Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Katherine Beggs. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Katherine, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
When I was seventeen and applying to music conservatories for classical composition, I had to accept the fact that almost no one looked like me. As a small Asian girl (who looked extremely young for her age), I could tell that people noticed. Almost all of the professors and students I encountered were, of course, white men (classic.) As a woman, I was treated differently of course. One music professor I interviewed made it a point to tell me how their program does not choose composers based on gender, but on talent. He continued to reiterate this as if trying to prove that gender was not an important factor in the process. Ironically in doing so, it made me feel as if my gender was a significant consideration. It was intimidating, but the more I threw myself into these environments, the thicker my skin got. Flash forward to now and although I’ve moved away from classical composition, the world of film scoring is still heavily dominated by white men. In my master’s program at NYU, the newer generations of composers are much more diverse. I am so lucky to have found amazing women composers who are my age. However, when it comes to working in the industry so many of the directors, producers, and composers are older white men. I still feel like I have to prove myself as a young woman of color. It is not always easy and sometimes I do feel discouraged. I just try to remind myself that I am part of a bigger change and that my work matters. This motivates me to be an even better composer.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a film and media composer based in NYC. I work for a small production company called Cutting Room Music. We do music for tv shows, short films, advertisements, and other creative projects. I also do my own freelance composing, and I am currently a student at NYU for film scoring. If you asked me five years ago where I would be, I would not have expected this path. I was prepared to do classical composition in a conservatory setting. After doing my rounds of auditions, I decided to not go that route in the end. Instead, I studied music and political science at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. While I was at Brown, I became friends with many filmmakers. They needed music for their short films and I offered to compose for them. I enjoyed it more than I thought and continued to do music for film projects. I also took more music production classes at Brown and realized I wanted to expand the type of musical composition I was doing. I enjoyed composing for film and media because it encompassed a wide variety of genres. Film music is so special because it adds another dimension to a story that words do not and it is an extremely powerful tool. The music sets the tone, reveals information about characters, and subconsciously dictates how the audience feels throughout it all. Doing music for a film feels like an intellectual challenge as well as a creative one. You can watch one of the short films I did music for called “Dr. Z and the Fear of Desire.” It will premiere at the LA Shorts International Film Festival on July 24 in Hollywood.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I wish I knew sooner how important it is to have good mentors. I would not be where I am without the support of the members of my team at Cutting Room Music, Mark Roos and Adonis Tsilimparis who are veterans in the industry. I used to be too scared to reach out to more experienced composers in the industry. Once I started to do this more, it completely changed my career trajectory. I made so many connections, got offered many opportunities, and received great advice. I learned that so many people were willing to help me as a person just starting my career. I cannot recommend it enough. Keep reaching out to people and find someone who will go to bat for you.
Creating even when it is hard is the next thing I had to learn how to do (I am still working on it). I realized I cannot just write music only when I feel inspired. I probably would not end up writing anything if that was the case. Forcing myself to write music even when I do not want to is necessary for this career and goes for all creative fields. You have to persist through the creative blocks and just do it. Oftentimes when I write without inspiration originally, I find it somewhere along the way. Creating is difficult. Pushing through the difficulty is where art truly shines through.
Finally, when putting your work out, you have to accept criticism with open arms. Dealing with criticism has never been easy for me, but I learned that it is not a reflection on me. It is so important to have other perspectives on your work to make you better. It is better to put yourself and your work out there and accept criticism rather than not out of fear.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking for people to collaborate with. I am always in need of live instrumentalists for my compositions. I also love to work with other songwriters and producers. I am also looking for filmmakers to collaborate with on projects. You can reach me at [email protected] or dm me on instagram at @katherinebeggs.
Contact Info:
- Website: katherinebeggs.com
- Instagram: @katherinebeggs
- Facebook: Katherine Beggs
- Linkedin: Katherine Beggs
Image Credits
Lauren Hurt images
