Meet Arın Aykut | Composer

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

Hi Arın, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I can start by saying I was born into it, as my father is an opera singer, and my mother is a painter/technical draftswoman. When I was born, my family recorded a video at the hospital, and my father said, “Look at those hands, they’re the hands of a pianist,” upon seeing my hands. Now let me ask you; what else could I be but this? I think I combined a destiny that was already written for me with my own dreams and I am still on this path. How lucky I am that I am not doing a job where I count the hours, on the contrary, I have a profession that I miss when I am away, I do not like holidays and I eagerly want to return to my music studio as soon as possible.

I started playing the piano when I was about 8 years old, and then I was accepted to the conservatory piano department (conservatory education in Turkey starts in secondary school and lasts 12 years until graduation from university). In 2015, after graduating from there, I did my master’s degree in conducting in both Turkey and Poland, followed by a second master’s degree in film and TV music composition in London. Currently, I am a PhD researcher at London College of Music in the field of film music composition, working on methods of applying polyrhythmic, polytonal and polymetric approaches in non-linear film narratives in film music composition.

Apart from the education part of the job, I am composing music for an independent short and feature-length project, my just-finished feature-length soundtrack album, which is about 55 minutes long, has been released, and I am composing music as a freelance composer for some companies, especially Bleeding Fingers and Extreme Music.

I don’t do any of the things I mentioned above by saying ‘I have to go and work now’. I feel like I live to create anyway, otherwise it makes me restless. I don’t know if this is called workaholism, but it is certain that I am in love with writing music to the image. It’s too long an answer to the question ‘why’, but ‘that’s the way it is’.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a media composer, pianist, and orchestral conductor, and these days my entire focus is on composing music for visuals. So, all my excitement, concentration, and dreams are related to film and television scoring.

I believe that becoming a media composer requires a wealth of knowledge and experience. It’s not something that can be done at a very young age with minimal education. First and foremost, one must be a fully professional musician on any instrument, understand the intricacies of conducting orchestras and choirs, possess leadership skills, and of course, have the ability to compose for both orchestral instruments and human voices. Furthermore, managing this entire process requires extensive knowledge of music production. I feel confident in all the criteria I’ve mentioned because I’ve received extensive education in each of them, gained experience in all of them, and continue to do so.

I won the “best composer” award for the first music I composed for the National Theater of Turkey. My first TV series music composition went viral on digital platforms and garnered millions of listens. Currently, I am pursuing a film scoring doctorate with the highest scholarship at the university where I am a researcher. I strive to do the best in everything I do, never settling for anything that doesn’t satisfy me. I am constantly inspired and working to improve myself. The reward for this effort is truly priceless.

Of course, I felt a lot of happiness and excitement while writing this story, but there were also challenging aspects to it. When I wanted to become a film music composer, the problems like the lack of such education or industry in Turkey and the challenges of distributing projects correctly in an underdeveloped world pushed me to go abroad. Moving to London, surviving for a while, and being able to pay the tuition fees for the film music composition master’s program I had won required me to reach out to about 4000 individuals/institutions individually. Waiting for sponsors and scholarships for months, saving every bit of support, were incredibly stressful times. Even when I started my education in London, I was still struggling to pay. I was giving private piano lessons and continuing to communicate with people for scholarships. Thankfully, all those difficult times are behind me, and I graduated from school with the highest honors. Then, when I was wondering if I would experience the same stress again (this time for the doctorate), my university accepted me with the highest achievement scholarship. – The universe helped me become a film music composer. Now it’s my turn.

What has always brought me to the surface in all the difficulties I’ve faced throughout my life is my stubbornness. It’s very normal and necessary for me to lock onto a goal and have the desire to achieve it no matter what. No matter how long it takes or how difficult it may be, being patient, persistent, and doing what needs to be done to reach the goal has been shaping my character since I can remember. Although mentally exhausting, it has always led me to success in the end, and I believe it will continue to do so in the future.

While I can’t say for sure if what I’ve shared and written will be useful or have an impact on anyone, but I would like people to know me as someone who always tells beautiful stories with music, touching their hearts.

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 should leave this to my cousin Özüm, who has been living in Los Angeles for many years, but I think it can be roughly as follows: During the week-long visit to Los Angeles, we’ll start the adventure by soaking in the beach vibes at Santa Monica Pier (I might even sneak away from our adventure to pop into Remote Control Productions & Bleeding Fingers Music, you never know.) and enjoying a delicious Californian dinner at Gjelina in Venice Beach. The next day, we’ll dive into Hollywood Boulevard, exploring the Walk of Fame and visiting the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre before heading to Griffith Observatory for breathtaking views of the city. Mid-week, we’ll venture into Downtown LA’s Arts District for its galleries and street art, followed by a diverse lunch at Grand Central Market. As the trip continues, we’ll immerse ourselves in art and nature at the Getty Center and savor upscale Japanese cuisine with ocean views at Nobu Malibu. Venice Beach will be our playground for biking, skating, and boutique shopping along Abbot Kinney Boulevard, and we’ll top off the adventure with outdoor excursions like hiking in Runyon Canyon or exploring Malibu Creek State Park, ending with a scenic sunset picnic at Griffith Park overlooking the city skyline.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Throughout this journey, my greatest supporters have always been my family. No matter what happened, we shared sorrows together and celebrated joys together. I will be grateful to my mother, father, and brother for the rest of my life. I also thank all my friends who accompanied, supported, or joined me on different parts of this journey.

Professionally, I am grateful first and foremost to my father, who was my initial guide and teacher, then I thank all the instructors who contributed to my education. And of course, I want to express my gratitude to maestros like John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Martin Phipps, Lorne Balfe, the Gregson-Williams brothers, Howard Shore, and many other great composers who have continually inspired my imagination.

I’d like to thank my viola player sibling living in Berlin, whom I’ve been sharing some music ideas with for current projects and seeking his input, even when his had to stay up late for my Zoom meetings.

Website: https://www.arinaykut.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arinaykut

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arinaykut/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arinaykt

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg5-A91sgizowQmnSEx_JRA

Other: https://open.spotify.com/intl-tr/artist/12HRTzoaepKDUtLLk3kUPG?si=XoYI06YwQuy82SaGAHi3pQ
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/arın-aykut/1460570996

Image Credits
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