My entrée into the film music and television music business really came as an out growth of my work in rock and roll, that I have a career and some visibility as a recording artist and a band leader and as a guitarist. You know I had some visibility so that when I did meet people, they knew a little bit about my work before. You know, it was kind of like a - it’s a lateral move in a sense, from work as a band player and a songwriter and recording artist, to - sideways over into the film world, and the work I did before is my business card. It’s my - “Oh yeah, Wayne Kramer from the MC5.” So they already have a sense of the kind of music, if they’re music fans and most people in the film industry are fans of music. I mean they listen to the bands, they know the history, so they already know a little bit about me and - and so I guess that allows me to go to the front of the line a little bit, but it also - I have to carry a suitcase with me, which is, they think of me as Wayne Kramer from the MC5.

The good news is that, you know, I’ve met people - like I do a lot of music for television and some of the people that I’ve met in the television world never heard of the MC5. All they knew was I was a composer that someone else had recommended to them and when they hired me to do a job that I was easy to work with. I try to position myself as the answer to their musical problem, like they don’t know what to do? I have some ideas for you. “Could you do some music for this?” “I’m certain I can.” ‘Cause I know I can and so they smile when they see me coming because they know I’m going to deliver this stuff within the budget and on time and you know, that’s - that’s really - you know, no matter how good you play or how much schooling you have or how much training you have, the real thing is your people skills.

Can you work with people? Can you be a partner to your partners? You know, can you deliver on time, are you a pleasant person to have around, you know? I think in the end, you know, even the great Bernard Herrmann was kicked out of Hollywood for being an asshole. He was very arrogant and you know, he ruled the film business for a long time, but after awhile, even Bernard Herrmann, they said get - you know, “We’re not going with you anymore, we’re going with the young guys.” You know, ‘cause they couldn’t take him anymore, he was too cantankerous, you know he was too - and he was smarter than them, but they don’t want to hear that. Who does, you know? They’re signing the check, they want someone to help them do their job and he would - he would tell the directors they’re doing their directing wrong. That’s not going to work, you know? That’s not your job. That’s not my job as a musician, as a composer, so I think the human side is the most important side, you know that you deliver on time, that you’re a reasonable person, that you have an open mind to their ideas. You know, they don’t want to fight with you about it. You know, who does? They’re paying you. They ain’t gonna fight with you. If you present an argument to them, they’ll call somebody else that’s sympathetic to their way of doing things, so - so you know, it’s a process, but really it has more to do with character, I think.

[End of Audio]