Perfectionism, a double-edged sword for musicians

Perfectionism can lead you to create impeccable pieces. However, it can be a limitation to dare explore and make mistakes, fundamental for any artist. We reflected on this during Angelina Rubino's interview. Today, we want to share her story with you.

Angelina, better known as CresentMusic on Flat and YouTube, is a brilliant composer from Illinois, USA. In addition to her talent, her capacity for analysis and self-criticism is impressive.

Her background

CresentMusic started composing music when she was 14. And as it probably happened to you, her first creations are not something she is proud of. However, her creativity, the need to express herself and discipline, made her keep creating and studying until she became the semi-classical composer with a modern twist (as she describes her own style) she is today.

"The first piece that I've ever made, I don't even think it can be considered an actual composition. It was just me going up the Bm pentatonic scale...14 years old me was not as creative"

🤨 We believe that, if you dared to start making your own songs at 14, you were quite creative already! Maybe what you lacked were the tools to translate your feelings and thoughts into songs. Which you have clearly perfected.

This is one of our favorite pieces of hers:

She joined our platform in 2019 and started publishing her songs in mid-2020.

"Flat, out of all the notation software that I have seen and used, Flat is probably the most intuitive and easy to use. If it weren't for that I wouldn't probably be composing as much, or I wouldn't have improved in my notation skills"

🤩 We were so happy to hear that. It means the world to us to provide a tool for you to express yourself.

As usual, we asked her who is her favorite composer in Flat. And guess what? It is Aech. This name has come up in several interviews! He is definitely a great composer.

Her influences

For Angelina, her biggest dream is to be a well-known film composer with an authentic stamp 📽️.

"I don't want to be seen as the next Hans Zimmer... or anybody in the industry. I want to be seen as the first me"

In the training process, imitating is a vital resource for learning, but we must not forget that it is just that: a learning resource. Angelina is straight clear about this.

Bearing her dreams in mind, it was not surprising that her most important influence, score-wise, is Joe Hisaishi.

In addition to this incredible composer, one of her most important references is the romantic era composers, such as Frédéric Chopin.

Her creative process

Each person has their particular process, and we all have a lot to learn from each other. For CrescentMusic, her way of doing things is to work on each instrument until it is polished. Always thinking about the cohesion of the parts to achieve that professional and elegant sound that her songs have.

😎 That is a neat method. Of course, it involves a lot of work, but it is worth it. It is fundamental to think about the song as an entity. Everything must be coherent. But we must never overlook the details. The details are the essence of things and what provide our authentic stamp to what we do.

What music means

Music is a living entity, and each of us has a particular relationship with it. But we all find in music a way to communicate. It seems to be our primary language rather than the native language we speak. For Angelina, this is the case.

"I've always had a hard time coming up with what I have to say. I am not that good with words. The fact that I am able to get on a piano and just translate what I am feeling at that very point through music, through my performance, is really cool"

Her advice to new composers

One of the most enriching things about getting to know the stories of other musicians is to learn tips to avoid making their mistakes.
Angelina advises new composers or those who want to start to compose to imitate their referents. For this, you should listen to their music and then write songs thinking like those composers. But be careful. You don't have to stop there. Imitating is an exercise to learn how to compose. Once you master the style of a composer you admire, you are ready to process what you learned, rescue the aspects you identify with, and start expressing yourself in your authentic way.

Learn from the masters but dare to be yourself. That's Angelina's advice.

In addition to this, she suggests that you take the time to study music notation. You must learn how to write scores to be able to transmit your ideas to other musicians. Remember that musical notation is the written language of musicians. It is vital to know how to do it.

About perfectionism

For Angelina, it has been difficult to learn how to be more flexible and open to the creativity that is around us.

"You never know where you can find a sparkle of creativity anywhere, you just have to look for it"

While it is true that seeking perfectionism is a handy tool that leads to professionalism and mastery in the musical endeavor, it cannot be the goal. We must not forget that music is about genuinely projecting our emotions, not perfectly 🧑‍🎨.

Thank you Angelina for your time and for your music. We hope all your dreams come true!

By the way, you can check the whole interview here:

See you next time,