Meet Topher Horn

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Topher Horn. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Topher below.

Hi Topher, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
Producing music and composing for film, television, and advertising can be deeply rewarding but comes with its fair share of rejection and disappointment. Projects dying and pitches not being selected are everyday occurrences, and even projects that do work out favorably are often very challenging and carried out in isolation. However there are payoffs—hearing a song on a club system, screening a film in a theater—that are deeply rewarding and foster a sense of community.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I split my time between composing music for film, television, and advertising, and producing dance and electronic music. My first feature film, “One Night In Tokyo”, directed by Joshua Woodcock, premiered in March at Cinequest where it took home the Audience Choice Award for best drama. We’re working out distribution now to bring it to streaming later this year. I recently composed “The Sound of Bowmore”, an 18-minute custom score for private scotch tastings in Germany. I also just finished some commercial work for Starbucks, Amazon, USPS, Chevy, and OnStar.

On the dance music side of things, I’m making a rare DJ appearance this year during Movement weekend in Detroit, MI for Viva La Resistance – 10 Years of Rocksteady Disco at MotorCity Wine on Saturday, May 25th. I also have a song on a compilation coming out that weekend on 10 Years Of Rocksteady Disco Vol. 1, RSD’s 33rd vinyl release. The compilation includes four of Rocksteady Disco’s main producers: Sol Power All-Stars, Eddie Logix, Blair French, and myself.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three things I’ve learned while working in music that I keep returning to:

1. Don’t take things personally

Learning to take feedback can be difficult and I’m grateful to work with amazing people that often make it a joy. Still, I have to remember the feedback is about the work and what is needed for the project, even if it means changing something I worked hard on. The result of collaboration is always better than the result of isolation.

2. Underpromise and overdeliver

Working remotely in a creative field makes it difficult to build rapport and build trust. It’s hard for someone to get to konw the real you. Oftentimes the only way someone knows you is by your work ethic—can you do what is asked on time and deliver quality?

3. A mantra: What are you being lazy about?

The hours can be long and the resulting blindspots can be huge. I have a sticky note on my desk that says “what are you being lazy about” that I return to at the end of the day. Re-listening through this lens can help me find weak spots in my work that I overlooked while in the flow of it all earlier.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
I became a parent four years ago and I’ve been thinking about this question a lot. My parents were incredibly supportive of my early musical pursuits, even when they didn’t totally understand what I was trying to do. Having their support early on encouraged me to explore and take creative risks. I hope to provide the same environment for my daughter to follow her interests wherever they lead her.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Studio photos by Sara J. Winston.

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