How I Became a Composer's Assistant

Very frequently I am asked how I got the job assisting composer Michael Levine and eventually moving with his company into Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Productions. I write out the response so often that I thought it would be practical to make a blog post out of it.Like most things, it ultimately comes down to good luck (ie. preparation plus opportunity).I studied Film Scoring at Berklee College of Music in Boston. After graduating and deciding to move to LA, I knew that becoming an assistant to an experienced composer was the wise next step.During my first week in LA I was given the opportunity to interview for a composer. I don't remember exactly how I came upon the interview but I think it was Craigslist. Coming from Berklee, I was extremely well versed in Digital Performer. Unfortunately, this composer's studio was all Logic, which I knew nothing about. Even more unfortunate was the fact that half of the interview focused on a "Logic quiz", which was a complete waste of both mine and the interviewer's time. Needless to say I didn't get the job, but I thankfully did learn from the experience. I drove directly from the interview to a bookstore, bought a book about becoming an expert with Logic, and dove into the software. If being an expert in Logic was required for becoming a composer's assistant, I would become an expert in Logic.A few weeks later I met with Berklee's LA alumni coordinator, the amazingly awesome Peter Gordon. In a classic moment of "right place, right time" there was an opening for a position assisting Michael. Along with two other composers who were both classmates of mine, I interviewed for the job. Although I had never been a composer's assistant before, there were a few things in my favor that lent well to the job. The first obvious one was having a degree in Film Scoring. But what also helped was my experience as a supervisor for Berklee's Video Production Services, as well as being a technician for Harvard University's Media and Technology Services Department. A majority of the responsibilities for a composer's assistant involve technical work with extensive knowledge in audio and video, and I had made sure that in my years leading up to this I would be prepared.I didn't get the job.But as luck would have it, the person who did get the job ended up leaving a few weeks into it. I got a call asking if I wanted to come on part time, and eventually the candidate that was initially hired left completely and I came on as the full time assistant. After working out of Michael's studio for about a year, his brand new studio at Remote was complete and we were ready to move in. The experience of helping plan and set up that studio was invaluable. I ended up working for Michael for about two years and I learned more than I could repay from the experience.So that's the long version of how I got my first and only job as a composer's assistant. I think the basic lesson is that every situation is unique and there is no clear cut way to find that kind of work, but ultimately if you are prepared and a good candidate for the job eventually an opportunity will present itself. And if you aren't prepared, like my first interview with the quiz on Logic, you won't get the gig.