Gareth Coker

15) This is such a huge topic for Twitter but I've done my best to condense my thoughts here. My tone is very direct but the goal is to encourage (and if you know me, that's how I am!) I am happy to take questions on any of the above and am also aware I am just one POV.

14) You might find that getting out of the music bubble will broaden your horizons (frankly essential for an artist IMO) in a way that you never imagined. And when you come back, you see your art in a new light.

13) Do not be afraid / there is no shame in doing a job that has nothing to do with music. But if you do that, be *disciplined* with your finances / live well within your means, so that you can launch into it with gusto when you decide to go solo.

12) I can trace my entire game career back to.... ModDB. Yes, the free website. Literally every opportunity I've had can be traced back to there. Yes, the music education I have is a big leg up, but there are plenty who did the exact same education as me who are not working.

11 cont. Due to how connected we all are, I'm of the belief that it has never been easier to find opportunities to both work on and write music.

11) Can't work on a game score? Try podcasts, VR, mods, musical theatre, songwriting, collaborations, trailers, library music, cover songs, short films, ads. Got skills? Mixing, mastering, performing, arranging, orchestrating, tracking, editing, implementing. Offer them!

10) One of the most attractive things is to say what you have *done* not what you are *doing*. Finished work is tangible. Unfinished work is not and never will be as cool as showing people something they can pick up / play / listen to. Show people, don't tell.

9) I believe it's never been easier to make money from music if you look hard enough. Sure, we all want to write music for "AAA {game/film/TV of choice} franchise", but doing a gig like that requires trust, and experience, and proven track record. How do you build that up?

8) We all want to be relieved of the financial burden working in this field, so to do that, between your composing jobs, look for other ways to make income that are related to composing. Can you orchestrate? Mix? Master? Edit? Implement? Write/arrange library music?

7) I understand the sentiment of the OP. One's circumstances can heavily dictate your career, especially the beginning. But sustained success in any artistic endeavour is not guaranteed. It can be fleeting. So even if you do 'make it', the grind never ever stops.

6..cont... The one thing I will say though, is please take your advice and education from people whose work you respect and have a proven track record (whatever that means to you!). And yes, that includes me. Don't like my work or background, feel free to ignore!

6) It's never been easier to educate yourself on music. We have access to almost the entire history of recorded music at the click of a button. There are wonderful free tutorials on Youtube. Probably even tutorials on how to make the most of limited resources.

5) And plugins too. Oh the free plugins and some of them are ridiculously good. https://output.com/blog/output-favorites-freebies … https://bedroomproducersblog.com/free-vst-plugins/ … https://blog.landr.com/best-free-vst-plugins/ … 247 plugins in the 3rd link? You don't need 247! But the tools are out there.

4) So many free libraries out there. Some links: https://bedroomproducersblog.com/2020/04/27/free-kontakt-libraries/ … https://producerhive.com/buyer-guides/sample-packs/best-free-sample-libraries-for-kontakt/ … https://labs.spitfireaudio.com/  https://www.pianobook.co.uk/  https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/bbc-symphony-orchestra-discover/ … https://www.musicianonamission.com/vst-instruments/ …

3) The gear will *not* help to write better music. Giving everyone free sample libraries - will not suddenly result in a utopia of incredible tracks. Giving everyone a blank check to have all the tools at their disposal isn't the only differentiator in play here. With that..

Long thread. Interesting topic. 1) It's never been cheaper to equip yourself with gear compared to when I started (esp. taking inflation into account) 2) What *is* a 'decent sample library'? I've heard mockups with cheap sample libraries that sound incredible & vice versa.https://twitter.com/RyuSoundworks/status/1511743111717924865 …