Ken Joseph | Composer of Music For Film & Television

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ken Joseph and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ken, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Work integrity. If I promise I will deliver a score by a certain date then I will do whatever it takes to adhere to that delivery schedule. Deadlines and quality are extremely important to me. For most clients, the project is something that they have been working on for many years through development, financing, production, and finally post production. They have already put their own blood, sweat, and tears into the work so I need to approach their project in the same manner.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Music is my passion and it always seems to be evolving. I write differently now than I did a year ago and I’m sure that I will be writing differently a year from now. I always try to write something fresh, starting in a musical key that may take me out of my comfort zone. We all have our favorite chords and chord progressions. Avoiding those familiar safe musical ideas can result in something unexpectedly beautiful. A career in music is extremely rewarding but it came with a commitment to hard work and sacrifice. There’s no way around it. This became more evident to me after reading the book “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell. He stresses the importance of putting 10,000 hours into anything you want to accomplish. There were times when I didn’t feel like practicing or studying a score. I found that I had to push through the resistance and just put my time in on those days. There is no secret to it. You have to practice your craft every day, which sometimes means sacrificing time with friends and loved ones. Doing something well seldom comes easily. You must be relentless in overcoming your own resistance to staying inspired and creative. There needs to be an element of luck as well, even after all of the and training. You never know where your next project may come from, and it never seems to come from our perceived path. It usually happens through a recommendation from a satisfied client. Opportunities can also arise out of somebody else’s project in crisis. If you can help them meet their deadline and “save the day,” there is a good chance they will consider you as their first call on the next project. I’m always up for a challenge, and confident at this point in my career that I’m able to compose a score that gives a project the emotional sonic content that’s needed.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d probably start in Venice with an early walk along the Venice Canals, then onward to the boardwalk at the Venice pier heading north past the skateboard park and Muscle Beach. If it’s a weekend, there’s lots of local artists, musicians, and performers to enjoy. On the go we’d grab a breakfast sandwich from Zelda’s Corner, or stop in at Great White (near the Venice Circle) or the Dudley Market. There’s a bike path, so lots of options to rent bikes, roller blades, or scooters. Abbot Kinney’s getting a little too trendy but it’s worth a look for the stores, food, coffee, and murals (lots of IG opps). In Santa Monica, Tongva Park is beautifully landscaped near the pier and next to Chez Jay’s, which is one of LA’s old-style very casual gems for dining. A drive up PCH to Malibu is always beautiful, with a stop at Leo Carrillo State Beach and maybe drinks or dinner to experience the sunset at Moonshadow’s or Duke’s. Hollywood and DTLA would definitely be part of the itinerary. On the way, a stop at Farmer’s Market at The Grove, especially if we don’t know what we feel like eating. A drive up LaBrea to view the Hollywood sign while scanning the new businesses and galleries along the way. Walk of Fame would be next with a stop at the Roosevelt Hotel, Grauman’s Theatre, and maybe hit places like the Catalina Bar & Grill, The Dolby, Hollywood & Highland, Musso & Franks, Hotel Café, Hollywood Bowl, Griffith Observatory, Music Center & Disney Hall, Grand Central Market, coming out the back and then riding up Angel’s Flight. Can’t miss Little Tokyo, Blue Whale Jazz, Chinatown (food at Yang Chow and Howlin Ray’s), the Art District. Have we run out of time yet? Whether it’s street food, comfort food, or fine dining, LA has the absolute best! We’d find Roy Choi’s Kogi truck, Philippe The Original or Roscoe’s (French dip and comfort food), Oriel, Bar Amá, Sushi Gen, Little Sister, Sonoratown, Tacos 1986, Lasa, and Rossablu. I would also recommend a brewery tour and introduce them to some West Coast Craft beer. We would start and end local at the El Segundo Brewing Company. If they wanted to experience some nature and incredible views, I would take them for a day trip to Joshua Tree. Phew, that was exhausting, but fun.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents, Ron and Rosemary Wlosinski. Thank you for their love and support in pursuing my career in music. I would also like to thank my instructors, Matt Michaels and Dennis Tini, for passing along their knowledge of music and life’s lessons that have been invaluable on my entrepreneurial journey.