We recently connected with Roberto Prado and have shared our conversation below.

Roberto , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I once thought that making a living as an artist, while also supporting myself and others, seemed like an unreachable dream. I grew up in Brazil, where most of the government doesn’t value culture much, often cutting funding and benefits for creative projects. It felt like it would take forever, lots of networking, and even more hard work to earn enough money to stand on my own two feet. Luckily I was surrounded by a very supportive family and by many musician friends who had a lot of experience in the industry and were able to guide me through my first years as a professional musician and composer.

After coming to the United States to study at Berklee, I realized that earning from your craft was much more tangible than in my hometown and I was fortunate enough to get a full time job as a composer shortly after I graduated. This job helped me be financially independent and allowed me to be a full-time artist, something that I didn’t believe was possible at this stage of my life.

It’s been a long ride, with lots of hard work, trial and error, learning, playing, composing, and building my career. If I could give advice to my younger self, I would tell him to be braver and not be afraid to make mistakes.

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

Music has always been a way for me to express myself and find inner peace. I remember writing my first notes in high-school during a tough time. I was captivated by the exhilarating, terrifying, and deeply satisfying process of creating something new to express my personal experiences and make sense of my emotions.. Even now, the process of creating something new and authentic is still thrilling and satisfying, even if the end result isn’t exactly what I envisioned. It’s a part of my life that I hold dear, and I hope to continue composing until my very last note.

Over the past few years I had the pleasure to compose for an array of different projects, including the Annie & Emmy nominated series “The Ghost & Molly McGee” on Disney+; the Emmy nominated series “A Tale Dark and Grimm” on Netflix; “Ninjago: Dragons Rising” on Netflix, multiple Disney Park Experiences, and in the “LEGO Star Wars” specials on Disney+. Working as an additional composer for Emmy Nominated Composer Michaek Kramer, and award winning composer Jerome Leroy has been a true honor, as well as composing custom music tracks for the legendary Warner Chappell Production Music, and Brand X Catalogs.The projects I really found most joyful are the ones that push my creativity in creating sounds, instruments and using them to elevate the score. For this reason, I really like composing for suspense, horror and also synthy/hybrid cues. Where I can explore and combine different sounds, techniques with traditional orchestral writing.

My aspiration is for listeners to recognize and appreciate the fusion of styles, techniques, and production in my work. I aim to combine familiar instruments, emotions, and gestures within unfamiliar, manipulated elements, creating a unique and captivating listening experience and leaving a lasting impression.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

As a composer, my ultimate goal is to create music that challenges my boundaries, enriches the cinematic experience and captivates audiences. I want to keep growing as an artist, finding inspiration in the world around me and always looking back at my background. I’m always looking to push myself and try out new styles of music, new technologies and tools so I can keep creating meaningful scores for all kinds of visual media, from TV shows to movies, games and documentaries.

Collaborating with great filmmakers and creators is a key part of achieving my goals. When I work with people who are passionate about storytelling, we can create something truly special together. Lastly, I hope I can share all my learnings and knowledge with people interested in learning, from colleagues to communities in Brazil and in the world. I really love teaching and helping others grow as my mentors helped me, and I hope I can share it on a larger scale someday.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I’ll never forget that day at the beautiful Concert Hall in Lviv, Ukraine. I was there for a week-long composition congress that ended up being one of the funniest and most frustrating experiences of my life.

Near the end of the congress, I got a last-minute shot to record with a full orchestra. Of course, I said yes! I mean, who wouldn’t? It was my first time hearing my own piece played by a full orchestra and I couldn’t wait. I scrambled to get all the scores and parts printed for the players that day. The recording was scheduled for the next day and I was buzzing to hear my piece, which until then, I’d only heard via my cheap and fake computer sounds.

The night before the big day, I went to a killer concert by Hiromi Uehara and her trio, with Anthony Jackson on bass and Simon Phillips on drums. Believe it or not, we ended up at the same restaurant afterward. Feeling bold, I went up to their table, introduced myself, and invited them to my recording the next morning.

The next morning, I was up with the sun, jittery with excitement. As I was waiting for my turn, in walks Simon Phillips, cool as you like in sunglasses and a leather jacket. I was freaking out! Soon after, they called me up to hand out the parts. But as soon as the conductor started my piece, I knew something wasn’t right. The piece sounded off and a wave of embarrassment hit me. Then someone shouted out, “we don’t have French horns, they are missing”. Turns out the horn players had left for lunch. I was crushed. All this happened in front of the entire orchestra, my colleagues, and one of the world’s biggest drummers. I still remember every second of that painfully long ten minutes.

Just when I thought my day was ruined, Simon Phillips, who had seen it all, said to me, “You wanna grab hot dogs with me and Hiromi?” And there I was, sitting in the middle of a beautiful Ukrainian city, eating hot dogs with two of my favorite jazz musicians. Mid-lunch, Simon told me, “You know, one day you’ll be laughing about this story.” Fast forward eight years, after working on loads of cool projects and recording with live players, I can’t help but crack a small smile every time I think back to that day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rpradomusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rpradomusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saxroberto
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberto-prado-aa091019b/

Image Credits
Lorenzo Scavone