All right – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alex Cap. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alex, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I am grateful for the amount of flexibility I am afforded from working as a composer. Most of my work can be done from home, which saves on commuting time. As long as I can deliver quality music on time, I can structure my day how I want. I do also teach private piano lessons part time, and for this I need to commute, but I generally don’t need to do this until the afternoons, so I can use the hours of the morning when I am freshest to do any composing-related work. If I had a regular 9-5, I would likely have less energy after a full day of work. As you can see, even in the “9-5” scenario, I am picturing how that would work alongside of my creative work rather than instead of it.

That said, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to just work a regular job – the way my personality works, this is unavoidable. In spite of being able to set up my schedule however I feel like it, I have chosen quite a rigid structure, and each weekday looks largely the same. This is perhaps a good thing, as it trains my brain into knowing when it’s time to work and when it’s not, but I know not everyone will jump for that structure if given the blank canvas of a day. All that to say, my brain desires predictability.

The part of a regular job that is most intriguing for me is a steady paycheck. So far, my income as a composer has been quite irregular. This has necessitated me taking on other work to supplement, which accounts for dry spells and enables me to accept lower budget gigs with directors who are just starting out so I can build relationships. While the way I have been doing that has “worked” so far, it doesn’t come without its drawbacks. Teaching piano lessons itself is not always stable, as I have to deal with multiple families’ schedules. I also (currently) drive to each student’s home, which potentially negates the benefit of not needing to commute for my composing work. The fragmented nature of my income streams (which also include side projects, licensing, etc.) means that, while one stream drying up isn’t a big deal, I’m technically always looking for work. So, the idea of only needing to go to one place and that being a sufficient source of income is appealing to me.

Of course, this is probably the “grass is greener” conundrum – there are plenty of difficulties that come along with having a typical job that I am grateful to not currently have to deal with.

Alex, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I write music for all kinds of media, both interactive and non-interactive: film, games, tv, vr, etc. I do that across many different types of platforms within those industries, from feature films that screen in movie theaters down to mobile games. The type of music I specialize in is underscore, and my favorite part of creating this involves coming up with themes that will provide the main source of motivic content from which I will draw upon to bring the project to a cohesive goal and reach the director’s vision for the emotional purpose of the score. Aside from underscore, I occasionally write songs (usually with lyricists), and when I have a chance, I will also write music just for music’s sake, not tied to any particular project. This usually takes the shape of concert band and wind ensemble works.

I’m proud of not only having a wide breadth of experience in different styles of music, but also of being able to apply that to each project I work on in a way that it feels like the music was “meant to be.”

As a fun side project, I’ve also been putting piano cover videos on YouTube. I’ve covered some music from games, film, and anime, and right now, while I’m well aware that plenty of people do this already, I’m in the stage of just seeing if there’s interest for the way I do it. Then, if it seems there’s enough interest, I will focus on getting that pursuit to become a sustainable side business. As much as I enjoy writing my own music, this passion originally stems from an appreciation of music other people wrote for the games and films I enjoyed growing up.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think the amount of time you need to put into your refining your craft is something that can be easily glossed over. You can go to school for 4-8 years and come out with a couple degrees and be already employable in a whole host of fields (even if at least for entry-level jobs). But, at least in my case, I have now been playing piano for 28 years, writing music for 23 years, and writing multimedia music for about 13 years. This is a lifetime pursuit I continually work at. In addition to that (and this part is in no way specific to music), as the industry evolves, I learn new approaches and techniques, such that (all other things being equal) if I went about a project today like I would have done so 10 years ago, it would not be as effective.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I used to think I always had to be working. While there’s definitely a side of the industry that promotes this mentality in Los Angeles, I had felt that way before I even moved here, when I was still in New Jersey. I think the reason I felt this way is because, when I started to get my first transcription, orchestration, and arranging gigs, I wanted to make a good showing and demonstrate that I can do the job well and quickly. Up until then, I had only been getting gigs as a pianist, but these other opportunities were new and exciting and were closer to the world of composing I had just started getting interested in. So, nobody taught me this “lesson” – I just figured it was something I had to do. I think this is a trap many people fall into, especially when they’re new to a profession they’re really passionate about.

After several years (which is way too long to have taken to figure this out), I realized that I didn’t have to be working nonstop to meet deadlines. In fact, giving myself set hours encourages me to be more productive with that limited time. If I am working all throughout the day, a task is more likely to drag on longer than needed. Learning how to manage my time better had two benefits – not only do I get my work done faster, but I also have more time for other activities that I enjoy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alexcap.mx
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alexcapmx
• Facebook: https://fb.me/alexcapmx
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexcapmx
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexcapmx
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@alexcapmx
• Email newsletter: https://eepurl.com/bPvKm9
• Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/alex-cap/1422528905
• Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/AlexCapMx

Image Credits
Xiaoshu Amy Chen, Brandon Smith, Kevin Stiller