November's composer of the month: Lorenzo William Lejarde

Our newest composer of the month is Lorenzo William Lejarde, a young composer with a very unique style. He talked with us about his composing journey, including how he developed his unique “techniques” that now let him produce sounds unlike any you’ve probably heard before. Enjoy!

Let’s start – tell us a bit about yourself and your history with music!

My name is Lorenzo and I’m from the United States. In terms of music, I’ve played guitar for longer than I can remember. Then in middle school, I experimented with sites like Soundtrap and Sampulator, but I didn’t go beyond making arrangements or simple beats. Finally, in high school I discovered Flat, and you can see – or hear! – how things have gone from there.

What are your influences or references?

I’ve been influenced by quite a few composers on Flat and the styles they’ve developed. I’m thinking about users like Maracoto (Professor P. to those that remember) with their piano solos, Analog Kid with progressive rock, and Finesden with their fast, upbeat songs. And I could keep going, but I don’t think people want to read a very long list of names!

What do you consider your style to be? Is there a staple that you think makes your pieces unique?

I see myself as a variety composer, composing whatever comes to mind at the moment. Still, my “style” would probably be electronic-sounding music. I think a staple that makes my pieces stand out are what I call my “techniques”. That’s when I use the Flat instruments in innovative ways, to create sounds that normally aren’t heard from that instrument. For example, I’ve used a cello to create a “synth-esque” sound that isn’t possible with a normal instrument.

How did you discover Flat? What has the experience been like?

In my freshman year of high school two years ago, I joined a composition club that happened to use Flat. And these past two years have given me some of the best possible moments. I’ve met new people that all share a common love for music, a nice community where people are able to express themselves. While there can sometimes be incidents in the community (RIP Cloud), in general it’s a really fun place that’s nice to be a part of. I’ve also been blown away with the music of some of the Flat greats, and was inspired to improve my own composing.

Who is your favorite composer on Flat right now?

It would probably be Classy, who I feel is a somewhat underrated user. There’s a certain type of magic that they’re able to create with their songs, crafting the mood they want, when they want it. They’re one of the few composers that I’m always willing to listen to the entire song the first time around.

What work that you’ve written are you most proud of?

My favorite piece that I’ve ever written is “Sea Storm”. It was a submission for the September competition, back when I wasn’t particularly known, and I loved seeing the reactions to my “Thunder” technique (it was also a time when I didn’t name separate techniques). A couple other pieces that I’m really proud of would be “A Basket of Chocolate Eggs | EDM”, “A Pot of Chocolate Coins”, and “F.A.I.T.H. | June Challenge 2023 4th place” due to the innovative usage of instruments. Still, I consider “Sea Storm” as the starting point of my techniques.

Tell us a little bit about your creative process.

Sometimes, I have a general idea of how I want something to sound and so I try to translate that idea into Flat. Other times I get ideas by listening to other songs and trying to make a song in the style of what I just listened to. I analyze the parts of the song (how the song is divided, instrumentation, etc.), and try to portray the mood that the song gives.

What does music mean to you?

Like other forms of art, music expresses ideas and emotions that words can’t convey. But I think music is also able to express those in ways that visual arts can’t. The ability to hear something instead of just seeing it lets people feel how the composer/songwriter felt. Music is able to portray a mood that’s easy to understand once it’s heard. Plus, lyrics are able to be expressed in the tones that the writer intended. Hearing adds an extra sense to how something can be interpreted, beyond simply seeing.

Do you see music as part of your future?

I’ve wanted to become a game developer, and the original soundtrack of a game is essential to how it feels. It adds so much to the experience, creating the right moods when the game needs them. The gaming experience wouldn’t be complete without the music behind it.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start composing?

Just keep composing, don’t worry about how it sounds. Most people don’t start as some sort of prodigy able to create movie-quality songs, just start with what you’re able to do. The more you compose, the more you learn; you’ll eventually gather together a sense of how you want things to sound. We’re our own worst critics, whatever you make might even be better than you perceive it to be.

What’s your favorite memory of Flat (favorite competition, event, etc.)?

In my first few months on Flat, another random user who wasn’t really known challenged me to a follower race, first to 50. I said yes and then they gained 25 followers in two days, they completely destroyed me in the race. But I kept going and they did, too – within a few months, they’d really grown in follower count and as a composer. They managed to get hundreds of followers in less than a year since then. You probably know them now as Darker, the viola-loving composer that manages to get the top spots in the weekly tab with his orchestrals.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our community?

This is one of the nicest music communities I have ever been a part of. While there may be times when we have our incidents, we manage to recover fairly quickly.

Thank you for being one of the best communities out there, please keep it up!