HORSES. When. Dance AN INTERVIEW WITH FREESTYLE COMPOSER TOM HUNT. by Danielle Demers

Transcription

1 72 IN THE PICTURE When HORSES by Danielle Demers Dance AN INTERVIEW WITH FREESTYLE COMPOSER TOM HUNT A dressage freestyle is an art form, and the music behind it can make or break the performance. To the non-dressage eye, watching a top-level freestyle is equivalent to watching a professional dancer or figure skater. The moves mesmerize as the horse dances to the music. If you have watched one of Olympic Gold-medalist and World Champion Charlotte Dujardin OBE and Valegro s incredible, oftentimes record-breaking freestyles, you have listened to Tom Hunt s music. Hunt, a composer and producer based in London, has worked with Dujardin since 2012, and now also composes the freestyle music for the entire British Olympic dressage team, including Dujardin s mentor Carl Hester, and other Grand Prix riders across the world. Puissance America interviewed Hunt about the fascinating process behind composing music that is beautiful, emotive and perfectly timed to the horse s every footfall and transition throughout a dressage test. PUISSANCE AMERICA: COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND IN MUSIC COMPOSITION AND PRODUCTION? WHEN DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THE WORLD OF DRESSAGE? WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BEGIN COMPOSING AND PRODUCING FREESTYLE MUSIC? Tom Hunt: I have had a love of film and movie soundtracks for as long as I can remember, and I think this is where it all began for me. Growing up, I wanted to create music and films, and film scores were huge sources of inspiration. I love storytelling and the way music can reinforce the emotion and impact of images on a screen.

2 IN THE PICTURE 73 Charlotte Dujardin OBE and Valegro perform their famous Rio 2016 dessage freestyle at Valegro's retirement ceremony at the 2016 Olympia Horse Show in London; photo Christopher Demers

3 74 IN THE PICTURE Portrait of Tom Hunt; photo Tom Hunt Music 2017 Orchestral film scores stood out to me from an early age because I have always been fascinated by the sound of an orchestra; the different dynamics and textures that each section creates. In addition to orchestral music, I also listened to a lot of popular music and sang and played guitar in several bands and music groups while attending school. I studied music at Leeds College of Music, where I majored in composition in my final year. Throughout my time at university I was exposed to many different genres of music and playing styles. It was there that I started learning about music software and creating my compositions on a computer. Over the years, I taught myself how to orchestrate orchestral music using samples libraries and mixing these sounds with live instruments, all on a computer. Shortly after graduating, I saw a dressage freestyle on TV. This was the first time I had seen dressage and I remember feeling intrigued at how the music was being used to match what the horse and rider were doing. My initial impression was that the music wasn t quite fitting the footfall of the horse and that the music, specifically around the transitions, sounded disjointed and random. I was inspired to compose original music that was designed specifically to a horse s tempo and rhythm and that flowed seamlessly through the different transitions and changes. So I bought a DVD of a Grand Prix international dressage freestyle competition and wrote down everything the commentators were saying. I quickly learned how to distinguish between the different movements, learning what words like piaffe and passage, halfpass and extension meant in this context. The commentator I was listening to on the DVD, Richard Davison, is now a good friend and I have recently worked with him to compose and produce his new Grand Prix freestyle.

4 IN THE PICTURE 75 PA: HOW IS FREESTYLE MUSIC CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH RIDERS AND THEIR HORSES? COULD YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS FROM THE TIME YOU ARE COMMISSIONED TO CREATE THE MUSIC THROUGH FINAL PRODUCTION PHASES? Charlotte & Valegro; photo Christopher Demers TH: I like to begin each process by speaking to the rider to gain an understanding of the horse s character and learn of any music preferences that the rider may have relating to style and tone for the freestyle. I work to a video of the floor plan (defined as the choreographed compilation of dressage movements within a time limit) being ridden, which, in most cases, is sent to me directly from the rider. Once I have the video, I take a look at the horse and analyze the floor plan, making note of where the dynamics and expression of the test are emphasized. I load everything into my workstation (DAW) on my computer and create a template which serves as the structure for the music, and ultimately, the finished composition. The template includes detailed tempo track outlining all the tempo changes that the horse makes throughout the test most importantly through the transitions. Once I have the template in place, I begin composing the music to the video of the floor plan so that I can make sure all the phrasing and tempos are matching up with the horse s footfalls. I create demos of music set to the video and send these to the rider for feedback. PA: WHAT MAKES A FREESTYLE COMPOSITION GREAT? WHICH ELEMENTS ARE KEY? TH: A great freestyle is one that engages its audience, evokes emotions and is remembered for

5 76 IN THE PICTURE Hunt's workspace, including the technology and equipment he uses to compose and produce freestyle music; photo Tom Hunt Music 2017 highlighting the horse s strengths and emphasizing movement through the use and variation of rhythm and tempo. A great freestyle has a memorable theme. PA: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PRODUCE ONE COMPOSITION? DO YOU NORMALLY WORK ON MULTIPLE COMPOSITIONS AT ONCE? TH: Yes, I can produce different pieces of music during the same time frame. Before I begin a freestyle, I work out a specific schedule which will outline my production time. Often, music schedules will overlap with each other, but having the variety of different work actually helps the creative process. PA: YOU FAMOUSLY COMPOSED THE MUSIC FOR CHARLOTTE DUJARDIN OBE AND VALEGRO S 2012 AND 2016 OLYMPIC FREESTYLES. WHICH OTHER RIDERS HAVE YOU WORKED WITH? NATIONALLY? INTERNATIONALLY? TH: I composed the music for all of the British riders in Rio, which was a great honor. I also composed music for other countries including the USA and Sweden. I am fortunate to have also worked with riders from several parts of the world such as Poland, Russia, Spain and Belgium. It s definitely a global sport! It s a real privilege to work with riders and their horses. Watching riders do what they do is very impressive and inspiring. I will always remember the first time I saw Valegro performing in the Grand Prix Special at Hickstead back in 2011 and how different he was from the other horses. There was just something special about Charlotte and Valegro and it was clear that everyone noticed their presence. I remember thinking, I really want to do their music! PA: ANY EXCITING FUTURE PROJECTS YOU CAN TELL US ABOUT? TH: I am currently composing and producing an original score for a film called The Adventures of Selika, which is being directed by Sybil H. Mair, with whom I have worked previously on the film The Equestrian. I am also working on an album of my own music which will be available to download later in the year from itunes. Tom produces music for all levels of dressage, from Novice to Grand Prix. For more information on Tom s music and how to make contact please visit tomhuntmusic.com. Tom at th@tomhuntmusic.com.