Meet Chris Wirsig | Composer, Songwriter, Producer

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

Hi Chris, why did you pursue a creative career?
Music always played an important part in my life. I remember that already in my childhood I was fascinated by music and sound, and later on I had the feeling that I want to produce these sounds myself. I became interested in the full process of music production – from writing the first notes to being in the studio, recording and mixing it. I wanted to be a part of this journey from the blank page up to the technical aspects in the studio. That’s why I studied Audio Engineering after my basic music education.

I’m also happy to be working in different fields of music – from film scores to pop productions. I like to wear these different hats, and jump from genre to genre, and also mixing these. I just wrote the music for another Horror film, and it blends classical elements with Rock, but mostly stays very acoustic – but with unusual playing styles and combinations of different instruments the music becomes more otherworldly. And that’s something I always like: Bringing something to the table that’s left-of-center, some unusual elements that keep the music interesting.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a composer and songwriter, I always try to make the piece I’m working on interesting, to have it dynamic. I think music often is drawing inspiration from life, and life’s not always going smoothly or staying in the same direction that you started from. A song, and especially a score piece that’s written for a certain scene in a movie, should reflect that. I might say, that life is too short for “boring” music that’s just some background sound. Personally I love when a piece of music surprises me, when it keeps me on my toes while listening. And that’s something I alwawys bring to the table in a project.

And yes, that can make the job challenging sometimes, but so far I was lucky enough to mostly have collaborators who think the same way. And challenges are usually a great opportunity to learn. This is something I love about music: You never really stop learning, and there are so many different things – from genres to different instruments – to keep learning. For me it’s always rewarding when I look back after a project, and can say that I stepped outside the box a bit, learned some new technique or tried out a different genre or worked with an instrument that I haven’T used in my music before: This is what keeps the job, and life in general, interesting.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Apart from the usual tourist spots that especially first-time visitors to LA have to go to, I have some special ones: For instance, the Hollywood sign. I don’t go to the parking lot where everyone goes, but approach it from the side of Lake Hollywood. You can’t walk completely up to the sign from there, but it’s a great spot for photos, as you look at the sign from a really good angle. When bringing guests to the tourist’s corner of Hollywood Blvd – a quick stroll along the Walk of Fame, of course checking out the Chinese Theater (their VIP tour is quite interesting), maybe the Wax Museum, then having a delicious flat bread in the picturesque lobby bar of the Roosevelt hotel, one of the classic Hollywood places. Melrose Ave on a quieter day is great to bring guests too, especially with the smaller punk and second hand boutiques. The old LA Zoo in Griffith Park is great too, and we have several unusual museums, like the Museum of Death.

For eating, LA is one of the cities where you can get great food from all over the world. So if we have a week’s time, I’d definitely try to take them to as much different restaurants as possible.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to give a big shoutout to the organization that is dear to my heart: The Society Of Composers And Lyricists (SCL). I joined after moving to Los Angeles in 2015. The SCL is the premier organization for composers and songwriters, writing for movies, TV and games. After I became a member, I immediately started volunteering for them and was later working as the organization’s LA Administrator, and I’m now on the SCL’s Board of Directors, and also running the SongArts branch which is for our songwriter members.

Apart from events like film screenings and seminars that are all free to the members, the SCL does a lot of work behind the scenes and in Washington DC to educate people and lawmakers about the issues that composers and songwriters face, at the moment especially with AI, as well as income and copyright issues.

Website: https://www.chriswirsig.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nocarriermusic

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chriswirsig