By Etan Rosenbloom, Membership/Marketing Associate and Blog Coordinator
On October 8th, ASCAP composer Cody Westheimer will participate in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. It's a grueling all-day triathlon, requiring extensive and disciplined training - not the kind of activity you'd normally associate with a studio-bound professional composer. But for Westheimer, sports and fitness are more than just hobbies. They've also intertwined with his scoring - he wrote the new official theme for the Tour de France, and penned music for such sports-themed projects as The Runner, Spinning Southward, Ultramarathon Man and Pond Hockey, in addition to Running for My Father, the documentary he wrote and directed about the aftermath of his father's passing. Westheimer took some time from his regimented work/train/eat/sleep cycle to give us insight into his unique story.
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Which came first for you - a love of sports or a love of music?
When I was in junior high, I was the kid in P.E. that refused to run around the track - I walked. In high school I played tuba in the marching band for P.E. credit. Does that answer the question?! Seriously though, this love of endurance sports is a relatively new thing - so most definitely music first!
You're an avid runner and athlete. How has your training affected the process you use to write music, and the kind of music you write?
Running especially has become such an integral part of my process. Before I was involved in running and triathlon, I would often get my best ideas in the shower, of all places. It was where I was awake, but very relaxed - my subconscious would just kind of take over and "BAM," there was an idea that usually stuck. I'd often just take showers with the hope of getting that melody or epiphany for a project! That still happens occasionally, but now I usually go for a run. The cleansing quality of a good run is incredible to me (not to mention the legendary runner's high!).
Do you feel like there's a commonality between your motivation to write music and your physical training, or are they totally separate impulses?
I think they complement each other well. Composing, for the most part, is a sedentary process. I've had trouble sitting still my whole life. Earlier in my composing career I dabbled in playing ice hockey - that was my physical outlet (actually too physical - which is why I stopped!). Music and triathlon training definitely complement each other very well. They both make me feel alive and that's something I strive for every day.
If you can speak generally, is there a different musical palette that you use for sports projects vs. other types of features?
That's such an interesting question. Instrumentation-wise there's not such a dividing line in my process. For example, for the Tour de France theme I definitely used a lot of big orchestral sounds paired with rock guitar and drums, but I think the "feel" is more what defines this type of music than the instrumentation. I've noticed that most of the "sporty" music I've written has a very circular feel to it, which obviously pertains to the circular nature of endurances sports - repeating things over and over again. But doing this musically can be a slippery slope because it can get monotonous. To keep it dynamic I'm a big fan of layering, but there's usually an underlying pulse or rhythm that is somewhat constant. Also 6/8 time tends to really feel like running or cycling to me. I often count in threes while running or pedaling.
You've studied tuba and shakuhachi, and I've seen pictures of you playing the dulcimer. Do you take special delight in working with instruments that aren't often used in scores? Do you think it's important that a composer has a personal history with the instruments he or she writes for?
I am definitely "delighted" by using atypical instruments, but even more so in atypical combinations! Since I studied classical composition at USC I feel more than comfortable writing for the entire orchestra even though I don't play all of the orchestral instruments. But for the instruments I do record myself, I really do enjoy that part of the process. I was a classical tuba player back in the day and a jazz trombonist at night - I was quite serious about both up through my college years. But then I discovered the Japanese shakuhachi, which is now one of my favorite instruments in the world. It's just so intricate and beautiful, and has taken years to master (I shouldn't use that term, as I haven't - but I'm "comfortable"). From there, I just started collecting any and everything I could get my hands on. I'm somewhat proficient on guitar, so between all the instruments I grew up playing I can more or less hack it out (in 100 takes or fewer) on almost anything. One thing I really do find interesting is to start a new idea on an instrument other than keyboard. Having been at this awhile, sometimes the fingers like to go to similar places - switching up the base (not bass!) instrument can result in something pretty fresh.
Since you lost your father in 2007, you've strived to raise cancer awareness - both with your inspiring film Running for My Father and your IronCure Twitter initiative. What kind of response have you received, in and outside of the athletic community?
The turn of events since my dad's passing is so bizarre really. He died in early 2007. I discovered running by way of work actually - I scored a film about a folk hero named Dean Karnazes entitled UltraMarathon Man. I started running while I was working on the film. Long story short, I was at the starting line of my first marathon (and first race ever!) six months later. That was one of the hardest (but most triumphant!) days of my life. I was a changed man, and I had caught the entire transformation on film - not just the couch-to-runner part, but also the depression-to-acceptance part of losing my dad to a brain tumor. I don't think I'll ever be able to fully accept his absence, which is probably why I never really stopped running (and of course added the two other disciplines in triathlon - swimming and cycling).
My film Running for My Father was received really well - the highlight being winning the "Platinum Remy" at the Houston Worldfest. And of course DVD sales trickle in as well (shameless pitch: www.runningformyfather.com). Scoring the film is a story in itself. Putting on my director/editing hat for the first time, I actually got my own version of "temp love!" It was really difficult to work through this actually!
IronCure is really new. I've just started to promote it. The idea is to create a hub of like-minded people who are going through similar challenges and are essentially "training their way" through it all. Whether it's a 5k or an Ironman, I hope the site will continue to grow. For now all you've gotta do is use the hashtag "#ironcure."
You're currently training for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. How do you manage all your various scoring projects when you're in intensive training mode?
Ironman is definitely the most extreme thing I've ever done. This is my second time around - my first Ironman being last year in France. This time has been a lighter training load - around 14 hours a week, building to 18. France, being my first and also very hilly, averaged closer to 17, peaking at 23. It can be a bit of a challenge, but it certainly provides a clean structure. Sleep is so key when you're taxing your mind and body day in and day out so I really try hard not to lose out on it. Generally I just break my days into blocks. I'm not an early morning trainer - I do enjoy working in the mornings though, so it'll generally be Work-Train-Eat-Work-Train-Eat-Work-Sleep...repeat! It certainly keeps me fresh musically as I'm not pulling these crazy 15 hour days - instead I'll do three segments of four hours or so. I find it to be much more efficient for me. Mix in some wife time, dog time and a wee bit of socializing in there and I'm all set. I'm not gonna lie, it's definitely a challenge, but it can be done. I've really come full circle with the whole endurance sports thing. My dad and I had some really fond memories in Kona and he'll be on my shoulders for every bit of the 140.6 miles. It will make all of the sacrifice worth it.
You're an alumnus of the ASCAP Television and Film Scoring Workshop with Richard Bellis. Is there anything that you learned in the Workshop that you've brought with you throughout your career?
The ASCAP Workshop was a great experience and I enjoyed every part of it. Richard Bellis is such a scholar and level headed guy. I think a lot of young composers can really neglect the business side of things, and his attention to detail on this part especially was invaluable (I also had him as a teacher at USC). The ASCAP family was also so supportive and I'm happy to keep up with them all. I really do love ASCAP and am proud to be a member.
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Read more about Cody Westheimer here: www.codywestheimer.com
Watch a video interview with Cody Westheimer about his sports scoring
