Whether conducting a 60-piece orchestra on the famed Sony sound stage or crafting an electronic score in his own technically appointed studio, composer Billy Martin creates music to tell stories. It may be music that mirrors the drama of a feature film, annotates the hyper-kinetic motion of an animated network series, or delivers the apocalyptic doom of a futuristic computer game; in all projects, Martin's music moves in sonic counterpoint to the on-screen action.
        His outlets include such media icons as Walt Disney Pictures, Universal, Fox, the Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and ABC. Simultaneously, he composes for new media with a range of projects for companies including Ubisoft and Disney. As a songwriter, he has contributed songs to feature films including Outside Providence and Selena while television series from Touched by an Angel to Murphy Brown have also featured his lyrics and music. In addition, he has composed and recorded a substantial library of background music.
        Billy's early musical education flourished on an axis of orchestral and pop influences. In high school, he wrote songs and experimented with multi-track recording before enrolling as a national merit scholar at Indiana University. "I was having fun studying composition and playing saxophone in jazz bands," he recalls, "at the same time I was writing songs with the idea that I'd form a band, get a record deal and be famous. That's what you do right?"
        After college, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue the dream. He founded a band, nailed the requisite indie deal and hit college radio with an album's worth of self-produced material. When the record label went kaput, Martin played local gigs and sessions. Then came an unexpected career possibility.
        Billy relates, "I knew some people who were writing underscore for various film and TV projects. They kept twisting my arm, saying, 'I'm too busy to finish this episode this week -- can you help?' Once I had the opportunity I knew that it was the way for me to express myself and to do exactly what I wanted to do."
        It was Billy's musical multi-tasking that led to his evolution as a full time composer. "I went through a phase doing so many things - as a sax player, a singer, working as a composer, writing for games, working for other composers as an orchestrator, extracting MIDI files as a copyist. In the midst of that I knew I wanted to do the writing myself because no performing or playing was that gratifying."
        Working successfully in so many visual mediums, it is evident that Billy must bring something very special to the table. What is it? "I think it's probably the take-out food I bring with me to the spotting sessions," he laughs, "if not that, then it's an instinct. It's always best to talk about the emotions behind what is going on and describe the story in those terms. A director can direct me just like an actor. I'd rather talk in terms of making things light or dark, scary or happy. Ideally, a director will be very comfortable with that because I'm comfortable translating this language into the musical expression that will give them what they want."
        These days, self-described as "blissfully married with four daughters," Billy is in demand as a composer for both big and small screens, with an expanding range of projects that engage him professionally and creatively. He concludes, "Shostakovich said you need to write everyday if you can. If you can't write something then orchestrate; if you can't orchestrate copy the parts. I do something related to music every single day. I've learned to trust my instincts -- to believe that the first thing I come up with is the best thing -- and it usually is."