Is there a special process for making music that has to coordinate with such intricate movements and acrobatics?
I have my own procedure for doing it, and I do think it’s unique in circus. First of all, I listen very closely to the director and what his vision of the show is. I listen to the adjectives he uses to describe the show; I know all of the music has to reflect those same adjectives. Then, I get videos of every act in the show. I watch that video a number of times without the [rehearsal] music, because once I hear that, it’s hard to think from a totally blank page. Then, I watch the video with their music, to see if the performers are working in time to the music or if it’s just accompaniment. If I see that they’re moving to that specific metronome marking, I’ll keep that metronome marking. I may totally change the style of the music, but I’ll keep the tempo so that they can keep moving in a way they’re comfortable with. Some acts just move right through the music, so you just have to capture a feeling. At this point I have 20 years of experience writing for aerial acts, flying trapeze a
