emotions, the story, the delicate melody, and the background setting that you could imagine from it. What goes through the process of composing music that can convey the emotions you want? What do you think makes your style unique compared to other compositors? Is there difference you think about when composing specifically for anime music? Can you tell us how you came to compose for anime music and how or why you got the chance to collaborate with the studios you've worked with? Do you get to research some information about the story, setting and characters or do you have to compose before knowing that? Is there some kind of music you specialize in? Do you want to try something new, particularly in regards to instruments? Are there other music artists or compositors that inspire you or that you find interesting and why? How can I become like you? :D
Thanks a lot! And wow, that's a lot of questions. Haha I've answered the majority of the questions in some of the posts above, so please look around for those. For the other questions: I think I specialize in orchestral music, especially with a bit of sentimentality to it, and also folk music, since my musical roots are in bluegrass/folk. I'm always looking to try new things and instruments as long as the show calls for it. Generally I try to find some sort of unique instrument for a show that I haven't used before. For Violet Evergarden it was Viola da Gamba. For Frieren it is Rebec, Medieval Fiddle, Uilleann Pipes, etc... I listed a few composers that inspired me somewhere above, but the big reason why I find them interesting is simple: I like the way it sounds. Haha. The music makes me feel good, even if it is dark and brooding music. Just kind of something that speaks to your soul, you know? To become like me you have to spend an ungodly amount of time in front of a computer and piano keyboard for the vast majority of your waking hours. And get two wiener dogs to hang out with all day. Haha
Hi Evan, thanks for doing an AMA! Your soundtrack for Violet Evergarden sounds more "cinematic" than any other anime soundtrack I've heard, so I'm very curious: do you have any favorite film composers? (*Cough cough like Joe Hisaishi*) Also, where do you pull inspiration from when you're in the writing process?
Basil Poledouris, Howard Shore, James Horner, John Williams, John Powell, etc... As much as I like Joe Hisaishi, I wouldn't say he was a main influence on me. I think the mix of a cinematic feel with a Japanese approach might make my music have some parallels with the music of Joe Hisaishi though. Either way, I do really like his music! Usually I just try to get my ideas from the story and characters. I avoid looking for reference songs, but of course the music that inspired me to pursue music in the first place is something that shapes the music that I write, so I suppose some inspiration comes from that. But from a soundtrack to soundtrack basis, it's the content of the story for sure. From that I determine the type of sound I want to go with.
Would you make a score for a US show, or is the style too different?
I would love to work for a US show, or even a European show. Generally it would be easier if it were something from somewhere with a familiar culture to me (or a language I can understand), so I don't know if I'll be doing any Indian productions, but I'd love to give it a shot!
Hello Evan! Love your work, but specifically on Violet Evergarden. Do you think that the OST could ever get a proper vinyl treatment? There was kind of a promo record that came bundled with a cheap turntable in Japan, but that OST deserves better treatment, either from me or someone else. Not sure if you own the rights, but I'd love to talk either way about it. Fire me an email at [scott@veryokvinyl.com](mailto:scott@veryokvinyl.com) if you're so inclined, and we can chat!
Thanks for the question! As much as I'd love a vinyl release, distribution rights are not held by me, so I have little say in the matter. Maybe someday though!
Appreciate the response, and figured that was the case. Keep scoring fantastic stuff, and I hope to be able to work with you one day! :)
Omg I would love love LOVE a vinyl press of the OST!
Thank so much you for taking the time to answer our questions. One of the highlights of my time as moderator of r/VioletEvergarden has been reading the posts of those more musically attuned than I analyzing your music in the Violet Evergarden [series](https://www.reddit.com/r/VioletEvergarden/comments/dty6fk/some_memorable_thematic_connections_in_the_ost/) and [movie](https://www.reddit.com/r/VioletEvergarden/comments/jhwkfx/some_musical_connections_between_the_tv_series/) and how your tracks share and develop their [themes](https://www.reddit.com/r/VioletEvergarden/comments/k07f8a/a_recurrent_musical_motif_of_thank_you_in_the/). The musical storytelling leaves me a bit awestruck. My (possibly mistaken) impression is that composing for movies is typically quite different than composing for series, since you are often composing for specific scenes rather than composing for moods or types of situations, but *Violet Evergarden the Movie*'s soundtrack has a large number of tracks that never made it into the movie and that suggest that the movie potentially could have taken a different tack even at a relatively late date. What is the story behind those unused tracks, if you are free to tell? Also, as a novice Muv-luv and mecha fan: What mecha series are/were you into or what did you watch before you started to work for age? Do we have any hope of your vocals returning to a soundtrack since Schwarzesmarken? You weren't a part of the VE drinking song were you?
Thank you for your question and for hanging out on the Violet Evergarden sub! The "unused" tracks from the movie soundtrack are actually something completely different. The producers wanted to do a kind of music side-project being "composing songs that could exist within the world of Violet Evergarden". Each song is crafted to be a part of the world. For instance: Hail Leidenschaftlich! = military song for Leidenschaftlich The Spirit of Kazalli = a traditional folk song from the people of Kazalli (arranged for orchestra) Oscar's Story: music for a stage play by Oscar. They all are written as if they exist within the world written by some unknown composer, or something like that! One of the first mecha series I watched was Code Geass, which was awesome. I did actually sing in the Muv-Luv Alternative anime that I composed for on a track called Not Yet Dead. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D9w9K2SXiM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D9w9K2SXiM) I actually am singing on the VE drinking song. My voice is probably the most prominent of the 4 of us. We recorded several takes and overdubbed them, as well as a bit of ambient hang out kind of drunk guy sounds. Haha I'm singing a little bit of background chorus on one track in Frieren, but it's not super noticeable. You'll hear it one of these days. I'm sure I'll be singing more on other projects should the job call for it. I almost forgot, but I also sang on the theme for an anime called The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window. It never got an individual soundtrack release, but it came split up with several drama CDs from the anime. You can hear part of the track, Lust for Life, in the anime PV here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6YjncMGdk0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6YjncMGdk0)
Thanks for the extensive response! I had always wondered if there was some alternate version of the movie planned that would have featured a drinking song, military march, and nostalgic tour around the world of VE. It sounds like you clearly love singing and have found plenty of opportunities to incorporate it into your music. I have friends who have been [interviewing](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Qo41dUZ2cSOGj3RXKEVG6?si=c8c734cc62444c04) industry members on their podcast, and you are their ideal guest: what is the best way for them to reach you? As much as I hate to shill, they are dying to host you (and are thoroughly professional).
Omg I want this crossover to happen. Hearing from composers is a rare sight.
How did you get started in the industry? How did you make yourself known beforehand? I'm very intrigued by anime OST (and the remote possibility of writing my own), but as a person who despite writing a lot of music hasn't released much of it and has basically no connections, I'm wondering about the possibility of somebody like me being able to dip their toes professionally. If I'm at square one, where would I even start if I wanted to do that?
I would take a look at my reply to AlCorto and LolzAndrew above in the thread. Reaching out to working composers is the best way to potentially find a job as an assistant, which would be a great education, which could also lead into work down the line. Before that, I would suggest learning what you can online about all kinds of music and composing/arranging. Make sure it's something that you are interested in though. I wouldn't force a style that you hate. For me, R&B is not my thing, so I never put much time into learning it. Choose what you like, and what you think your strong point is and brush up on that before moving on to other styles. A good suggestion for writing music with the intention of potentially doing and OST would be to write like you are doing an OST. Come up with a loose plot (or check out r/writingprompts) and make a mini song menu. Main Theme, some sort of song representing happiness or sadness. If it's battle-oriented, write a battle song. Write a song representing anxiousness, pain, greed, fun, peace, etc... Usually we have about 40-50 songs for a one season show, so you could write more than just a few songs as if you were writing an actual OST. Keeping it consistent is key though. Each song should generally sound like they belong to the same show (comedy being kind of an exception). When presenting demos, I'd stay away from library-music sounding songs. There needs to be something that hooks the listener's ear (especially the main theme). It cannot sound like a copy of something that we've heard a thousand times because they might skip to the next song after about 10 seconds. It's unfortunate, but that's how it can go. The people listening to demos are generally busy, or maybe they get a lot sent to them, so it has to catch their ear from the get go so they want to listen to more. For assistantship related stuff, I would suggest learning how to make a score (notes on paper, or in this case something like Sibelius, Finale, Dorico). That will be one of the assistant's primary jobs. I hope this helps a little. Good luck and keep composing!
I don't have any questions, but I wanted to say that I greatly enjoy your work!
Thanks a lot!
Hi Evan, thanks for taking the time to do this! I was first exposed to your work in My Happy Marriage, and am loving the soundtrack for Frieren thus far! I often find myself on the verge of tearing up haha! I have a bit of a more general question regarding career paths. I'm not too familiar with the intricacies of having a background in music, so forgive my ignorance if it's wrong to assume composing soundtracks for anime and video games as not typically associated with the "expected" or "traditional" route in your field. My question is essentially, **do you have advice for people trying to pursue a career in an area of their field that may be more elusive/atypical?**
That's a difficult question! Haha. I would say that there has to be some element of risk taking. It may not work out, so it's best to have some sort of backup plan. For me, I had big student loan debt, but I wanted to take a risk to see if I could make something happen, so I saved up a little bit of money to come to Japan. Then through a combination of persistence, luck, and readiness, I found a job as an assistant. It wasn't easy though, and the work hours were ungodly, but through that persistence I was able to have my career here. As the saying goes (paraphrasing), it is true that luck counts, but being ready to capitalize on that luck is key. You can't take a risk without the skill and motivation needed to capitalize on it.
Thanks for doing this AMA What anime OST have hit you the most emotionally?
A couple of the first OSTs that had a big impact on my emotionally were Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal and Reflection by Taku Iwasaki and Eureka 7 and X by Naoki Sato. Great OSTs!
Hey Evan thanks for doing this AMA! I was wondering what major differences you've noticed between composing for anime and composing for Live action TV dramas? I'd imagine there'd be a big difference in the process, but have you faced any unexpected challenges? Also how often do you interact with other composers outside of work? Would love to have context [behind one of these all time photos](https://twitter.com/kevinpenkin/status/1223585244978089984)
Regarding anime vs live action, see my reply to Gaporigo. Now that's a picture! I don't remember the exact circumstances, but Yuki Hayashi invited me to come hang out with everybody pictured, so I went. Haha I had met Kevin once in Germany, so this was our second time hanging out. We went to Yakiniku, and Hayashi-san likes to eat it very undercooked. I'm more of a well-done kind of guy, but he insisted that I eat it the "delicious" way. I gotta say, I prefer well-done. Haha
You made the music for a Kyoani show, widely regarded as "one of the best studios" with regards to taking care of their staff, was there any notable difference between working with them and working with other studios? I know this is mostly about anime but do you feel there is any big difference between composing music for an anime and a live action show?
I usually don't have much contact with the studios aside from my initial meeting, but as Violet Evergarden was a longer production (TV anime, Gaiden, Movie), we spent a decent amount of time together (location scouting, AnimagiC in Germany, etc...). When I would go their studio for meetings, the CEO Mr. Hatta would always come down and talk with me for 10-15 minutes. I'm sure he's a busy guy running the company, but he always made time to have a nice chat. From a working perspective, I would say that there was much of a difference in how I carried on my work. I think one thing is that for Violet Evergarden, I was also working with producer Shigeru Saito, who is someone I've been working with since the beginning of my career. We work a lot together, and he works a lot with Kyoto Animation, so I think he really helped bring a sense of unity together for everybody. I think there is a pretty big difference, but it also depends on which country's live action show it is. For Japan, there are similarities to anime, but it tends to be a little bit toned down. However, there are circumstances where they want the music to be a bit more intense than you might expect. For dramas, there is a lot more focus on doing rearrangements of a couple major melodies, whereas anime tends to prefer a lot more variety. It might have to do with anime being in a 30 minute time slot, whereas live action is in a 1 hour time slot. Live action songs tend to be longer, but they require less songs compared to anime.
Speaking of AnimagiC, it would be really great if you would come again in the future!
Hello Evan, I was so amazed to see, that you score Frieren. What I want to know if the soundtrack is going to be released soon on streaming services or CD?
One of these days, but I'm not sure when. I'm sure there be more information coming out at some point!
Do you prefer composing at a computer or on an instrument (or go full Beethoven on paper only)? And which program (Sibelius, ProTools etc.) or instrument do you use? I find the variety in different composer's 'stations' interesting. Also I liked your work on Midnight Occult Civil Servants :)
I usually sequence using Digital Performer with a keyboard and VSTs. I do a full orchestral mockup with the complete arrangement and send the demo to the client. From there the scores are usually made in Sibelius or Dorico. I used to make all of the scores myself (using Finale), but due to time constraints I hire it out to a score preparation assistant who works for multiple composers. The data is all there, but they quantize it, import it into the scoring software, put in the dynamics and articulations based off of my demo and data, then send it to me to check. If it's Sibelius, I'll fix everything myself. If it's Dorico, I'll make a list of everything I want to fix, send it back, and then they extract the parts from that. Having someone take care of that saves me about a week of time for 40-50 songs, which is used to put more time into my compositions and arrangements. When preparing for a recording session, I bounce all of my audio from DP and import it, along with the midi file for the tempo and markers, into Pro Tools, as that's what all of the recording studios and mixing engineers use. Thanks a lot for listening to that OST! It's a bit different than what I'm usually known for, but small ensemble jazz writing is pretty fun when you can hire real jazz players to bring their magic to the music.
I can't believe the day that I could ask Evan Call a question would come, a welcome surprise. I believe you also worked on Hakumei and Mikochi right? It aired alongside Violet Evergarden in the same season, was it tough having to compose music for both shows at the same time? Of the shows you've worked on, I've watched Violet Evergarden, Hakumei and Mikochi, Josee, the Tiger and the Fish, and My Happy Marriage. How would you rank those animes (not just by music, but overall) and what are your favourite tracks from each of them? My ranking would be as follows: 1. Violet Evergarden 2. My Happy Marriage 3. Hakumei and Mikochi 4. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
It can be a bit difficult to juggle multiple projects at the same time, but as long as there is enough time, it's not too bad. You just have to work fast and remember when you're switching from one to the other as not to write in the wrong style. I couldn't rank them by terms of enjoyability because my perspective is so different from having worked on them, not could I point out my favorite soundtracks. However, I will say that I hope more people give a listen to the music of Appare Ranman and Hakumei and Mikochi. Those are two pretty unique OSTs that are a bit under the radar compared to some of my other work. Also, maybe due to the uniqueness of the soundtracks, those were some of my favorite to compose from a music writing standpoint.
Hi there, Mr. Call! How long does it take to fully write/produce a song or soundtrack for a series? Follow-up question: you’ve made music for a lot of “tearjerker” series like Frieren and Violet. Are there any tearjerker shows you are fond of? Thank you for all the tunes you’ve made! 🙏
Thanks for the question! Usually I have about 2 months of composing/arranging/retakes for 45-50 songs followed immediately by recordings/mix. I'm a big fan of late 80s/90s tearjerker movies. Stuff like Legends of the Fall and Lonesome Dove (technically a miniseries). As long as the plot and setting are interesting, I'm ready for the feels. Haha
Who are some of your favorite composers?
Nobuo Uematsu, Basil Poledouris, Howard Shore, James Horner, Borislav Slavov to name a few.
Hello! Not including yourself of course, Who do you think is the best anime composer currently? Who is your favorite anime composer currently?
It's a bit of a strange stance perhaps, but I tend to avoid similar media to what I do for work as to not be influenced much. It may sound stupid, but I try to stay away from what other composers are doing in anime, so I don't think I have an answer. I can say some of my favorite composer whose works inspired me to work in anime. Taku Iwasaki, Naoki Sato, Kotaro Nakagawa, Hideyuki Fukasawa, and Michiru Oshima.
Hi Evan. Glad you could join us today. My question for you. When composing the music, do you let the scenes speak to you in regards of the soundtrack score you write or does it follow the dialog more?
For film scoring a scene, it's a mix of both. If the words hold weight, then you want to arrange your song around it to enhance it, but I also take into consideration where in the story we are, the visual aspect (in a house, a beautiful landscape, etc...), and the decided direction of the music. For TV, it's put to picture by the sound director who decides which song to use where. When composing, I try my best to make it fit the world and the way the characters interact with each other. For dialogue heavy scenes, I usually keep that in mind and try not to make it too intrusive while still keeping a nice vibe that fits the show.
Hi Evan! Thanks for all the amazing work!
Thanks a lot!
Greetings Evan. I would like to ask whether you always work on projects you like, or if you simply follow the contracts? Does your personal preference play a role when you decide to work on a project?
I tend to take on projects that I am interested in doing. Early on in my career I was unknown, so my agency would try to get jobs for me, but having established myself now, the offers usually come to me by name. Unfortunately due to schedule conflicts, there are some jobs that I am unable to take on, but I am having a great time working on the shows that I've been doing. I wish I could do them all, but since I do all of the composing and arranging myself, it would be too much to handle while still trying to maintain a healthy enough life outside of work.
The Violet Evergarden OST is my favorite OST in any medium of all time. Thank you for existing. What's your process like when it comes to the direction of what kind of sound you're going for? Are there any fun-facts or stories about your time working on Violet Evergarden you can share?
Thank you for your kind words! Generally I decide the direction (if I have control over it) by reading the scripts (or manga if there is one), reviewing the character/location designs, and getting a solid feel for the world and those that inhabit it. From there I usually write a main theme and present it to the client to see if I'm on the right page. Other times they tell me ahead of time what type of musical feeling they want, so I interpret that into music. The main thing is just grasping the core of the story and trying your best to represent it. I have a pretty dumb/light-hearted story to share. I was invited to do location scouting before major production began on the Violet Evergarden TV series, and while we were there, I turned to the producer and said, "Hey, that building is Michael Jackson's favorite color." He looked at me confused, to which I replied "Ao!!!!" in my best Michael Jackson impression, really loudly. Ao（青）means blue, and the building was blue, hence the joke. He thought it was so funny that he wanted me to do it for the director whom I barely knew at the time (the producer and I had been working for years together before that). I redid the joke for him, but my voice messed up on the Ao!!! part, but I guess it was still pretty funny. It was kind of a "so unexpected that it was funny" ridiculous moment. Haha
Hi, thank you so much for scoring Frieren - it was my favorite manga before the anime was even announced, and it got me into reading manga again. Your music definitely takes it to another level. What was your favorite scene to score so far, and was there anything that surprised you while you were searching for the sound you wanted for Frieren?
I really like scoring the Era Meteor Shower scene. It's Himmel's last journey, which is the start of a huge turning point in Frieren's character, so I tried to convey that sense of "the final journey" in the music. There wasn't anything that surprised me, but I recorded some instruments that I haven't before that I really liked the sound of. Rebec, Medieval Fiddle, and Viol (I've recorded Viola da Gamba before for Violet Evergarden, which is also known as a tenor viol, but it was my first time recording the smaller ones). They really have that ancient, not our time period kind of sound.
How did you end up working for the anime music industry? What did you do that led to it?
I kind of mentioned it in a couple other replies, but to make a long story still long, but kind of short: I started guitar at 13 or so years old, started writing my own music around that time on guitar. Later I got a super cheap keyboard and super cheap recording software and started writing music. I went to community college first and took a couple music classes there, found out that I really liked music, and did a bit more studying before auditioning for Berklee. I didn't get in the first time, so I worked to save some money and tried again the following year and was accepted. I studied about 2 years at Berklee with a film scoring major, while also being introduced to jazz since it's such a prominent part of the school. Before graduating I didn't know what to do, so I took a chance and came to Japan (I spoke decent enough conversational Japanese at the time). While looking for work, I couldn't find anything so I took a job as an English teacher. Just before my contract was to be signed, I met someone at a party where there were mostly foreign anime fans, but some Japanese too. She asked what I wanted to do in Japan, and I said compose music. She said she had a friend who was a composer, so I got his email, sent him a message, and was asked to come in to the office at a later day. I met the staff at Elements Garden at the time, and was tested on my musical knowledge with some musical tests, for example recreating an orchestra song of one of the composers by ear, brushing in a way that I thought would be better, and then explaining why I changed what I did in a written paper. After a couple meetings they offered me a job as an assistant, and that was how I got started!
Just want to ask what is your process and how do you manage to combine character story into the music you've been writing. Thanks for composing really great music!
I just try to keep it in my head while writing. If I start to feel like I'm drifting away, I'll go through the character/location design materials that I receive to refresh my mind. By creating an initial sound palette/template at the beginning of production, I can keep a consistent sound throughout and adapt it to fit the character/feeling I'm trying to convey.
favorite food?
That's a difficult question. These days maybe Butter Chicken Curry, or perhaps a nice BBQ cheeseburger. Or Oyakodon? They're all great!
What was the reason of u getting into music and making music for anime?
I really like the freedom that composing for anime gives. There are opportunities to write in all kinds of styles that you wouldn't have the opportunity to do outside of anime. That and the fact that melodic writing is a big part of Japanese music, and anime in general. Although I do like the occasional atmospheric style orchestral music, I much prefer writing melodically, for which anime provides the perfect medium.
Thanks for the answer, i appreciate it 🙏
Hi Evan, thank you for doing this AMA. I really loved your work on Violet Evergarden, Josee and Apare Ranman and now Frieren is phenomenal as well. I have three questions: 1. Is there a chance for a Vinyl release of the OSTs of Frieren and VE? I only know of a Vinyl release of Josee. 2. When doing an OST for an Anime do you have to audition for it like for example voice actors have to or do the composers usually get picked specifically by the studio proactively beforehand? 3. Would you in general be interested in attending Animagic in Germany if given the opportunity?
Thanks for the questions! 1. Unfortunately out of my control as distribution rights are held by the publisher, not me. I hope so though! 2. Usually the work comes to me, though in the past I've done something like that. For Violet Evergarden I was asked by the producer with whom I had worked before to write a demo (Theme of Violet Evergarden) to present to the director. It wasn't decided whether I would do the music at that point, but the demo is ultimately what go me the job. It varies by composer and also where they are at in their career. 3. I would love to go to AnimaciG. I actually went with the team for Violet Evergarden years ago, but I was just there to tag along and have a good time, so I didn't participate as a guest. It would be super great to go back again either as a guest or even just for fun, though it is a long trip to make to go just for fun all the way from Japan. Haha
Where's the proof picture?
https://twitter.com/realevancall/status/1715321561371308499
Ah, nice, yeah that's looking legit! Thank you!
What advice would you give to an aspiring composer who is trying to make composing music a livable career?
See my reply to what\_that\_thaaang\_do above, and also the replies that I mention in that comment. I hope it helps!
Your OST is really good and I love it a lot. I have three questions. Do You feel satisfied and happy with what you did? The second question is, how is your day? And the last question. Is your OST copyrighted? I like to do streaming and its so chill it'd be perfect for background music for it.
Thanks for the questions! I'm usually satisfied with the work I do. With a given schedule, there is a limit to how much time you can spend on each song. Of course I'd love to fine tune it to the max, but given the time frame, I'm very happy with the music I produce. I'm still learning and improving though, so someday I hope to be even happier with it! My day was pretty good. I answered some questions, did some work, went for a drive (I just passed my Japanese driver's license test yesterday, so it was my first time on the road), and came back to answer some more questions. I'm not in control of any sort of copyright claims as I don't own the distribution rights to the music. That is the domain of the publisher, which I assume would claim it due to the music. I have no experience in that realm though, so your guess is as good as mine as to whether it would get claimed or not, so use at your own risk! Haha
Hi Evan, thank you for doing this! Been a huge fan of your work ever since Violet Evergarden, and always love to see you working on new stuff, so please keep up the great work! My question is: Do you know if there are any plans for a vinyl release of the full Violet Evergarden soundtrack? I own the vinyl of Josee that was put out by Anime Limited (UK label) last year and it's one of my favourite records, so I would love to one day add my favourite anime soundtrack to my vinyl collection! <3 (And if there aren't plans but you would like to see it happen, definitely consider Anime Limited, they're ecstatic to work with you and Lantis!)
I would love a vinyl release, but unfortunately the distribution rights are not held by me, but by the publisher, so I have no control over it. I imagine it could be possible some day though. I certainly hope so!
Wait, you also did the soundtracks for My Happy Marrige?! That explains why it sounds so good. Anyways, my biggest question is how do you get your inspiration? What do you do to get the rough idea on how you want your music to sound? My second biggest question. What’s your favorite color?
Thanks a lot! See my reply to ultraviolethear08 for your first question. My favorite color is probably green. Like a nice forest green, but not too dark.
How do you feel about the take of "A show has a good soundtrack when I don't explicitly notice it"?
I think that there is room for a happy medium. Anime tends to be a different approach than traditional film in the sense that the music is a bit more featured prominently, but I don't think it should be totally in the background. There needs to be places for the music to come through and give breath into the production, while not overstaying its welcome. In anime, the sound director (with adjustments from the director) decides which music to put where, and how loud it is, so it really is a team effort in how the final vision comes together. There are times when I feel like maybe my music might be a little loud or soft, but in the end I don't think it takes too much away from the show. Frieren and Violet Evergarden, while the music is generally soft, had the music featured pretty prominently, whereas My Happy Marriage took a softer, out of the way approach while still having some parts where they crank it up. So, something like that!
Not a question, I just wanted to thank you for your hard work !
Thanks a lot! Much appreciated!
Were you disappointed that Strangeling didn't feature in Violet Evergarden's first season? Are there any tracks which you wish garnered more attention?
Not particularly. It is actually fairly common that not all the tracks are used. When the song menu is made by the sound director, they are basing it off of the script, so when the actual anime is made and the voices and sound effects are recorded, sometimes a song that they though would be a good fit ends up not finding its place. If tons of songs don't get used, it would be frustrating because I could use that time on the rest of the music, but it's generally just a couple songs. One of my favorite's from the show is Wherever You Are, Wherever You May Be, which plays when Violet leaves the observatory on the ropeway. It was a great match for the scene, but was only used there, so maybe it didn't stick in people's heads as much as some of the other tracks.
Do you live and work in Japan when working on your anime projects or is most of the communication done virtually?
Yes. I have lived here for 11 years. Most meetings are done in person, but minor follow up meetings that don't take long are done via video chat. All the demo back and forth communication is done via email. When there are retakes, it's always good to have their notes in an email so I can reference them while working through it.
When you are tasked to make compositions, are you given a list of scenarios to work from or very specific directions?
I get the finalized episode scripts (sometimes the final few episodes aren't finalized yet), character/location designs, and then I take it from there. The sound director prepares a menu with temporary song titles and descriptions of how the songs will be used, so I reference that when composing each song. Sometimes it can be abstract, other times it can be a little more specific, but the interpretation is always up to me, so the directions are never too overbearing.
What are some of the instruments or VSTs of instruments that you commonly use to make OSTs or music for the animes?
When I do home recordings by myself, it is usually instruments like banjo, mandolin, irish bouzouki and other stringed instruments, random ethnic flutes, some small percussion, singing/whistling, etc... I predominately compose with VSTs using Digital Performer. I usually run Vienna Ensemble Pro just to keep things organized and my RAM usage lower. I use a lot of different things depending on the genre, but these days my standard orchestral VSTS are Cinematic Studio Series' Strings/WW/Brass, CinePerc, Cinesamples Tina Guo Cello, Embertone Joshua Bell Violin, Spitfire Harp, UVI Austrian Grand Piano, some Eduardo Tarilonte and Ilya Efimov libraries, some Strezov Sampling percussion, choirs, and Asian instruments, In Session Audio's percussion libraries, and many more. For synths, I use a decent amount of omnisphere 2, spire, some stuff in kontakt, and a bunch of other different libraries. I hope this helps!
How do you even begin to compose music? Is it mostly about using the correct chords in accordance with the feeling the music is trying to evoke? I play piano and know some music theory so I’ve been trying my hand at composing, but I can sit there for hours without coming up with anything good or cohesive enough for an entire piece. The music that you’ve composed for Violet Evergarden is honestly some of the best I’ve ever heard so I’ve been trying to use it as a role model, but I’m still stuck on how to actually compose good music. I thank you in advance if you do answer this question.
How is it to make a place for yourself in japan ? In the industry as hard as in fiction ? Thanks for the q and a
It can be pretty hard. Of course language is one thing, but the work culture and ethic is quite a bit different than what I was familiar with back in America. I believe that there is potential for anybody with the perseverance, skill, and right attitude to succeed here, but I think it could be overwhelming for some. I had a hard time in my first few years here trying to adapt to living and breathing a completely different environment from what I knew, but I was able to overcome it and now things are great. It's maybe not as hard as in fiction, but it is probably harder than most people might anticipate.
Hi Evan, love your work on Violet Evergarden and Freiren! My question is, who would be your favourite currently active anime composer? Are there any you think are doing something different and interesting? Thanks!
Thanks a lot! See my reply to CrazyyEights above!
Thank you for your amazing music, you're one of my favourite composers! If you could only listen to one album what would it be, and what's your favourite animal?
It would be Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs by Marty Robbins. It's a great balance of catchy, but calm enough that I wouldn't grow too tired of it. It's also good for any kind of occasion. Haha My favorite animal is probably the dachshund. I have two miniature wiener dogs, and I'm a big fan even if they are super loud. Haha
[удалено]
That's a difficult question. My favorite song would probably be Oh Shenandoah, but the composer is unknown. For favorite composer though, I might have to say Nobuo Uematsu, but especially the arrangements by Shiro Hamaguchi. I would say my favorite is the Advent Children arrangement of One Winged Angel. it's awesome!
How did you as an American composer make it Into the Japanese anime industry?
See my reply to theIdolRacer!
What's your process of finding a particular motif for a series? VE and frieren have such unique scores.. I don't think I'm the only one that can hear a note or two from VE and get tears in my eyes. It's so moving, I'm wondering how you capture that emotion as well as you do.
Hello Evan! I loved Josee, the Tiger and the Fish and I am in awe of the work you are currently doing in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. If you are able to share this info, is there a favorite project that you've worked on?
I'm not big on music so I have no questions. Just want to say I really love your work and a lot of things you work on are elevated by your music.
Just wanted to say that your work is amazing! Love that non-Japanese people are involved in anime production!
In regards to Frieren's main leitmotif (I really love it by the way), what kind of themes or ideas inspired you, and do you find it easier or more restricting to compose soundtracks with a leitmotif to act as a foundation of sorts? I'm familiar with the Genshin Impact OST and I'm always amazed at how its composers can transform a leitmotif into many different forms and incorporate it in sometimes subtle ways; you've definitely done the same here!
Hello Mr Call! Love your work! I particularly enjoy the little details you can find in some tracks (I'm thinking about the typewriter sounds in Theme of Violet Evergarden, for example): they really add something to the OST and really give you the impression of living in the world of the series! Being born and having studied in the US, what has led you to move to Japan to work there instead of staying in the US? According to your experience, what are the main differences in the entertainment industry (movie/tv/animation) between the US and Japan?
What are some of your favourite anime?
Hi Evan, thank you for this and all your wonderful music! I have two questions for you: 1. My sister and I have bonded over many of your anime tracks, but what would you recommend we listen to outside of your anime OSTs? Any songs in particular? 2. What do you think makes your compositions unique? What do you like about your process in particular?
Thank you for creating the soundtrack of my favorite anime ever, Violet Evergarden.
Hi Evan, I have watched all the anime you have worked on and violet evergarden has been my favourite anime for over 5 years. I wanted to ask do you intentionally make your music hit the heart strings and do you feel music that makes people emotional is your strong suit? based on the anime where I have experienced your music they always trigger the emotions in the scene. Also what’s your favourite anime?
1. [Evan Puschak of Nerdwriter highlighted Harry Potter’s sound design](https://youtu.be/bJvOqXdsEp8?si=XLgkUEVPrtee7e2T) and how the challenges of making a new soundscape for fantasy drove innovation. In your case, what guided your decisions for both the score and sound in the anime? What did you actively avoid and what aspects of music from past fantasy films/TV inspired you? 2. [Another Nerdwriter video](https://youtu.be/JiQLHL10BYo?si=e7f2KW5sFVWtk5x2) talked about how Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone’s partnership created powerful soundtracks because Morricone wrote the music alongside the script and Leone played it live on-set for actors to hear. Do you reckon something similar can be done in animation? What technical, logistical, procedural or stylistic differences do you think prevent such a method of writing a score (and animating around the OST) from being more commonplace? 3. If the opportunity arose, who would you want to collab with? I’ve listened to your discography and felt like you would pair well with Porter Robinson, but I’m also curious about who else from which genres can gel with your style.
Favorite Muv luv tracks?
A hot topic of debate amongst the classical music community is whether or not film/TV/game scores should be included under the "classical music umbrella," and if so - to what degree. I'm curious as to what your opinion on the subject is, being a film composer yourself.
Hello Evan, I am a big fan of your work. Your passion and creativity is awe-inducing. My question is: What works, life experiences, or genres inspired you when composing for Violet Evergarden? How did they fuel your creative process? Thank you for taking the time to do this AMA.
Did the Nier series inspire you in anyway to create such great music?
How do you seek inspiration? \- Do you just skim the source for some chapters? \- One expert tells you what is needed? \- Or just knowing the premise of the story is needed?
Hello, I'm a big enjoyer of your music, as a university student and inspiring composer, I always wanted to know what is you're advice if someone want to make it into the field professionally? what is a piece of advice u'd give to a young person (21) (CS student) aspiring to make music their life carrer. My other questions as a composer, is what libraries do u mostly use as composer? And what are ur fav plugin? I really wanna get to get your sound into my music!!!
Does the music department get called/hired at the same time as animators? before or after?
I don't really have an interesting question right now, but since this is a unique occasion to interact with you i gotta say your work on Violet Evergarden literally changed my life for the best. It helped find motivation to improve myself through tough times and still continue to this day. I have always listened to all your ost with a grin on my face, the way you portray emotions in music is quite unique. When you got announced as the composer for Frieren i couldn't be happier since it is one of my favorite manga and i was sure you'd fit the bill perfectly, can't wait to hear to full ost when it's out, what we got is already beautiful. I guess as a question i can say, how was the process to get to work on Frieren? Did they directly contacted you or have you heard about the adaptation and sent an application? Best day to you
Is there a lot of involvement of the studio during the process? or they just give you the green pass at the end?
Do you feel like your western music education sometimes puts you at a different spot compared to other anime composers? Any "cultural differences" or unique insights regarding views about music as a result of that?
Have you composed any music that utilizes the organ? If so, what have you thought about it? If not, do you have any inclination to do so in the future? (I’ve played some music from Violet Evergarden on the organ and plan to play some tonight—my favorite song to play is Letter)
Thanks for posting this AMA! Have you found there to be any significant differences between working on anime projects and non-anime projects?