Silas Hite of Bath Township on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Silas Hite. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Silas, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I wake up and have two cups of coffee while reading with my wife in our sun room, which is full of plants and faces our forest. It’s very peaceful way to start the day. Then I shower, do a brief exercise routine, and head into my studio. I usually start with 15 minutes on the drum set to keep up my chops. Then I settle in to scoring for the day and work on whatever is the most time sensitive.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Silas Hite and I’m an award-winning music composer for film, tv, commercials, video games, and albums. The first 20 years of my career were spent as a composer in Los Angeles, but in 2023 my wife Lisa and I moved to Ohio and built a new studio here. Both of us have family and friends here, plus it’s gorgeous. Our home and studio are right next to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

I began my career in 2003, fresh out of college. I started as an intern at my uncle Mark Mothersbaugh’s studio, where my uncle Bob Mothersbaugh was also a composer. Soon I proved my worth as a composer and began co-scoring projects with them. I gained experience working on films like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and kids tv shows like Mater’s Tall Tales (PIXAR), and Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! It was a great time and I learned a lot there, but in 2010 I left to become a freelance composer.

From 2010-2022 I had different studios around LA and worked on building my own name as a composer. I scored tv shows like Chef’s Table (Netflix), The Big Brunch (HBO) and lots of investigative crime documentaries for the BBC. I did a lot of indie films, a ton of commercials, and some video game scores as well. I’ve done a lot of music for the Sims franchise over the last 20 years as well as Tetris Mobile and many Google Doodle games.

When I’m not writing music for clients, I make albums for fun. My next album is an instrumental soundtrack for a film that doesn’t exist. It’s titled “The Return of the Vampire Hustlers From Hell” and it’s full of gritty, funky, 70’s music. It will be released on vinyl through my website and the first single will be streaming everywhere around Halloween. I also write and release Americana songs under the name The Satin Cowboy & The Seven Deadly Sins. That music is blend of old country, folk, bluegrass, rock n’ roll, and roots music.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My family has always been my example. My mother and father are self-starters, creating their own jobs and working hard to sustain their unique lives on their own terms. Many people in my family started their own companies and are self-employed, actually. I noticed that when I was young, and it seemed like the most likely path for me as well, so I added business classes (in addition to art and music) in college to hopefully support that idea.

As for learning about being a composer, I credit my uncles Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh. Working with them for the first seven years of my career was so crucial. I remember when my uncle Bob was scoring “All Grown Up”, a Rugrats spinoff, he was trying to teach me how to score a cartoon. He would watch the episode with no music and just sing to me where the music should come in, how it should go, and when to stop. It was so funny and he was SO good at it!

I learned from my uncle Mark more by example. I discovered so much about the business side and how to deal with clients by just observing him. Creatively, I would watch the unexpected ways he would approach scoring and it would always floor me and give me something to think about. He didn’t really offer much musical advice, but through him I was able to work with clients of the highest caliber and get used to the demands and level of musical professionalism that was required.

I had many great music teachers along the way, but when it comes to who taught me the most about work specifically, it was most certainly my family.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Not really, although I’ve certainly thought about it. During the pandemic when work came to a halt I was definitely wondering what else I could do to make a buck. Turns out I’m not qualified to do much else!

But the reality is, I spend my time writing music whether someone is paying me or not. I’ve chosen this life for better or worse. Fortunately most days it’s been for the best.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I imagine they would say creating music matters the most to me. I’m always either making it or talking about making it. I just hope they don’t get annoyed with me rambling on about my latest projects and instruments!

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
I’ve been lucky enough to win some major awards and work with clients that are household names, and when I was younger I assumed that those things would bring me a sense of accomplishment. Although I am grateful for those things, I’ve found that the most rewarding part of my career has been when I write a piece of music that really connects with someone on an emotional level.

For example, I had a mother of a friend tell me that she listened to a specific song of mine every day for a year to help her grieve the loss of her husband. I was so deeply moved by that. That type of real, human connection is so special and rare. My goal now is to make music that hopefully moves people in some real way.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Jacob Mothersbaugh

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