Today I chat with Columbian composer Juan Cortés Arango as he shares his creative process behind The Head Season 3 and his innovative approach to extended techniques. 

In this episode we discuss *Juan's transition from cello performance to composition due to tendinitis *Creating organic sounds that feel electronic using extended techniques *Working with prepared piano, unusual woodwinds, and unconventional string techniques *The philosophy behind choosing acoustic instruments over synthesizers *His collaboration process and the importance of documentation in composition *How the music industry is evolving and what it means for composers.

About our Guest:
Juan Cortés Arango is a versatile Colombian composer based in Los Angeles. Juan’s portfolio includes such notable works as Mala Fortuna, Anywhere With You, and Above the Yangtze River. As an additional composer, Juan worked on Pablo Larrain’s Golden Globe-nominated Neruda, as well as Judd Apatow’s HBO docuseries George Carlin’s American Dream, and Amazon Studios’ Life Itself, starring Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde. Through his close relationship with Richard Ludlow’s Hexany Audio, Juan also orchestrates for a wide variety of video games, virtual reality, and interactive media projects, including Honor of Kings and Arknights. He also co-founded Salon de Paprika, a boutique film production house. Both ventures have developed a global clientele since their founding. He is currently building an orchestration collective. Juan graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2014 with a double major in Film Scoring and Electronic Production & Design. 

Using Extended Techniques with Composer Juan Cortés Arango

Join professional musician, Christine Smith, as she discusses topics that face the day-to-day lives of those responsible for making the music we all love. Together, with experts and fellow musicians, Christine dives into everything from the business to the personal and even the social/political side of being a musician.  It is a refreshing and honest look into the lives of those responsible for performing and creating the music in our lives.

Using Extended Techniques with Composer Juan Cortés Arango

Musicians vs the World