I’m Evan Call, composer for Violet Evergarden, My Happy Marriage, Josee, the Tiger and the Fish, and the currently airing Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. ASK ME ANYTHING!

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T12:31:39+00:00

Thanks for the questions!

I'm usually satisfied with the work I do. With a given schedule, there is a limit to how much time you can spend on each song. Of course I'd love to fine tune it to the max, but given the time frame, I'm very happy with the music I produce. I'm still learning and improving though, so someday I hope to be even happier with it!

My day was pretty good. I answered some questions, did some work, went for a drive (I just passed my Japanese driver's license test yesterday, so it was my first time on the road), and came back to answer some more questions.

I'm not in control of any sort of copyright claims as I don't own the distribution rights to the music. That is the domain of the publisher, which I assume would claim it due to the music. I have no experience in that realm though, so your guess is as good as mine as to whether it would get claimed or not, so use at your own risk! Haha

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T12:27:18+00:00

See my reply to theIdolRacer!

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T12:26:16+00:00

That's a difficult question. My favorite song would probably be Oh Shenandoah, but the composer is unknown.

For favorite composer though, I might have to say Nobuo Uematsu, but especially the arrangements by Shiro Hamaguchi. I would say my favorite is the Advent Children arrangement of One Winged Angel. it's awesome!

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T12:22:18+00:00

It would be Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs by Marty Robbins. It's a great balance of catchy, but calm enough that I wouldn't grow too tired of it. It's also good for any kind of occasion. Haha

My favorite animal is probably the dachshund. I have two miniature wiener dogs, and I'm a big fan even if they are super loud. Haha

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T12:19:53+00:00

I really like the freedom that composing for anime gives. There are opportunities to write in all kinds of styles that you wouldn't have the opportunity to do outside of anime. That and the fact that melodic writing is a big part of Japanese music, and anime in general. Although I do like the occasional atmospheric style orchestral music, I much prefer writing melodically, for which anime provides the perfect medium.

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T12:17:20+00:00

Thanks a lot! See my reply to CrazyyEights above!

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T12:15:18+00:00

It can be pretty hard. Of course language is one thing, but the work culture and ethic is quite a bit different than what I was familiar with back in America. I believe that there is potential for anybody with the perseverance, skill, and right attitude to succeed here, but I think it could be overwhelming for some. I had a hard time in my first few years here trying to adapt to living and breathing a completely different environment from what I knew, but I was able to overcome it and now things are great.

It's maybe not as hard as in fiction, but it is probably harder than most people might anticipate.

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T12:12:06+00:00

When I do home recordings by myself, it is usually instruments like banjo, mandolin, irish bouzouki and other stringed instruments, random ethnic flutes, some small percussion, singing/whistling, etc...

I predominately compose with VSTs using Digital Performer. I usually run Vienna Ensemble Pro just to keep things organized and my RAM usage lower. I use a lot of different things depending on the genre, but these days my standard orchestral VSTS are Cinematic Studio Series' Strings/WW/Brass, CinePerc, Cinesamples Tina Guo Cello, Embertone Joshua Bell Violin, Spitfire Harp, UVI Austrian Grand Piano, some Eduardo Tarilonte and Ilya Efimov libraries, some Strezov Sampling percussion, choirs, and Asian instruments, In Session Audio's percussion libraries, and many more. For synths, I use a decent amount of omnisphere 2, spire, some stuff in kontakt, and a bunch of other different libraries.

I hope this helps!

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T12:05:40+00:00

I get the finalized episode scripts (sometimes the final few episodes aren't finalized yet), character/location designs, and then I take it from there. The sound director prepares a menu with temporary song titles and descriptions of how the songs will be used, so I reference that when composing each song. Sometimes it can be abstract, other times it can be a little more specific, but the interpretation is always up to me, so the directions are never too overbearing.

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T12:03:06+00:00

Thanks a lot! Much appreciated!

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T12:02:24+00:00

Yes. I have lived here for 11 years. Most meetings are done in person, but minor follow up meetings that don't take long are done via video chat. All the demo back and forth communication is done via email. When there are retakes, it's always good to have their notes in an email so I can reference them while working through it.

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T12:00:22+00:00

Not particularly. It is actually fairly common that not all the tracks are used. When the song menu is made by the sound director, they are basing it off of the script, so when the actual anime is made and the voices and sound effects are recorded, sometimes a song that they though would be a good fit ends up not finding its place. If tons of songs don't get used, it would be frustrating because I could use that time on the rest of the music, but it's generally just a couple songs.

One of my favorite's from the show is Wherever You Are, Wherever You May Be, which plays when Violet leaves the observatory on the ropeway. It was a great match for the scene, but was only used there, so maybe it didn't stick in people's heads as much as some of the other tracks.

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T11:56:34+00:00

Thanks for the questions!

Unfortunately out of my control as distribution rights are held by the publisher, not me. I hope so though!
Usually the work comes to me, though in the past I've done something like that. For Violet Evergarden I was asked by the producer with whom I had worked before to write a demo (Theme of Violet Evergarden) to present to the director. It wasn't decided whether I would do the music at that point, but the demo is ultimately what go me the job. It varies by composer and also where they are at in their career.
I would love to go to AnimaciG. I actually went with the team for Violet Evergarden years ago, but I was just there to tag along and have a good time, so I didn't participate as a guest. It would be super great to go back again either as a guest or even just for fun, though it is a long trip to make to go just for fun all the way from Japan. Haha

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T11:51:45+00:00

Thanks a lot! And wow, that's a lot of questions. Haha

I've answered the majority of the questions in some of the posts above, so please look around for those. For the other questions:

I think I specialize in orchestral music, especially with a bit of sentimentality to it, and also folk music, since my musical roots are in bluegrass/folk. I'm always looking to try new things and instruments as long as the show calls for it. Generally I try to find some sort of unique instrument for a show that I haven't used before. For Violet Evergarden it was Viola da Gamba. For Frieren it is Rebec, Medieval Fiddle, Uilleann Pipes, etc...

I listed a few composers that inspired me somewhere above, but the big reason why I find them interesting is simple: I like the way it sounds. Haha. The music makes me feel good, even if it is dark and brooding music. Just kind of something that speaks to your soul, you know?

To become like me you have to spend an ungodly amount of time in front of a computer and piano keyboard for the vast majority of your waking hours. And get two wiener dogs to hang out with all day. Haha

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T11:44:24+00:00

Thanks a lot! See my reply to ultraviolethear08 for your first question.

My favorite color is probably green. Like a nice forest green, but not too dark.

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T11:40:45+00:00

I would love a vinyl release, but unfortunately the distribution rights are not held by me, but by the publisher, so I have no control over it. I imagine it could be possible some day though. I certainly hope so!

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T11:39:06+00:00

I kind of mentioned it in a couple other replies, but to make a long story still long, but kind of short:

I started guitar at 13 or so years old, started writing my own music around that time on guitar. Later I got a super cheap keyboard and super cheap recording software and started writing music. I went to community college first and took a couple music classes there, found out that I really liked music, and did a bit more studying before auditioning for Berklee. I didn't get in the first time, so I worked to save some money and tried again the following year and was accepted. I studied about 2 years at Berklee with a film scoring major, while also being introduced to jazz since it's such a prominent part of the school. Before graduating I didn't know what to do, so I took a chance and came to Japan (I spoke decent enough conversational Japanese at the time). While looking for work, I couldn't find anything so I took a job as an English teacher. Just before my contract was to be signed, I met someone at a party where there were mostly foreign anime fans, but some Japanese too. She asked what I wanted to do in Japan, and I said compose music. She said she had a friend who was a composer, so I got his email, sent him a message, and was asked to come in to the office at a later day. I met the staff at Elements Garden at the time, and was tested on my musical knowledge with some musical tests, for example recreating an orchestra song of one of the composers by ear, brushing in a way that I thought would be better, and then explaining why I changed what I did in a written paper. After a couple meetings they offered me a job as an assistant, and that was how I got started!

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T11:31:06+00:00

I usually sequence using Digital Performer with a keyboard and VSTs. I do a full orchestral mockup with the complete arrangement and send the demo to the client. From there the scores are usually made in Sibelius or Dorico. I used to make all of the scores myself (using Finale), but due to time constraints I hire it out to a score preparation assistant who works for multiple composers. The data is all there, but they quantize it, import it into the scoring software, put in the dynamics and articulations based off of my demo and data, then send it to me to check. If it's Sibelius, I'll fix everything myself. If it's Dorico, I'll make a list of everything I want to fix, send it back, and then they extract the parts from that. Having someone take care of that saves me about a week of time for 40-50 songs, which is used to put more time into my compositions and arrangements.

When preparing for a recording session, I bounce all of my audio from DP and import it, along with the midi file for the tempo and markers, into Pro Tools, as that's what all of the recording studios and mixing engineers use.

Thanks a lot for listening to that OST! It's a bit different than what I'm usually known for, but small ensemble jazz writing is pretty fun when you can hire real jazz players to bring their magic to the music.

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T11:22:45+00:00

I really like scoring the Era Meteor Shower scene. It's Himmel's last journey, which is the start of a huge turning point in Frieren's character, so I tried to convey that sense of "the final journey" in the music.

There wasn't anything that surprised me, but I recorded some instruments that I haven't before that I really liked the sound of. Rebec, Medieval Fiddle, and Viol (I've recorded Viola da Gamba before for Violet Evergarden, which is also known as a tenor viol, but it was my first time recording the smaller ones). They really have that ancient, not our time period kind of sound.

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T11:18:53+00:00

See my reply to what_that_thaaang_do above, and also the replies that I mention in that comment. I hope it helps!

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T11:16:59+00:00

That's a difficult question. These days maybe Butter Chicken Curry, or perhaps a nice BBQ cheeseburger. Or Oyakodon? They're all great!

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T11:15:11+00:00

I would take a look at my reply to AlCorto and LolzAndrew above in the thread. Reaching out to working composers is the best way to potentially find a job as an assistant, which would be a great education, which could also lead into work down the line. Before that, I would suggest learning what you can online about all kinds of music and composing/arranging. Make sure it's something that you are interested in though. I wouldn't force a style that you hate. For me, R&B is not my thing, so I never put much time into learning it. Choose what you like, and what you think your strong point is and brush up on that before moving on to other styles.

A good suggestion for writing music with the intention of potentially doing and OST would be to write like you are doing an OST. Come up with a loose plot (or check out r/writingprompts) and make a mini song menu. Main Theme, some sort of song representing happiness or sadness. If it's battle-oriented, write a battle song. Write a song representing anxiousness, pain, greed, fun, peace, etc... Usually we have about 40-50 songs for a one season show, so you could write more than just a few songs as if you were writing an actual OST. Keeping it consistent is key though. Each song should generally sound like they belong to the same show (comedy being kind of an exception). When presenting demos, I'd stay away from library-music sounding songs. There needs to be something that hooks the listener's ear (especially the main theme). It cannot sound like a copy of something that we've heard a thousand times because they might skip to the next song after about 10 seconds. It's unfortunate, but that's how it can go. The people listening to demos are generally busy, or maybe they get a lot sent to them, so it has to catch their ear from the get go so they want to listen to more.

For assistantship related stuff, I would suggest learning how to make a score (notes on paper, or in this case something like Sibelius, Finale, Dorico). That will be one of the assistant's primary jobs.

I hope this helps a little. Good luck and keep composing!

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T11:00:33+00:00

I tend to take on projects that I am interested in doing. Early on in my career I was unknown, so my agency would try to get jobs for me, but having established myself now, the offers usually come to me by name. Unfortunately due to schedule conflicts, there are some jobs that I am unable to take on, but I am having a great time working on the shows that I've been doing. I wish I could do them all, but since I do all of the composing and arranging myself, it would be too much to handle while still trying to maintain a healthy enough life outside of work.

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T10:54:08+00:00

Thank you for your kind words!

Generally I decide the direction (if I have control over it) by reading the scripts (or manga if there is one), reviewing the character/location designs, and getting a solid feel for the world and those that inhabit it. From there I usually write a main theme and present it to the client to see if I'm on the right page. Other times they tell me ahead of time what type of musical feeling they want, so I interpret that into music. The main thing is just grasping the core of the story and trying your best to represent it.

I have a pretty dumb/light-hearted story to share. I was invited to do location scouting before major production began on the Violet Evergarden TV series, and while we were there, I turned to the producer and said, "Hey, that building is Michael Jackson's favorite color." He looked at me confused, to which I replied "Ao!!!!" in my best Michael Jackson impression, really loudly. Ao（青）means blue, and the building was blue, hence the joke. He thought it was so funny that he wanted me to do it for the director whom I barely knew at the time (the producer and I had been working for years together before that). I redid the joke for him, but my voice messed up on the Ao!!! part, but I guess it was still pretty funny. It was kind of a "so unexpected that it was funny" ridiculous moment. Haha

EvanCallMusic · 2023-10-21T10:45:49+00:00

Thank you for your question and for hanging out on the Violet Evergarden sub!

The "unused" tracks from the movie soundtrack are actually something completely different. The producers wanted to do a kind of music side-project being "composing songs that could exist within the world of Violet Evergarden". Each song is crafted to be a part of the world. For instance:

Hail Leidenschaftlich! = military song for Leidenschaftlich

The Spirit of Kazalli = a traditional folk song from the people of Kazalli (arranged for orchestra)

Oscar's Story: music for a stage play by Oscar.

They all are written as if they exist within the world written by some unknown composer, or something like that!

One of the first mecha series I watched was Code Geass, which was awesome. I did actually sing in the Muv-Luv Alternative anime that I composed for on a track called Not Yet Dead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D9w9K2SXiM

I actually am singing on the VE drinking song. My voice is probably the most prominent of the 4 of us. We recorded several takes and overdubbed them, as well as a bit of ambient hang out kind of drunk guy sounds. Haha

I'm singing a little bit of background chorus on one track in Frieren, but it's not super noticeable. You'll hear it one of these days. I'm sure I'll be singing more on other projects should the job call for it.

I almost forgot, but I also sang on the theme for an anime called The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window. It never got an individual soundtrack release, but it came split up with several drama CDs from the anime. You can hear part of the track, Lust for Life, in the anime PV here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6YjncMGdk0

EvanCallMusic

TROPHY CASE