Meet Larry Tuttle Composer and Musician | Composer of both concert and media music, performer on Chapman Stick, double bass and electric bass

We had the good fortune of connecting with Larry Tuttle Composer and Musician and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Larry Tuttle, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Music is a calling. If you’re driven to create music, it’s difficult to do anything else. You always feel like you really should be composing or playing. If I didn’t do music, I’d feel like I had left my potential and purpose unfulfilled.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My main focus now is composing.  I write for orchestra, wind ensemble, and also production music for media. Concert music is my great love. I’ve won (or placed in) a few competitions, including the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Audience of the Future Composition Competition, the American Prize, Keuris Composing Contest and others. The Pittsburgh win was a thrill – we went to Pittsburgh and got to hear that fabulous orchestra premiere my piece – wow!!  The wind ensemble work allows me to connect with college and high school music students, which is a great thing.  My composing style is basically optimistic, and reflects a diverse background. I grew up playing double bass in every orchestra you can imagine, and then spent my twenties and thirties playing bass guitar in high-powered rock bands.  After that, I discovered a novel and hybrid instrument called the Chapman Stick. The Stick, being a fairly unusual instrument, has become a calling card, and allows me to have a unique musical voice as a performer.  My solo album of Stick music, THROUGH THE GATES, has found a place as one of the benchmark recordings of that instrument.  I still teach Stick and give workshops – I just returned from doing one at Interlochen.  A life and career in music can be difficult at times, but what always sustains me in is the music itself. Even when opportunity is scarce, I can sit down to write, and the music lifts me right up.  My goal and my hope is that those who perform and those who listen to my music will experience some of that same lift.

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.
Anytime I have friends visiting LA, my first go-to spot is the Getty Museum (the new one in Sepulveda Pass). It’s an astonishing place, with spectacular views and absolutely phenomenal architecture. Another favorite (if it’s summer) is the Hollywood Bowl, especially classical nights, which are Tuesday and Thursday. You can see the LA Philharmonic, with some of the best guest conductors and soloists in the world, for a pittance. Unlike some of the larger shows at the Bowl, classical nights are usually about half full (still a lot of people – the Bowl holds 18,000). We come early and bring our dinner to eat on the outdoor picnic tables. Weather at the Bowl is mild, generally 10-20 degrees cooler than the San Fernando Valley. And they have huge video screens with fabulous up-close shots of the performers. The film screenings with the soundtrack played by a live orchestra are a particular favorite of mine. The Peterson Automotive Museum is also great. In terms of food, LA has everything. I love all the great Thai food, especially down in Hollywood, but you can really find anything here. All of the other museums are great too, including MOCA, the Natural History Museum, etc.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife – Novi Novog. Partner in music and life. We play together, write together, perform together, you name it.

Website: www.larrytuttle.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUfq1ck1DkUUsFSnmfwulg

Image Credits
Sherry Rayn Barnett Stefanie Fife