As a composer, few things are more important than understanding exactly what a client wants from the very beginning. But despite your best efforts, sometimes miscommunication happens - especially when expectations aren't clearly defined. A few years ago, I experienced a miscommunication that not only left me scratching my head but also taught me an invaluable lesson about the power of clarity in early conversations with clients.
In this post, I’ll walk you through one of the most memorable misunderstandings I’ve had with a client. One that involved a lot of confusion around terms like “Drum and Bass,” “bassy drums,” and, unexpectedly... Hans Zimmer. Let’s dive in and explore the lesson I learned the long way about client communication and how you can avoid similar pitfalls.
I met a talented developer at a conference. He seemed as though he'd be easy to work with and had a clear pitch for his trailer music: “Big. Epic. Hollywood!” I thought I knew exactly what he meant. Months later, we reconnected and the trailer, as well as the same keywords came up: “Big. Epic. Hollywood.” Then, he added something unexpected... “What I really want is Drum and Bass!” Caught off guard, I asked, “Drum and Bass...? Are you sure?”
He nodded emphatically. “Yes, definitely Drum and Bass!”
Something felt off, so I probed further: “Do you have any reference tracks?” His puzzled expression mirrored my own. “Uh. Not really… Just drum and bass. It doesn’t matter; I trust you know what you’re doing?” The last part seemed to take the form of a question rather than a statement. Almost as though he was starting to doubt that very fact himself… Furthermore, it seemed to me that he was getting annoyed - I didn't push it any further. Besides, hey, who was I to tell him what HE wanted? So, I received the footage. I watched it a few times. Okay, I was starting to see how Drum and Bass could work. Slightly... Unconventional. But something fresh, different.... Sure, we can make this Big and Epic, I was starting to see what he meant! Despite my initial hesitation, I rolled with it. I composed something that leaned into Drum and Bass, while still keeping the epic flair that was so keenly desired. After hours of work, I submitted the track. His response came at 2 a.m.: "Look, Edward, I really like your music but you're completely off the mark on this one. I'm thinking I'll have to find someone else to do this. We can't seem to get a clear understanding of what's needed here." Well, that got me out of bed in short order. I called him right away. We managed to salvage a path forward. Finally, he sent me a Hans Zimmer reference track. I was floored. "So... Did we decide to take a different direction on this?", I asked. "...What do you mean?", came the response. Well... As it happens, we weren't after Drum and Bass at all. He was talking about orchestral percussion... With rich low end frequencies. Drums. With a lot of Bass. Bassy Drums. Reflection:
Miscommunication can occur even with the best intentions. This experience taught me the importance of clarifying ambiguous terms, asking detailed questions and securing reference tracks as early as possible: especially if there’s any doubt about the client’s vision.
What tips do you have for people who struggle to describe the kind of music they're looking for?