Go behind-the-scenes with musician and PremiumBeat Composer Alan Hampton as he shares with WePresent what drives him to create.
PremiumBeat Composer Alan Hampton is a force to be reckoned with in the Los Angeles music scene. A session bassist, singer-songwriter, and PremiumBeat composer, Alan is a true genius of sound with a knack for musical storytelling.
We wanted to know more about what drives Alan to create, so we partnered with WePresent, WeTransfer’s creative storytelling platform. Featuring unexpected stories about creative minds, we accompanied WePresent to Alan’s Los Angeles-based studio for a behind-the-scenes look. To view the full story on WePresent, click here.
Behind-the-Scenes at Alan’s Los Angeles-Based Studio
We joined WePresent at Alan’s Los Angeles-based music studio to see the action unfold as Alan told his story. With bright colored lights and creative styling, WePresent worked with the talented Dylan Jong on photography, with styling by Sandy Phan, whose stunning imagery can be found in the main article here. Our own Shutterstock Editorial photographer Chelsea Lauren joined this creative duo to capture the behind-the-scenes making of this story come to life. The behind-the-scenes images can be seen throughout this blog post.
This is a small preview of the article, which can be found in full on WePresent. Click here to view the full article. Or, click here to listen to Alan’s portfolio of stunning work on PremiumBeat.
PremiumBeat Composer Alan Hampton on Writing Music
When asked about his musical process by WePresent, the talented composer said, “Writing music has always been my safe place. When I was learning jazz and didn’t know the language yet, I could go home and write music. That was my way of processing the fundamentals of jazz. I could do it on my own terms and incorporate it into my own language. So, I’ve always written songs.”
Chasing Musical Dreams Doesn’t Have to be About Fame
When you picture someone saying they’re a musician in Los Angeles, you may picture them chasing the Hollywood dream of fame and fortune, among the rich and famous. That doesn’t have to be the case. Alan Hampton is a brilliant enigma of the music industry and isn’t in it solely to pursue fame and fortune.
On creating a solo record, Alan stated to WePresent that he wasn’t interested in creating a record as a career move, at all. “It was just something I had to do. I had been writing all these songs — and I had all these opinions when I would go and work on someone else’s record. And I thought, ‘Man, I need to make a record and put my opinions there.’”
On Being a PremiumBeat Composer and Contributor
When discussing his contributions as a PremiumBeat composer and contributor, Alan says it’s less about the money he earns than it is about the flexibility it provides. “It has empowered me to be more selective on what sideman gigs I do,” he explains to WePresent. In the past, “in some situations, I would have to take a tour that I would rather not take. I’m able to create that balance for myself.”
As for advice for future PremiumBeat composers, Alan advised composers to “Pick a reference track and really study it. Try to match the drums and the other sounds. Listen to how the melodic parts fit together —compositionally and sonically.” For more of Alan’s sound advice, access the full article here.
WePresent + Shutterstock
WePresent and Shutterstock have partnered to support creatives by highlighting the dynamic offering from PremiumBeat, a Shutterstock service dedicated to sourcing and licensing music for media. The flexibility of PremiumBeat enables musicians from all around the world to stay creative, while also earning a living from their craft.
Featured Image by Chelsea Lauren.
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