Meet Kara Talve: Composer

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

Hi Kara, how do you think about risk?

Miles Davis once said, “Do not fear mistakes. There are none.” I’ve always believed that every decision one makes takes you to where you’re supposed to go, even if it seems risky or scary at the time. Anyone would probably agree that trying to make a living through music is a risk in itself. However, in my experience, taking risks brings the best opportunities to the table.

I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. The film scoring program was a great foundation to go out into the industry, and I was often reminded that its a risky business to get into. There’s not one particular path or sure-fire way to success other than to try a bunch of things, take a bunch of risks and see where it takes you. The most significant risk I took was the plunge to move out to LA right after graduating without hesitation. I knew that if I really wanted to try and pursue a career as a composer, I had to make my way out here. I was lucky enough to have friends and and classmates in LA to greet me and support me upon arrival.

It’s a scary thing moving to a new place and hoping you won’t fail at the thing you’ve always wanted to do. But no risk, no reward! I sent my reel and resume all over the place, and I landed an internship at Sparks & Shadows which gave me the confidence to keep going. In the midst of my internship, I was offered an assistant position at Bleeding Fingers Music. I knew that having these two gigs at once would be taxing but as they say, no pain, no gain.

That time period was a huge opportunity for growth as a musician, composer, and as a person. I learned so much from my colleagues and higher-ups and friends in the business. Yes, there were tough projects and late nights, stress and lots of days where I’d doubt myself. But through all of it I came out stronger on the other side, as a full time in-house composer at Bleeding Fingers where I get to work on amazing projects that I never could have imagined I’d get to be a part of. All in all, I think the risks I took brought me to the right place, as scary as it may have been, looking back on it I wouldn’t change a thing.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Emmy and BAFTA-nominated Bleeding Fingers Music, founded by Hans Zimmer, Steve Kofsky and Russell Emanuel, is a joint venture between RCI Global and Extreme Music, the production music arm of Sony/ATV. Bleeding Fingers Music has assembled an exceptional, sonically diverse composer roster, each selected for their unique and complementary skills, to create superlative original film and television scores. At Bleeding Fingers collaboration breeds innovation and working in an environment where the gifted are empowered to be adventurous, experimental, and creatively generous results in extraordinary music.

I always wanted to score documentaries. It feels fulfilling to help tell someone’s story with music, especially when the film is geared towards social or environmental changes. It’s challenging to score a documentary because there’s so much nuance and detail to pay attention to. I definitely ended up working in the right place to hone in on those skills.

This Earth Day, April 22nd, 2021, I am excited for the release of “Perpetual Planet: Heroes of the Oceans”, a documentary that I scored for Bleeding Fingers. National Geographic partnered with Rolex, to document the history-making endeavors of some of the world’s most distinguished explorers. This documentary focuses on legendary oceanographer, Sylvia Earle, and a network of pioneering marine scientists on a mission to save the fragile ecosystem of our oceans. I had the honor of writing the score alongside co composer Anže Rozman, score supervisor Chris King, and score producer Russell Emanuel.

My tracks for Extreme Music, a production music arm of Sony Music Publishing, have been placed on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars”, “The Masked Singer”, “American Idol”, and many other reality tv shows. It’s been a pleasure to write music for shows such as FOX’s Masterchef and LEGO masters, as well as History Channel’s “Unidentified”. You can see more at https://www.bleedingfingersmusic.com/kara-talve/

Lastly, I am very stoked to be one of eight composers, alongside some talented friends, who were asked to compose a concert piece for the 2021 Endless Mountain Music Festival “Emerging Composers Concert”, organized by Marisa Gunzenhauser and Maestro Stephen Gunzenhauser. Each piece is inspired by a different era of music from 1920s-modern day. It was very liberating to write a full concert piece, because I really love orchestral writing the most. The concert will be this July, and I’m stoked to attend a live concert for the first time since the pandemic, and hear my piece played live for the first time as well. You can check out some snippets about our pieces here https://www.endlessmountain.net/virtual-music-festival

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Although I spend most of my time in the studio, when I get outside there are some go to spots! Temescal Canyon is really beautiful for a hike. I live in the Palisades and really love the area. It’s very quiet and calm compared to other parts of the city.

Another spot I love is The Sunrise Brew- its a coffee truck parked in Santa Monica with great breakfast and coffee, hidden gem!

Also, during the pandemic I’ve really missed going to live concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall. It’s a lovely venue and I’m looking forward to going back to hear some music.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

My family and friends back home have always been very supportive and encouraging. I wouldn’t be a musician at all without the influence of my dad, Ken Talve, who is a jazz fusion guitarist. He introduced me to cool harmonies and voicings which helped me find my musical voice. He never let me quit playing piano no matter how much I thought I wanted to quit. As well as my classical piano teacher, Nicole Lynch, who helped me prepare for my college auditions and always encouraged me to keep taking lessons, even though I couldn’t really sight read music (and still can’t!)

Of course I am always grateful for the faculty at Berklee who gave me their time and mentorship, and composer Hyojin (Jina) An, who took me under her wing at the film scoring department, listened to all of my music, inspired me and helped me grow as a composer.

Upon moving out to LA, I was warmly welcomed by Doreen Ringer-Ross. She knows the industry very well and gave me a lot of great advice and encouragement. I met Doreen when I was awarded the BMI scholarship award at Berklee, which was presented by her and Thomas Newman, who happens to be one of my favorite composers and biggest inspirations. That whole experience gave me a lot of the confidence I needed to pursue my career as a film composer, and I am forever grateful for it.

Website: karatalve.com

Instagram: kara_talve

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kara-talve-ab275313a/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kara.talve

Other: IMDb https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9731897/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Image Credits
Sage Etters, Caroline Aurelia