We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Louis Robert King. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Louis Robert below.
Louis Robert , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Most of my career has been spent creating music for the purpose of supporting a larger entity. Early on it was composing music for national television ads, later it evolved into creating music for film and series. In 2023, as a member of The Ironsides, we released the album “Changing Light”. This was the first large scale project of music for music’s sake that I’ve introduced to the world. The album is a collection of instrumentals featuring a traditional soul/r&b rhythm section with a live orchestra. Although the music is cinematic in scale and mood, its inspiration comes from a variety of musical influences. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of some amazing projects, but the opportunity for creative expression that wasn’t mirroring a larger narrative was an extremely satisfying experience. The most meaningful outcome of the album has been the overwhelmingly positive response it has received. There’s nothing quite like having someone tell you how much your music means to them.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a NYC based composer, arranger, recording artist and member of the Recording Academy (Grammys®). My path to becoming a professional composer started after I graduated from Berklee College of Music. I moved to New York and was hired as a composer’s assistant at a music production facility that specialized in music for advertising and branding. Soon after starting I became the in-house arranger, orchestrator and conductor. It was an incredible experience to be conducting and leading recording sessions with New York’s best musicians on a weekly basis and arranging for such high-profile projects as the Columbia Pictures Opening Titles, which is still in use today. Soon after, I began composing for ads as a freelancer, creating award-winning musical branding for major companies including Xbox, Google, Nintendo, and Geico to name a few. In 2018 my composition for the HP short-branded film “The Show,” was nominated to be part of the AICP’s permanent collection at MOMA. During this period, I also orchestrated for films such as Disney’s “The Little Mermaid 2”, Rob Marshall’s adaptation of “Annie”
I wanted to do something a little more satisfying creatively, so in 2019 I turned my attention to scoring films. To date, I have created orchestral, hybrid, and jazz scores for more than 25 indie short films across genres. These films have more than 350 festival appearances and won more than 60 awards. I really love the alchemy of music with visual narrative, and believe film is the best medium to showcase this collaborative chemical reaction.
I’ve also had the pleasure of creating arrangements for other artist’s recordings including collaborations with the Monophonics, Kelly Finnigan, Alyanna Royale, The Whatitdo Archive Group, and The Sextones. In the realm of live performances, I have worked with Janelle Monae for her appearance at Ralph Lauren’s 2019 fashion event, Evan Rachel Wood for her LACMA Art + Film Gala appearance, and was part of the music team for Ralph Lauren’s 50th anniversary show in Central Park.
All of those experiences led me to making ‘Changing Light” as a part of The Ironsides. It’s a collection of instrumental music influenced by the great European film scores of the late 60’s and early 70’s. I co-wrote the music and arranged the orchestra myself. The album received glowing reviews and was was number 7 on Shindig’s Best of 2023 Writer’s Poll, named number 7 on Popmatter’s Best Library Albums of 23’, and included in Goldmine’s Top 10 Soul and R&B Albums of 23’.
I enjoy having so many different avenues to express myself musically. I believe each project builds on the ones that came before. Every project brings new challenges and lessons and although the project type may differ, creating interesting and effective music is at the core of everything I do.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Regardless of project type, my goal is to create the unexpected. It could be a film score that supports the story in a way the director didn’t know they wanted, a genre defying album, or a string arrangement with a unique approach that enhances a song’s emotional impact. With film in particular, my intention is to compose a score that creates another dimension in the narrative, music that will capture the essence of the film and deepen the experience for the audience. Collaboration is always at the forefront of my approach as I strive to satisfy the needs of the larger project while expressing my creative voice within that framework.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Honestly I would say my entire career has unfolded as a story of perseverance and resilience… but this is true for every creative isn’t it? While I appreciate and celebrate the successes, there are always disappointments. Opportunities that go elsewhere, projects that fail to happen for a myriad of reasons, rooms you haven’t managed to get a foothold into. To quote the Godfather Part Two “This is the business we’ve chosen”. Ideally you get to a place where you’re confident in who you are as an artist and believe these challenges are due to external forces rather than a product of your talents or ability. Now that’s not to say I don’t continually work on improving my skills and embrace opportunities to learn and grow as an artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.louisrobertking.com
- Instagram: @loukingcomposes
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-robert-king-b711ba90
- Other: The Ironsides “Changing Light”: https://colemine.lnk.to/clmn12051
Image Credits
Credit: Ironsides cover artwork by Antoine Paikert
Champion Eye Photo/Soho Film Festival