Hello and welcome to the third edition of this series, THE INDUSTRY. Today I had the privilege of interviewing Emmy nominated Film/TV music composer, Brian Langsbard, who over the course of his 20 year career has succeeded in the Film and TV composing industry. Brian has contributed to some of the most important sports moments of our time with his wonderful music. It truly was an inspirational experience to chat with him over the phone and hear about some of his career experiences and his interesting line of work.
Langsbard’s journey began with a hobby that most of us share, watching movies.
However, Brian didn’t take the same approach as everyone else when viewing blockbuster films like Star Wars. While many of us idolize certain characters, buy toy sets for young children, or fantasize over plot twists, Brian was different- he was moved by the music. “I was highly affected by the music of John Williams in Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and the role they played in the movies.” With a realization of the importance of music in film combined with a natural connection to the idea of a “universal language”, Brian was inspired to pursue this career and eventually attend the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York where Brian was allowed to “create his own experiences”. He composed a 60-piece orchestra for a student film in just his first year at Eastman. Brian was burst onto the scenes of music composition, the industry which he would learn to conquer at Eastman. At just age 24, Brian was then hired to work on the Batman animated series for Warner Brothers. This was his first professional job.
Langsbard offered a unique answer to my question of how big a role sports played in his young life. His answer, a surprising one, was none. “I was a complete music nerd,” Brian said. Interestingly, he continued to tell me that his sport-absent upbringing actually helped his music represent the purity of the game itself, without any “personal desires”. Brian’s plan wasn’t specifically to compose for sports, but through the help of a few family members and friends, he was able to display his great work for the sports award show, the ESPYS, which led him to then be recognized by Major League Baseball. Langsbard worked on a variety of on-field events including the All-Star Game and World Series, which he fell in love with. “Something special about writing for film is the incredible feeling of hearing your final product in a movie theater on great speakers, and when I first worked for MLB I thought to myself, ‘movie theater speakers got nothin on stadium speakers!”. Due to this incredible feeling of accomplishment and creativity, Brian explained, “I didn’t always know it, but composition in sports was everything I always wanted”.
Similarly to my other guests, Brian was able to speak to the balance of competitiveness and teamwork as an essential skill needed in the industry. For him, his relationships with composers built either during or just after his time at Eastman paved the way for opportunities that would last an entire career. With an advanced skill set for his age, Brian was able to impress the likes of composer Joel McNeely who, at the time, was composing for the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Brian works with Joel to this day, producing realistic sample mockups for Seth McFarlane’s The Orville and American Dad series. Many of the projects Brian has worked on have needed multiple composers, creating a potentially competitive atmosphere. However, Brian views the “competition within” and the work ethic we must have individually as the most important element to success in the Industry. Brian says, “You usually won’t know a thing about the composers you’re up against, the most important competition is with yourself. You have to have a healthy amount of second-guessing with your work, and make it the best work you can make”. I found these words very inspirational and will take them with me for the long haul. Music in the sports production and broadcasting industry may not be the first thought to come to mind when it comes to the business, but man, is it essential to the success of the work and an impressive skill.
I always ask my guests who they were most starstruck by out of anyone they’ve ever worked with or met. Brian had a humbling response that spoke to the nature of the sports broadcasting world magnificently. He referred to the career he shares with legends like John Williams, Hans Zimmer and others as the “Creative accountancy part of the business- you wouldn’t see Williams driving around in a Lamborghini and getting flashed by paparazzi.” The idea that fame and the spotlight aren’t the only or most essential goals for those working in The Industry has been expressed by every guest I’ve interviewed so far. Brian was able to connect with Williams a few times, but the first time proved most significant. While hastily exiting an event, Langsbard stopped the legendary composer, calling him a hero. Without another word, Williams understood the impact he had on Brian. Even without the glam of a movie star, Williams is a major hero, and Brian hoped he could have the same influence in his own career.
Finding a style of work that fits you most is important to many different careers, but in this one, it can make or break you. “One of the best places you can be as a composer is to be able to just do “your thing’.” At MLB, commissioned by the Executive in Charge of Production, David Gavant (the owner of this website), Brian was able to do the “Brian Langsbard”. Furthermore, Langsbard was hired for the style of music that he felt was truly his, and it fit the overall product perfectly. Langsbard's most important work in his eyes came in 2009, with the MLB All-Star Game. That year the MLB worked with PEOPLE Magazine on a theme called Heroes Among Us. The project was to pick representatives for all 30 teams- citizens who had done heroic, generous, or extraordinary work in their communities. The pre-game ceremony also featured video messages from every living President of the United States. “A heartfelt, good-natured approach...the video had music from start to finish and it was the greatest, most emotional musical presentation I’ve ever been a part of.”
I wrapped up my interview with Brian by asking for some advice as I embark on my hopeful journey in Sports Broadcasting. Technology was at the forefront of his answer, as he advised me to understand the impact one click of a button, online, can have on people around the world. The work of a journalist can affect people in massive ways, negatively or positively, so it’s so important for journalists to take that extra second to really ponder or evaluate their work and its meaning.
Brian Langsbard is part of a unique community of individuals whose creativity and drive, under the radar of typical fame and celebrity, have contributed to some of the greatest works of our time, both on and off the field.
You can hear samples of Brian’s work on his website https://www.brianlangsbard.com
