Author Interview: Smelin

This week in our series of interviews of AudioJungle authors, we meet…

Smelin (Steven Melin)

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do for a living?

I was born in Lawrenceville, Georgia, but currently reside at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia as a Piano Performance major. I am 19 and aspire to becoming a professional composer.

2. How long have you been composing music and what got you started producing?

I composed my very first piece at age 11 and have been actively composing ever since. I started with simple piano pieces, but my skill evolved into orchestral and eventually symphonic scores.

3. Do you play any instruments? Do you have any formal music training?

I am in every way a classically-trained pianist, but break the mold by playing several other instruments as well. I’ve actively pursued piano since I was 7; violin since I was 11; voice since I was 14; percussion since last year; guitar this year. I strongly believe that a good composer is one who can play every instrument he writes for.

4. Could you describe to us your home studio and the equipment and software you typically use to produce audio?

I’m a cheap college kid and can’t afford much, so I’ve done my research and own exactly what I need to make professional-quality audio. Whenever I compose, I just connect a MIDI cable to my Yamaha P-80 and open up Finale and/or Fruity Loops Studio 9.

With EWQL Symphonic Orchestra, EWQL Colossus, and SampleTank 2, I am able to generate just about anything I want to. I do this all on my humble Compaq Presario C700 Notebook, but I’m getting by without spending a fortune.

5. Could you tell us a bit about how you typically compose and then produce your audio? Describe your creative process.

I would consider my methods highly unorthodox… I essentially compose pieces in one sitting, sometimes a few more. Granted, the majority of my work consists of short 3-minute orchestral loops, but I occasionally write much longer and complex symphonic/choral pieces. I feel like I have an abnormally creative mind for composition. I can literally sit down at a piano and write a piece impromptu for any context.

I write one of two ways – on paper or in FL Studio. By paper, I mean first on scratch paper with chords/melodies which then translates to hand-written staff paper and then Finale; alternatively, I just pull up some sounds (like a violin sample) in FL Studio and play around until I am satisfied. All final products are then filtered through Audacity to adjust volume levels and to normalize.

6. What genre of music do you enjoy producing for and why?

I compose for all sorts of genres, but my deepest passion is for cinematic/fantasy music. I believe that this romantic music speaks to the soul truer than any other genre. The music in films like Star Wars and video games like Final Fantasy have absolutely inspired me. My goal is to become a film scorer or video game composer, so it’s very fitting that I pursue that genre.

7. What kind of things inspire you to create music? Do you have any musical influences?

I often write music based on themes, emotions, or cinematic events. To invent a melody, I just imagine a scene in nature, a mood I’ve been feeling, an epic cinematic battle, or anything else.

8. What genres of music do you listen to in your spare time? Do you have any favorite bands or artists?

In my daily music life, I am so highly exposed to classical music that I often take “musical refuge” in the extreme opposites: rock and heavy metal.

I’ve never played favorites with artists/bands, primarily because I get bored too easily if I listen to more than a few songs from any group (I’m a huge “shuffle” fan). But, among my favorites are: The Beatles, Metallica, The Eagles, Styx, Vinnie Moore… and the list goes on and on.  Of course, I’m a huge fan of old-school composers Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, etc.

9. What is your advice to other AudioJungle authors regarding how to create a successful portfolio of audio?

When submitting your work to AudioJungle, you need to decide up front if you’re uploading to make money or to share quality music.

If you’re looking for monetary success, as many artists are (nothing against them, of course), upload sound effect packs or short, catchy corporate tunes. The majority of AJ customers buy music for websites and short projects, so these simple audio jingles, although priced very low, get purchased in enormous amounts.

Alternatively, artists like myself submit symphonic, piano, ambient, etc. pieces to share quality music. Naturally, it’s a bonus if I make some money off of my work, but more importantly, I find encouragement when others support my work.

10. What do you do to market your AudioJungle files?

I try to make each track speak for itself. If someone likes one of my pieces, they are more than likely going to visit my profile, but it’s even more effective to provide links to your collections in each track description.

Utilizing all of AudioJungle’s features is always a great idea too. Simple things like putting your artist name on your avatar (instead of a blank picture) and spicing up your profile description can help.

11. What are your three favorite tracks in your AudioJungle portfolio and why do you like them?

Ripple in the Pond

This was my first upload to AJ and remains my biggest hit to this day. I thoroughly enjoyed creating this piano solo and I’ll often find myself humming the inspirational melody.

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Safe Haven

The ethnic feeling of the Erhu (Chinese flute) in this piece is very inspirational.

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Distress

Although this track is rather short, it loops extremely well and remains my favorite symphonic piece to date. I really enjoy the oboe melody at the beginning and the build-up in the violins in the second section.

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12. Apart from yourself, who is your favorite AudioJungle author and why do you like them?

To be honest, I don’t browse through other artists’ portfolios very often, so it’s rather difficult choosing a favorite. But, Leto stands out in my mind. He is a prime example of an artist who can be successful creating both commercial corporate music and cinematic music. He does very well in both mediums.

13. If you could change anything about AudioJungle, what would it be?

It’s rather upsetting that an Exclusive Author only gains 40% proceeds, but I’m not complaining – I enjoy AudioJungle.

14. Could you tell us about some of your audio projects outside of AudioJungle? What have been some of your biggest audio successes so far?

I’ve scored for a number of free video games and short films, but I have no claim to fame.

15. When you aren’t busy creating music, what do you like to do in your spare time?

Playing video games? Although true, I’m not as much of a computer nerd as I might seem. I thoroughly enjoy playing sports and getting involved with Boy Scouts. I’m an Eagle Scout after all.

View / listen to Smelin’s AudioJungle portfolio.