Composer Tom Schraeder joins me for my first-ever in-person interview. Tom and I broke the ice by chatting for about an hour in my kitchen before heading downstairs and hitting record, and I think the comfort really shows up here. Tom has scored a number of horror films particularly, in addition to a long career as a folk musician, and we use both as jumping off points for our discussion, digging into more conceptual pieces rather than focusing on any single particular score or piece of music (although plenty still come up. As such, it’s a pretty wide-ranging conversion, not only hitting a few of his old and upcoming scores, but also things like anxiety, finding musicians to work with, and music serving as a way to memorialize those who’ve passed.
I’ve known Tom for a few years now, but this was the first time we’ve had a chance to meet up in person. Safe to say I was a bit nervous, as with every similar first “meet”, but the nerves were unwarranted. If anything, I think the in-person nature of the interview made it easier, more natural, more fun. Hopefully, it’s something I can do more often.
You can find out more about Tom on his website. Tom’s various scores, and much of his other music, are available on all major platforms.
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