Meet Pietro Milanesi: Composer and Music Producer

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

Hi Pietro, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Risk-taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taken risks played in your life/career?

I think risk-taking has played and still has a big role in my career. Writing music for a living is definitely not a safe choice. Freelancing means that I have no guarantees of having work. Luckily, I’m at a point in my career where new work comes in consistently, but at the same time, I don’t have year-long contracts, so as of now, next week or next month I’ll be unemployed. It takes a great deal of trust, patience, and effort to procure work continuously, but I really enjoy the freelance lifestyle.
Having the right attitude definitely helps, I believe things will work out eventually. And pairing that with a strong work ethic and ambition, I never expect for work to just fall on my lap so II actively reach out for new opportunities.

Most importantly, I’m always trying to be open to new experiences. I travel as much as I can, I’m always looking for new music, movies, shows, and I try to continuously grow as a person and as an artist. When something starts to feel too “safe”, it means that it’s time to try something new.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a freelance composer. I usually reside in Los Angeles, but these past few months I’ve been living in Italy, Germany and soon New York; I’ll be back to Los Angeles soon though! I work on film, television, commercials, and basically any media that needs music. I also write and produce songs, and I’m half of the indie pop band Alice Bloom. I grew up listening to a great variety of music, and since an early age I’ve been interested in all aspects of music making, from learning to play several instruments to producing, mixing and mastering. Film scoring allows me to incorporate all these elements and the variety of projects I work on feels very refreshing.
While a lot of composers specialize in a genre, and there’s definitely value to that, I find working on the widest possible array of projects be most rewarding for me. What sets me apart is probably this crossover of different styles, blending jazz, rock, electronic, orchestral sounds and sound design in my music.
Currently I’m working on a period comedy, I’m writing electronic music for a dystopian drama and I’m working on orchestral renditions of Christmas tunes for an upcoming show. I’m also finishing mixing the debut album for Alice Bloom, and working with different artists on sync opportunities.
One of the project I’m most proud of is Moby upcoming album Reprise. I grew up listening to his music and looking up to him. “Play” is one of my favorite albums and probably the one I listened to the most, literally thousands of times. Last year I got the opportunity to do additional arranging on some of his iconic songs for this album, it was very special and I’m really excited for it to come out next month.
Pursuing an artistic career is never easy, but I’m really passionate about my job and find it immensely rewarding.

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.
I love going to the beach. Santa Monica Seafood has the freshest fish you can find in the area, their black squid ink pasta is unbelievable. If you’re a fan of poke, Poke Me on La Brea is the best there is. Friendly staff, fresh food, good sizes, and the free avocado side definitely seals the deal. Walking distance to my area, The Mint offer great live music and a relaxed atmosphere, but if you’re looking for food, Versailles’ pollo plate is hard to beat. Lastly a shoutout to Hugo’s, it’s the first place I’ve been to when I first visited Los Angeles so it has a special place in my memory.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Many people have contributed at every step of my life and my professional career. My parents are my biggest supporters. Although they live in Italy and are not always up to speed with what I’m doing at any given moment, they’re cheering for my successes and are equally encouraging when there are difficulties. So is my girlfriend, who shares with me the struggles and satisfactions of working in the entertainment industry – she’s a screenwriter and also a fantastic singer. She’s singlehandedly kept me sane in this past year of remote working and limited human interaction, and deserves more than a little credit for keeping up with me!

Website: pietromilanesi.com

Instagram: @pitmen24

Linkedin: pietro-milanesi

Facebook: pietro.milanesi