Coti K, a musician, sound engineer, composer, installation artist, and record producer, delivered a masterclass, titled “Don’t Think Like a Composer,” on Sunday, November 3rd, at Pavlos Zannas theater. The masterclass is part of the tribute “Music in Motion: The Art of Film Scoring,” which takes place within the framework of the Festival’s Meet the Future action, a collaboration between the Greek Programme and the Agora of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival that was launched in 2019, aiming at bringing forth the up-and-coming Greek professionals from different sectors of the film industry.
Taking the floor, Coti K. thanked the Thessaloniki International Film Festival for the invitation, and said: “I find it very odd that I'm here to speak in this capacity, because I'm still not used to the idea that I make a living thanks to music." The discussion with the composer was moderated by Theo Papadimitriou, Assistant Professor at the Film School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, who opened the discussion by stating: “It’s both a great pleasure and a joy to be introducing Coti K. Costantino Luca Rolando Kiriakos has been involved in the electronic music scene since the mid-1980s he has composed music and designed sound for theater, cinema, television, dance theater, as well as audiovisual installations. He has collaborated with a plethora of artists including Tuxedomoon, Stereo Nova, Dimitris Papaioannou, Yorgos Lanthimos, Angelos Frantzis, Nikos Veliotis, Mikael Delta, Giannis Aggelakas, Blaine Reininger, among others. From 1992 until today, he has released seven records under the moniker Coti K. and three others as The Man From Managra.”
Taking the floor once more, Coti K. noted: “The presentation’s complete title is ‘Don’t think like a composer. Improvisations, insecurities, randomness, failures, and out-of-body experiences.’ It’s not a coincidence that improvisations come up first on the list, as a part of today’s presentation will also be improvised. We, musicians, do that. We prepare ourselves for years and then we compose somewhat spontaneously. The word composer is scary and usually, I avoid using it. To those who ask me what I do, I simply answer ‘music,’ perhaps because I lack a classical education. Music is a chaotic subject, so there is always an insecurity around what we are capable of doing. All the musicians I've met seem to have that feeling, this lack of self-confidence," he pointed out. “As for randomness, you must exploit it. There is a word commonly used in English, ‘Serendipity,’ which describes the ability to make a happenstance work in your favor. You must be present in the moment when things are happening. Music is very much about being present in what you're doing," he continued, and while referring to the last word in the title, failures, he clarified that it is a common thing in the life of a musician.
Next, the composer discussed out-of-body experiences. “That is to say, I’m referring to the dismissal of your ego in order to become a better person and composer. Up until quite some time ago, I had this idea that I had to come up with something good. Then, the director would come along and say ‘I don't like what you've done’ and that's where you’d get frustrated. You must take your ego out of the equation in this process. In the past, I worked on a theater piece, Still Life in Ditch by Dimitris Dimitriadis, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. There was a scene where the mother tells the police that she killed her son. I had composed a dark piece of music for it, which was later included in one of my albums. Approximately 6-7 years later, Dimitris Papaioannou invited me to collaborate with him to compose music for Nowhere, staged at the National Theatre. He had heard that dark piece and incorporated it in an intimate scene. And I realized then, I have no idea what I’m doing. And that perhaps I shouldn’t place such great an importance on the music I’ve created. That I should approach it with humor, just like everything else in life. A musical score can fit an image in a variety of ways, after all.”
Immediately afterwards, Coti K. paired a scene from Béla Tarr’s film The Turin Horse with different pieces of music he chose at random – ranging from Bach to metal – resulting in quite a humorous outcome. “It is a game serving as a reminder for us to never take ourselves too seriously. Simultaneously, it is also a tool for us to discover what would pair well in terms of music with an image.” Next, he referred to the Temp Tracks. “I’m not against Temp Tracks as they give you a sense of what the director actually wants. It's a dialogue with the filmmaker, so I don't perceive them as an enemy. And they usually also aid you in becoming a better composer."
In response to an audience question about the way a composer can deal with a filmmaker who doesn’t have a great relationship with music, Coti K. said: “Most of the time, they do give you space to create what you want. In cinema, trust between the crew is something very important to me. When a collaboration hasn’t worked out, it's usually because of a lack of trust.” On the subject of when it’s the best time for a director to approach a composer, he stressed that “there is not one correct time or way to approach. Of course, I prefer to discuss a movie before the filming starts. Which is usually quite challenging because directors have a lot of things to manage, more important and pressing. However, for a film that will be screened at this year’s Festival, Swimming Home by Justin Anderson, Justin reached out to me beforehand. The contact was made because there was a need for music to be incorporated in a scene prior to filming. Still, there are a lot of advantages. You get more actively involved the earlier you get in contact with the director. I composed a piece at random, which ended up being the soundtrack of the finale for Justin's film. Usually when we compose, we don't get to know the rest of the crew. It's nice, though, being part of the team.”
Director Olga Malea then took the floor, asking the composer how he approaches musical themes. “Musical themes help the composer comprehend the scope of his work because he can repeat them, and thus save a lot of time. It's all within the palette you compose. You say, I’ll compose this piece a certain way because I know it's going to work. Later on, though, you'll find out if it actually works. At this point, a discussion with the director takes place, as they may point you in another direction. The objective is always the functionality of the music. The interest and magic come when you don't understand exactly what you're doing. The more freely the idea flows, the stronger and better the result. Another way to utilize music is to avoid overthinking. This is not my original thought. I watched a masterclass by Hans Zimmer, in which he discussed insecurity and how long it takes him to write music. In one film, I did exactly as he said, and created half the themes in two hours. You start the film in some program on your computer, and you put the music wherever you like. You must not stop because you will lose the flow. As the film unfolds, it’s from your first impressions that many of the ideas begin to emerge. The next day you deal with the film more easily. Even if the initial idea is no good, you still have something to work with."
Upon a subsequent inquiry from the audience about the "density" of music, and what happens when it is overloaded with information, the composer remarked: “During the composition phase, I don’t give much attention. When you reach the editing phase, you might listen to it and perhaps think that you have incorporated too many elements. It is important to not overcomplicate the music score, unless a scene calls for it. When you compose, you shouldn’t limit yourself. Once you gain a sense of where the music must go, music itself guides you. I worked in advertising for many years and I learned to write music on-demand, an exercise that rids you of your ego. Now, I am much more flexible and I believe that you should channel all your love in anything you compose, even if it is for a… yogurt. Another thing I’d like to add is that I consider it greatly important to involve the filmmaker in the composition process. I’ve gotten to be in the same room with various directors while I compose. You receive direct feedback from the other person, which gives the director control while allowing you to move more freely."
A piece of advice he would offer to young people with inspiration and talent, who wish to compose for films, but lack much musical knowledge? “Just go for it! If we keep waiting to become the best composers before we start composing, we’ll be lost! I am the living example of a man that composes despite his shortcomings in musical education. It’s not shameful. The important thing is to have the desire. Dedicating time to your craft is the most important thing in music. Write music in whatever way you want and can. We all live and are immersed with a lingering sense of insecurity. The fact that you don’t know where you’re going is exactly where your strength also lies. I’ve made music videos without having a clue about directing. Fear shouldn't stop you,” stressed the successful composer.
When asked about the profits in this industry, Coti K. noted: “In commercials things are more standard. In cinema, in Greece – if you have a contract - it is stated that the music must be to the director's liking. If you are indeed composing five music scores for a scene and it isn’t working out, how do you handle it? Thankfully, it hasn’t happened to me yet, but the contracts abroad do include such details. Here, you negotiate and hope for the best. Once, I composed the music for a filmmaker who hadn't given much thought to what kind of music he wanted, and it worked. If you're receptive, you are open to suggestions from the composer. Nowadays, everything is more flexible, and until the last minute, they can ask you for anything. For the filmmaker, a film is a constant search. There is an idea that is constantly being negated or altered.”
As for whether there is a difference between music scores intended for the theater and those for cinema, Coti K. shed light on the issue: “The composition isn’t different. However, you have more allowances in the music for the theater because you can't edit it as strictly as you can for cinema. This is the kind of music I like. If the sound is a bit out of tune or behind in time, it's better overall.” Replying to a question on whether the composer is the director’s alter ego, just like in the case of Nino Rota with Federico Fellini, Coti K. said: “If you collaborate with a director on 5-6 films, a magical relationship is created. With Angelos Frantzis, for example, trust is never lacking."
