We were lucky to catch up with Dónal Rafferty recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dónal, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Thanks for having me! So I actually worked in other industries (engineering and technology) for over a decade before deciding to pursue music professionally. Working in the “corporate world”, despite progressing and growing professionally as an individual, I began to feel the cyclical nature of the industries I was operating in. I was becoming more aware of corporations functioning like machines for people’s careers, was experiencing increasing pressure to prove greater impact in the eyes of the powers that be, and felt like I was in a constant race to be promoted into a dwindling number of more senior roles the further up the corporate ladder I climbed. The effort and time I put into work would be remunerated of course, but its impact and recognition was ephemeral. As we all know, new and better solutions are constantly being engineered that solve problems better and faster, and make the former obsolete. Furthermore, I grew to realize that it was always the more “creative” projects that I derived deeper satisfaction and fulfillment from. So after ten years working in this environment, I sought more lasting impact and a form of permanency from the fruits of my labor. Having been involved with classical music earlier in life (I studied piano and theory, and sang with The Palestrina Choir), I had often marveled at how composers’ work transcended the ages. Once I started composing in earnest myself, I grew to realize I experienced so much more fulfillment from creating something lasting and permanent. That spurred my decision to pursue music professionally.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a music composer, especially focused on scoring visual and theatrical media. I’m originally from Dublin, Ireland, and came to the US in 2013 by way of London (England), where I’d attended grad school and lived for 5 years. Academically, I first completed a Mechanical Engineering degree and worked in that field for a couple of years. But having studied music in childhood, and dipping into composing in my spare time while working as an engineer, I felt the draw to return to university to get a Music degree. And after that, I couldn’t resist pursuing a Masters degree in Music Composition.

In 2020, after working in technology (most recently in Silicon Valley) for about a decade, I decided to relocate from the Bay Area to Los Angeles to pursue being a music composer professionally. Taking part in the Los Angeles Film Conducting Intensive (lafci.org) workshop in my first months here was an exciting way to get things started! I conducted 50 of the best players in town performing my own music on the Newman Scoring Stage at FOX Studios! I also got to connect with local filmmakers through Film Independent (filmindependent.org) workshops, and went on to score their films. More recently, I’ve assisted established composers Edward Shearmur and Fil Eisler working on major Hollywood productions, and been mentored by many professionals working in various music and music-adjacent roles in LA through being a Fellow of The Society of Composers & Lyricists (thescl.com) Mentor Program (2022-23).

I’ve written and produced music for commercials, online video content, theater, and film, and honestly, I love doing it all! I find it constantly challenging and interesting. A really interesting project I worked on (during COVID) was a short film by an LA-based Spanish director Rubén Navarro (ruben-navarro.com). There is no dialogue in the entire film, only score, and he really wanted something original and different for the score. It really pushed me into new creative territory as an artist, but it was worth it – I created something unique that I’m both proud of, and don’t think any other scenario would have generated. The film is called ‘I Am’, check it out.

The thing about being a composer for visual and theatrical media, is that you’re not only wearing your “artist” hat on the job, but you’re also required to be – and often more importantly – a problem solver. The composer is often coming in at the end of a project when much of the work is done, and you’re expected to be that perfectly fitting jigsaw piece that makes it all work. Having solid music composition skills is of course a prerequisite, but that’s actually the easy part!. The best composers are master problem solvers, negotiators, and communicators. I think my corporate experience working internationally with a wide range of people gives me a certain maturity and experience that are assets to me as a professional composer. That said, I continue to be open to learning and growing with every project I take on – that’s what keeps it fresh. You have to stay curious and open as an artist!

In your view, what can society do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

There are multiple parts to this; creating pathways for artists to move from being “emergent” to “professional”, giving artists the space and means to be creative, and providing platforms to showcase their work so that eventually they get to a level of success where they don’t need to be supported with the former.

Many countries (and some cities in the US) have tried or introduced basic income schemes for artists, like Ireland and Iceland. I think this is an admirable initiative and one that can make a real impact in fostering a thriving creative ecosystem. Without support, artistic careers are restricted to either the more wealthy in society, or those who have to hold down other jobs to make ends meet, which diverts their focus from creative endeavors.

Surprisingly, formal mentorship opportunities for film composers are few and far between in LA, the SCL Mentor Program being the exception. The early years of establishing yourself as a professional composer are hugely challenging, but also a critical time in one’s career. Many have to do it while holding down other jobs. The Universal Composers Initiative (by Universal Pictures) is one DEI-focused mentorship program for film composers, but I would like to see *every* major LA studios have composer recruitment programs to help bridge the gap between the emerging and professional composer stages.

In terms of providing a platform to showcase artistic talent (specifically relating to new art music), I think there is more that could be done at the federal and state levels to support new music in the US. Having lived in the UK, I could go see a world-class orchestra like the London Symphony Orchestra perform for less than £10, and rarely did I ever pay more than £50. In the US, it’s rare to be able to get into a concert hall to see a major orchestra for less than $100! Sadly, the concert hall in the USA is still not an accessible art space that everyone can enjoy, which is a major barrier to connecting new audiences with new music. Furthermore, there’s not enough programming of new music in concert halls. I would like to see *every* concerts by a professional orchestra feature new music by a living composer; professional music organizations should be promoting and showcasing contemporary working artists!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Connecting with people through my art. I love getting audience feedback on my music, whether it’s after a film screening, after a concert performance, or via my inbox from someone who’s heard it out in the world. Knowing what I’m doing connects with people helps me believe that what I’m doing matters.

Contact Info:

• Website: donalrafferty.net
• Instagram: donal.rafferty.music
• Facebook: DonalRaffertyMusic
• Linkedin: donalrafferty
• Twitter: ComposerDonal
• Youtube: DonalRaffertyComposer
• Other: linktr.ee/DonalRafferty