Logo
STORE
Archive
Subscribe
Log In
Oliver Buchannon
Tommy Arnold - Composer

Composer for Film, TV & Games. Sharing honest insights on music, mindset, and the business of composing while building a creative life around a 9–5 and family. 🎬🎧

One Focused Hour

Feb 10, 2026

•

2 min read

One Focused Hour

How to Maximize Your Creative Output and Hit Deadlines

Tommy Arnold - Composer
Tommy Arnold - Composer
You Have to Be Crazy to Want a Music Career

Feb 2, 2026

•

6 min read

You Have to Be Crazy to Want a Music Career

Building a Career at 40: The Long Game

Tommy Arnold - Composer
Tommy Arnold - Composer
They’re Not Wrong About AI... Create Anyway

Jan 15, 2026

•

6 min read

They’re Not Wrong About AI... Create Anyway

I need to say something uncomfortable up front: if you’re getting into composing for film and TV in 2026 because you think it’s a safe, reliable path to a creative career, you’re probably making a mistake.

Tommy Arnold - Composer
Tommy Arnold - Composer
The Mixing Decisions That Separate Library Music from Film Scores

Jan 6, 2026

•

4 min read

The Mixing Decisions That Separate Library Music from Film Scores

The Mixing Decisions That Separate Library Music from Film Scores

Tommy Arnold - Composer
Tommy Arnold - Composer
The Moment I Realized My Job Wasn’t to Impress Anyone

Dec 30, 2025

•

4 min read

The Moment I Realized My Job Wasn’t to Impress Anyone

For a long time, I thought my job as a composer was to impress people.

Tommy Arnold - Composer
Tommy Arnold - Composer

Film composer

+3

Negotiating Indie Film Budgets: Less Music, More Impact

Dec 22, 2025

•

4 min read

Negotiating Indie Film Budgets: Less Music, More Impact

For years, I accepted indie film fees that left me quietly resentful, or I stood my ground and watched opportunities disappear.

Tommy Arnold - Composer
Tommy Arnold - Composer
An Orchestra Torn Apart - The sound of fear in Alien Romulus

Dec 15, 2025

•

4 min read

An Orchestra Torn Apart - The sound of fear in Alien Romulus

I wanted to take a moment to talk about the score for Alien: Romulus because, even some time after the film’s release, it remains one of my favorite film scores in recent years.

Tommy Arnold - Composer
Tommy Arnold - Composer
🎬 The Day I Realized My Career Wasn’t a Straight Line — and Why That Saved Me

Dec 10, 2025

•

4 min read

🎬 The Day I Realized My Career Wasn’t a Straight Line — and Why That Saved Me

✨ The Moment the Illusion Broke

Tommy Arnold - Composer
Tommy Arnold - Composer
Emotional Harmonics: The Hidden Music Theory Behind Cinematic Emotion

Dec 3, 2025

•

7 min read

Emotional Harmonics: The Hidden Music Theory Behind Cinematic Emotion

When we sit down to score a scene, it’s tempting to think in terms of chords, keys, and voicings.

Tommy Arnold - Composer
Tommy Arnold - Composer

Film composer

+3

The 3 Things Every Aspiring Film Composer Needs (But No One Talks About)

Nov 26, 2025

•

4 min read

The 3 Things Every Aspiring Film Composer Needs (But No One Talks About)

If becoming a film composer only required good gear, a solid theory background, and a halfway-decent template in Logic, this industry would be overflowing with composers.

Tommy Arnold - Composer
Tommy Arnold - Composer
The Sound of Fear - Composing Horror without the cliches

Nov 19, 2025

•

3 min read

The Sound of Fear - Composing Horror without the cliches

Fear is one of the oldest human emotions — and yet, modern horror scores sometimes treat it like a cheap party trick.

Tommy Arnold - Composer
Tommy Arnold - Composer
Loving the Journey: How to Build a Business When No One’s Watching

Nov 10, 2025

•

3 min read

Loving the Journey: How to Build a Business When No One’s Watching

The “In-Between” Phase

Tommy Arnold - Composer
Tommy Arnold - Composer
The most interesting generation of musicians

Nov 4, 2025

•

2 min read

The most interesting generation of musicians

I grew up as a musician during a fascinating time.

Tommy Arnold - Composer
Tommy Arnold - Composer

Subscribe for new reads…


Score School

Quick Links

Subscription

Search

Socials

© 2026 Score School.
Report abusePrivacy policyTerms of use
beehiivPowered by beehiiv