The Escaping Society

Hi Reader, Behind the Scenes of "Einstein's Space and Van Gogh's Sky" I hope to have this song released soon. For now, here are the orchestral-only elements recorded in Moscow last month. I've created a home for songwriters, composers and fans of Abandoned Pools. If you're interested, come and see: VISIT THE ESCAPING SOCIETY Featured product: Handwritten Lyrics $75.00 Handwritten and Signed Lyrics Lyrics, handwritten and signed by Tommy Walter for any Abandoned Pools song you wish. Once...

Hi Reader, Let's talk about something different this week. I hope it's helpful to you. My Absolute Fear of Music and How I Overcome It My senior year at USC, I was very fortunate to be asked to complete the remaining credits of my bachelor's degree in music theory and composition with equivalent credits in the graduate program Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television (or SMPTV, now called the USC Thornton School of Music Department of Screen Scoring), then run by the legendary Disney...

TES15 Moscow Orchestral Recording Session Booked Hello Reader, Two new songs – "My Unicorn" and "Einstein's Space and Van Gogh's Sky" – are close to completion, and both will feature, at least in part, an orchestra recorded remotely in Moscow. This would normally be cost-prohibitive, but by booking a shared session (meaning several other people will be recording the orchestra throughout the day), it becomes possible. There will also be a video crew on hand to record, so keep an eye out for...

HOUSE OF ABANDONED POOLS + CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC TES12 SEPTEMBER IS CLONE HIGH MONTH This month's theme is Clone High. Throughout September, watch for behind the scenes footage, track breakdowns, score analysis, and whatever else I can pull out of the vault. We've also launched new monthly and annual plans starting at less than $7 per month. Read on below.... New Plans and Restructured Platform New Plans and New Payment Options Abandoned Pools Discussion — Still free House of Abandoned Pools...

HOUSE OF ABANDONED POOLS + CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC TES11 Hello Reader, The following is an excerpt from a Songwriting 101 course I am developing, though I believe the subject matter applies just as well to everyday life, no matter what your purpose is. Your thoughts and comments are encouraged and hoped for. Magic and Beauty — The Importance of Maintaining Your Childlike Sense of Awe and Wonder Why are you writing songs? What is it that draws you to such a monumental challenge? Maybe it's...

HOUSE OF ABANDONED POOLS + CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC TES10 Preview of Work in Progress for "My Unicorn" Maybe this won’t hold up, but I have to say: this album feels very different from anything I’ve done before. It feels like a bridge between Abandoned Pools and my work as a composer—something I’ve been naturally moving toward for a while now. So far, there are no drums, no bass, no electric guitars or synths—just a more stripped-back, orchestral approach. Here's an example from a song I’ve been...

HOUSE OF ABANDONED POOLS + CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC TES09 One Week Until the Official Launch... I’ll be hosting a live event on Tuesday, July 29th at 6pm PST to officially launch The Escaping Society.Huge thanks to everyone who’s already joined — it’s exciting to finally have a dedicated space where we can interact together. I’ve started posting in the AP Archives, and I’m currently working on a score reduction and analysis of a passage from John Williams’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for The...

HOUSE OF ABANDONED POOLS + CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC ES08 Introducing The Escaping Society It started out with the question: what do you want the next 12 months to look like? For some time, I’ve envisioned establishing a conservatory—or perhaps a collective, depending on how one chooses to define it. That idea began to take clearer shape during the Zoom calls with backers of The Haunted House Kickstarter campaign. What became increasingly evident was that I was speaking with thoughtful...

ABANDONED POOLS + TOMMY WALTER + THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC TW07 Top 10 Favorite Jóhann Jóhannsson tracks Jóhann Jóhannsson should be a household name.Perhaps in a less dense, noise-filled era—and perhaps if we hadn’t lost him so early—more people would know his name. Maybe fewer would be invested in the dramatics of reality television and more would have taken the time to explore Jóhannsson’s work. Tragically, he died far too young. Had he been able to continue, he might have become more widely...