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Bringing Stories to Life Through Music — Composer, Educator, & Author Specializing in Emotional Storytelling
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How to Write a Theme That Actually Works (From Sketch to Soundtrack)
Turn your melody into a story the audience can feel. Why Most Themes Fall Flat (and How to Fix It) Catchy melodies are everywhere, but...
Stephen Berkemeier
Jun 35 min read
24 views
0 comments


Three Underrated Techniques for Writing Tearjerker Music
Because sometimes "sad" just isn't enough. TL;DR Writing sad music that actually hurts the listener requires a bit more than just using...
Stephen Berkemeier
May 304 min read
8 views
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The Secret to Writing Sad Music That Hits Hard
Why Valence, Energy, & Storytelling Matter More than Just "Minor Chords" TL;DR Writing powerful, sad music isn't just about using...
Stephen Berkemeier
May 213 min read
23 views
0 comments


How to Write Nostalgic Sounding Music
Nostalgic music is one of the most popular genres for young composers today. Between Vapor Wave, Lo-fi, and Anime OSTs, many young...
Stephen Berkemeier
Oct 13, 20235 min read
4,188 views
7 comments


How to Compose a Requiem
At some point in their journey, nearly every single composer is possessed by the idea of I need to write a requiem, and it’s not hard to...
Stephen Berkemeier
Oct 11, 20237 min read
1,673 views
1 comment


How Do You Write a Good Motif?
If you’ve spent any amount of time studying film music or soundtracks, you probably already know how important it is to come up with a...
Stephen Berkemeier
Jun 15, 20235 min read
1,373 views
9 comments


How to Write Counterpoint
(*this post has been adapted from my youtube video on counterpoint. For audio examples, check out the video! https://youtu.be/r_RbmbBmX9E...
Stephen Berkemeier
Jul 18, 20227 min read
1,312 views
2 comments


The Composer’s Guide to Modes
Alright, so in this document, I’m going to break down each of the modes in a way that, hopefully, should help you begin using them Right...
Stephen Berkemeier
Sep 28, 20217 min read
3,147 views
0 comments


Developing Motifs
Intro In this post I’m going to provide you with a useful template that you can use to develop a short motif or idea into a full-length...
Stephen Berkemeier
Sep 28, 20218 min read
4,861 views
4 comments
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