"We Create Music" Blog

ASCAP composer Michael Giacchino could have relied on Trekkie nostalgia for his score to Star Trek: Into Darkness. Instead, he did what he's always done: he wrote the right music for the story. Before the film's release, Giacchino told us how he did it.

If you were paying close attention to Grammy nominations this past year, you may have noticed something a bit unusual about the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album category – there were only three nominees. The reason? Well, here’s a simplified lesson in how The Recording Academy selects nominees.

The indescribable extreme music quintet The Dillinger Escape Plan make such combustible, anarchic music that it's amazing they've lasted for 16 years. On the eve of the release of their fifth album One of Us Is the Killer, we spoke with DEP's guitarist Ben Weinman about the method behind the madness.

When director Baz Luhrmann decided to bring about his screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, he turned to his longtime collaborator, ASCAP composer Craig Armstrong. ASCAP's Jeff Jernigan spoke with Armstrong about his involvement with the ambitious project.

French electronica gods Daft Punk hand-picked ASCAP President Paul Williams to collaborate on their new album, Random Access Memories. Watch this incredible video for an intimate window into Paul’s unique relationship with Daft Punk, and details about "Touch," the song they wrote together.

Call AM & Shawn Lee’s second album kitchen sink music if you must, but recognize that this kind of sink just doesn’t exist in present-day kitchens. These two vintage gear fetishists teamed up across the Atlantic for a set of funky, bizarre and totally pop-obsessed tunes. Here’s what they had to say about it.

This past year, prolific STIM composer Johan Söderqvist continued his partnership with Danish director Susanne Bier on Love Is All You Need (out May 3rd) and soundtracked the Oscar-nominated adaptation of the high-seas adventure classic Kon-Tiki. Söderqvist phoned in from Sweden to tell us about them both.

The US Trade Representative's Special 301 Report shows that the US government is serious about upholding music creators' rights around the globe. Now it's time to turn the report’s recommendations into concrete benefits for songwriters, composers and publishers.

Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer walked a long, hard road on the way to his debut solo album The Way Life Goes. He endured challenges both professional and personal, including a paralyzed vocal cord. All that living has resulted in an honest record of both heartbreak and joy, and a 14-song set of the blues-centric rock that Keifer does so well. We spoke with Keifer about his creative journey.