Hey, humans. How's it going. Susan Ruth here. Thanks listening to another episode of hey, human podcast. Happy birthday a human on July sixteenth. Thank you for being a part of this extraordinary journey that has flown by and Thank you to the absolutely incredible guests who have been on the show. Here we are at episode 415, and my guest is George Tomb. George is a Lebanon born, award winning composer and concert Pianist.
Gi wrote his first composition at 3 years old He was raised in a deeply musical family, and it set the stage, no pun intended for a meteor rise to international start. He's also using his talents for a deep purpose and has gifted various compositions to philanthropic events worldwide, he's the kind man. He... It was really lovely to talk with him just a a real bright light, and there's no doubt that he will be a household name around the world in no time. Really, really a fun conversation.
General stuff, I'm on Patreon at, Susan Ruth, You can check out hey human podcast dot com for links and to learn more about my guests in the show. Check out Susan ruth dot com to learn more about me and my other artistic endeavors, follow Susan Ruth and hey, human podcast on social media, find my albums. I to him a musician though. Not even close to George. But, you know,
I do my best to keep up. And you can find my music on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, wherever you get your music, rate review and subscribe to hey, Human podcast on itunes or wherever you get your podcast. Thank you again for 8 years and counting, be well, be kind, be beloved. Here we go. George Too welcome to, hay, human. Thank you, Susan. Thank you for having me. Yeah. Lovely to have you all the way from Paris. Are you jet setting these days going everywhere?
Actually, I was in new York 2 weeks ago, And, yeah, it always takes me, like, 3 to 4 days to to, you know, get rid of the jet lags. I read some places if you wear sunglasses, the whole day after you arrive and when you're jet lagging that it helps. But then, of course, it makes you look like Ad edema. But I think it's supposed to help because it tricks your breath Oh, yeah. I've ever I've never ever tried that. I mean, I'm I would love to try. I use Mel a lot to try to regulate,
my speed. Does it help? It helps. Yeah. That helps Yeah. But I think it always takes, like, 2 to 3 days to just, you know, get used to the new time zone. When you're dreaming, do you dream with a musical background? I mean, that's why I have lack of sleep whether they jet lag or not. I have, like, a sleep because music doesn't stop. You know what I mean? So music always hits my head. Even when I'm sleeping. Although I suppose you can wake up from a dream and have an entire thing composed
and... Yeah. Like, for example, I'm going a movie that I need to deliver in 2 weeks, which is Bug I'll bar it later on. But, like, you know, I get bad, and I was like, oh, I forgot to add this idea I go back to writing, then I go back to bed I was, oh. This is a nice musical line, and I go back to, you know. So it's just When when I have a good la, I always have a lack of sleep because the best idea is always hit my head last second. I'm quite Ami a.
Me too. I get that. I also think that the more tired you get the less chance, your active brain can regulate and step in and then say, oh, no. That's not good or the the j part of our brain goes away. Exactly. Because we're so tired. We don't have the wherewithal with the B. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Well, let's get into you. I start these all the time with the same thing, I wanna know where you were raised and what shaped you to to the human you are now.
I was raised in Beirut Lebanon. I come from a family of well established artists, including my father, and my grandfather, my grandmother, and my own tease. My dad is a composer in Kenneth himself, and he taught me music. He taught me how to play Piano how to write music. He was my first musical feature. So growing up in Lebanon was a great child me. And then after that, I I left to Europe, and I studied music there.
Vienna with Conrad And Christopher young. Then after that, I went to La and I started discovering this with a movie movies and cinema and how to write music for movies was always my dream. Then I went back to Europe and I started writing music for Bali. And since then, I'm just traveling the word driving music for different genres Different projects. Do you feel, you love what you do, which
is great. But as a kid, it it requires so many hours of practice to get to the level that you have now achieved and I'm sure, you know, you keep improving all the time. That's just the nature of the beast. But when you're a little kid, did you feel at all like, Eye on it Practice today. I just wanna go be a kid. I hated it Susan. Like, my
mom used to force me every day. No. Did only an hour today, you have to do 3. I was like, I'm bored like, you know, I used to hate classical piano when it's forced. And I used to miss it when it's not forced, but I am very grateful to what my family obliged me to do because, you know, And now I understand the value of that because all these time on the piano, rehearsing and practicing day
I know they're value today... Even now I practice every day just to keep the technique that I have because I'm composing, but at the same time I'm playing with the orchestra, So I have to to maintain a certain level of technique on the piano. Isn't there that famous saying, I don't know if it was y on. Somebody said, if If I don't practice for a day, no 1 notices. But I don't practice for 2 days, my wife notices. If I don't practice for 3 days, the world notices.
I think that's your your mother Cha. Maybe yeah. Yeah. That's a great thing. Yeah. Yeah. I mean it makes sense. Absolutely. It makes a lot of sense. I mean, yeah. As a pianist, my fingers are... I mean, they can cheat on me. Any any day, if I stop practicing. Of course. That's why Piano for me is, like, drinking water every day. I have to I have to visit the piano every day. Every... I mean, everywhere, Anywhere I am I
have a piano. Yeah. Whether it's in hotel whether I rent an apartment with the piano, whether it's at home, South France, Beirut, La, New York. Anytime, anywhere, I need the piano, has to be 1. Anytime I need the piano. It has... I have to have 1 I mean, at nice, I have a piano. I used the electric because you know, when I had headphones, so I don't bother people on neighbors. Yeah. I mean, of all the instruments to take when you're a traveling musician, the Piano is the most. Not the bread.
Exactly. The most awkward 1 you could have ever picked. Why not the violin? Yeah. I mean, violin also. It's easy to play, But, I mean, it's also knowing at night. Oh, I guess that's true. Especially, if you're not great at it, tell me... As a kid as you were learning your craft and and developing your artist tree. Did you start see music everywhere?
You know, the the movement of the trees and the kids playing, you grew up in a place that there's a lot of intense things happening for a child to witness. How did that all interplay with itself? Like, I didn't really need to leave the house to to feel the music? Because I, you know, my my dad is playing music all day long. My auntie are visiting us singing with my dad. He composed their albums.
My sister's sing all day long, so my home in Lebanon was purely musical, You know, an art, all over the place because my my grandfather he's a painter. And my grandma is a singer. So anywhere I am, and I I had 2 twice a week classes as, you know, the musical theory, harmony, composition, piano. The music was always always there. So imagine leaving a piano class and Tc ups skis in my head. I'm working Tc up the music is it's still in my head. And, yeah, obviously, the sing you Ron is
old music. I, that's how I get inspired. Was it hard to find your own voice amongst all these other artists in your family to stand out and to be yourself? No. Actually, I was very supported by my family. It wasn't easy for me to to open doors abroad. It wasn't easy, but at the same time, it was easy. So the beginning was slow, but then I felt like my career took out, officially in Europe after my first concert and Italy, the of Ramon, Catalina And the San was.
After these 2 concerts, I felt Mike career took off officially. And it, you know, it gets harder, But at the same time it gets easier when it comes to other conductors hearing about your work, other fan directors doing about your work. So it's just, you know, it's like a snowball that is just it keeps growing while going, you know, the road. I've always wondered this with composer and and the sin. How how is that interplay working for a lay like myself?
I don't really understand the connection? Maybe the the woven connection between each instrument and each player and the composer. What is that relationship? I think you're talking about the conductor, probably. No? I meant... Yeah. Conductor not composer, think in my mind. I'm featuring mo art conducting, thinking... Oh, yeah. The professor and the conductor. Oh, mo side. I mean, I can't conduct, but I don't... I mean, I... I don't have this passion to do it.
I prefer playing, or I prefer you just prefer just, like, watching the orchestra of playing my music. So the conductor follows what the composer wrote underscore. The composer can conduct a fee if he's a conductor of or he has this discussion to do it. But, I mean, the conductor more give the speed for the orchestra, the forte t piano, play loud, they quiet... His role is very important to to transmit the message that the composer wrote on a score. To the Orchestra and the audience is
not easy. He gives he gives the character of the peace. And sometimes the conduct improve the whatever is written on paper and a and his style in his on style. I mean, in my in my case, I play mostly the Piano. I am the least or Solo Pianist the... In the Orchestra, and I play the, with the Orchestra. Sometimes I give the piano main role, in the piece. Sometimes I don't give the Piano anything. Oh, it all depends on whatever I'm hearing. But the conductor job is important in at piece in cash
flow piece. When did you know yourself that you were special that you had something beyond I know that's a weird question to ask. It's it's for ego and all that. But you understand what I'm saying. Yeah Yeah. I think for an artist, there's a time in your life when you say, Oh, wow. I'm different. I think when my... When the conductor starting asking me for commissioned work with a class orchestra. In many countries. I thought, okay.
There's something different there. There's something probably good that people are liking or these conductors are they're liking. But what's nice about this industry. The more you learn as I I had an interview last night, and I mentioned that, the more you learn music, the more you... The more I like, literally, I I studied beethoven scores and mo are. I kid very negligible, You know, and I like that because this this thing this process makes you feel humble, You know? And then it makes you
always look forward to learning more. The music is a know is a is a huge ocean. As I mentioned, last night. And I always wanna feed that way to just keep a grounded and and ready to learn more. Because, you know, It's not it's not an industry way where you know everything, and you can reach a point where you can say, yeah. I know everything about music. No. We'll never know anything about music. You know what I mean? You know
I know everything about meetings. If you always be that student that is learning and learning member. Yeah. I suppose if you reach a moment where you feel you've figured it all out. It will lose all joy. Exactly. You have nothing to to look forward to. And to learn to improve your music and to to influence people more because if all your music is the same level same effect. So there's no there's no future. 3 days Piano now playing somewhere.
Yeah. So as music continues to inspire and surprise you, how does that reflect back on yourself. What are you surprised about yourself? As you keep going. I think because I study music, a lot of other classical composer, and I learn different techniques, and III photo my inspiration, and my vision in writing music, and I get some inspiration of orchestration about these composer. Every time I have a recording with the
Orc... Whether your Office or whatever whether whether it's bud past London, let's say, that I will have suing a collaboration with. So in every recording, I learned that, okay, I improved on the cello section. I improved on the strength. Okay. No. The brass section, I should have maybe within something better here you. So every time I have a recording session with the Orchestra. I learned something. Either that I improve somewhere or maybe that I need to improve
and learn. Then after every recording session, I go in my cage and I started learning how should I improve this section? When you sit down to compose for a film, Do you kind of keep that shut off at first and just read through the script or as you're reading it, does it start to swirl around you musically? Sales number 1, I have to meet the writer and the director, and we have to click no matter. What, we have to click click and feel that we can create magic together.
Number 2, I read the script and phase number 2, phase number 3, I start building themes on the script. Between scenes. I share with the direct and writer, and I have to feel that they like it. I have to feel that they love it. Phase number 4, once they finish filming, they send me the footage, and I start using these teams that I that I composed on that script on the food scenes, and I start writing them on different scenes.
And then once I put the themes on the scenes, then I saw orchestrating it for the orchestra. And that's my favorite part. Executing that's, you know, on paper, and then executing it in real life, which is going to Bud pass wherever I need to. Go to record with any orchestra. That's obviously the best. Are you like a mo art and that you hear all the different instrumentation in your head or are you more...
Where you sit down would say a computer and you play around with different modalities that way? I'm not a tag guy, so I've never used any computer program for music, and I prefer to keep it that way, because that way I can hear the music in my hand. I have an absolute here. I mean, absolutely is a different thing. It helps a lot. Bothers also on the... On another angle. On daily life. Yeah. A lot. Like, yeah. Crazy. Yeah. But at the same time,
yeah. I hear everything in my heart. So I know even visually what I wrote, and if there's a mistake in the Oaks I can I can tell what section is playing what? And where is the... What's the mistake And what they're playing, what should be the replacement. So, yeah, this this is a thing that I probably got from my father, and Yeah. I'm grateful to that, Honestly. This is a. This is a Talent that my dad has, and he helped me push it. He helped me hear music that I writing in my head.
I once went to a Dave Matthews concert and the Violin player was out of tune, and it I had to leave. It was it was, like, nails on a check or... Annoying. Right? Yeah. I mean, not only that. Having an absolute ear, it means if you listen to... Sometimes it's tune falling on on the ground, You know, there's a musical notes, you know what notes what musical note is or even if an ambulance passing by, I can know the notes that are playing. You know, adi in my head, the musical
knows are playing. It's a bit annoying also having an absolute video. This is a weird question, but have you ever because I'm fascinated by neuroscience. Have you ever had your brain scanned while you're playing piano? N. Nav. I bet that would be really interesting. Yeah. How can we do that? I have to be at the hospital. Right? Would a Piano there? Yeah. They would just have a piano there and hook you up, but I think that would be really fascinating. Contaminated Piano. Right?
Well, I mean, if it's... You know, it's just stickers on your brain watching it move. Yeah. I never thought of that. I've see my brain goes to you, it would be neat to have that scan and watch how it plays out and then paint a painting of what your brain looks like while you're playing music. Well, that's an interesting idea. Let's do it. Nelly, maybe. That would be very cool. Yeah.
Tell me about Lebanon. Tell me what it was, like, growing up with the influence of sounds and sites in the beauty and the, you know, the architecture is stunning, tell me about that. You've been to be with before? I've seen pictures. I haven't been yet.
Beirut is amazing. You know, it looks like Monte carlo, the trees, nature, the sea, the mountains kissing the sea, you know, we have a say, in Lebanon is saying, like, you know, it's it's could literally snow in the mountains you can go key at the same same day you can go and swim. You know what? I mean, It's a beautiful place. It just had different political problems all over the years. But they would always stood up for, you know, for all the
problems. And maybe really inspired. And I... You know, the full first orchestra that I ever collaborated with was the Lebanese Monica orchestra. And I'm grateful to that city because with whatever cape, capacities they have and capabilities they supporting me you know, all over the world also to and in Lebanon, and the Lebanese is dia for. Right, You know? They asked for us. So, yeah. I think growing up in Lebanon was a good great childhood.
And you... And you are... When I travel to Europe, you know, I speak different languages, I have different musical background. So if I have an Indian, movie, asking me to, to write the music for. I mean, it's quite not easier for me. But because I have the oriented music in my head, even if I'm a classical composer, I can literally use that background that I have somewhere and right for other genres. You know what I mean? Mh. So, yeah, It's nice to be living any country that is not in Europe.
Having the music style that is classical than European. You need you get to win both cultures? How many countries have you now toured to as a performer? I had many European cities. The states I had New York. Once, which is Carnegie Hall, and Los Angeles, which is 4 times. I think... Yeah. 4 times in La will be ali Orchestra. We are conducted by Joanna Ahmed with our Nash shift, and, Ali j s, Okay strong. And I had in the states that was it. You're about to come and really make your mark in
the dates. Exactly. Hopefully. Exciting. Yeah. But I'm scoring movies in Hollywood now. It's been few years. That's where I live. In La. Yeah. I live in Santa Monica by the water. I love Santa monica. Yeah. Night. I love it. Really by the pier. Needed by the pier. Yeah. I live up from that. It's about a half a mile from that pier. A, okay. I love Santa Monica. I have to be in a city that is by ocean or by the sea or by
Yeah. I cannot live in a city where I feel, frustrated with buildings and, you know, the ocean gives me eternity and endless vision, you know, makes me feel inspired. Same. And dogs too. I yeah. Hey yeah. I'm calling a cartoon next year about dogs. How you are? Yeah. That's great. So I listened to some... I have not seen the whole of the documentary enough. It looks fantastic. Was that the very first movie that you
scored or... Yeah. It's an Australian production retail and directing Daisy she's australian Lebanese, and it was about the revolution, the explosion of Lebanon. And, yeah, we recorded the music back. With the kiev tele monica orchestra. I recall we were the last soundtrack that this officer recorded with. It was just before the war. No. A year before the war. Yeah. Exactly. Was the big... It was the last big soundtrack that he have recorded.
Sadly, you know, now this war and it's really sad out how the world is shifting to towards and problems and Yeah. I hope I mean, music invades more spaces. Yeah. I hope that too. I'm I'm an agreement with you on that 1. What's the plan? But so you're gonna keep doing more of the scoring a film. Do you prefer that over writing for orchestration for live music? Both. I love to perform. I love to perform. I love to write music for Ballet. As I'm doing now.
I love to score movies, Right, Music for pop, songs, pop, singers, classical singers. That's what I love about my job. I have a big variety of, you know, of many options I can Like, I can choose, like, even a week ago I got an option to score a painting in a museum London, which is amazing. I got that 2 years ago, but it didn't work, But now, I think it gonna work. And it's nice all that, like, as it... As you're visiting a museum, you see it had 1 next to a big painting.
And you just put the hats the hat headphones and you know and you just start listening to music and contemplating this, painting, and it's a nice feeling to feel that the music is linked to the painting. So what I love about my industry or my job is, like, or my, passion, that it gives me several ways to to use this music, you know, or to create this music. I love that. You did Pin, and you... Are you do big plans for more Ballet coming up? Do you have stuff on the agenda? Yes.
Exactly. I have another project, another ballot. You know if you're taking off next fall because the 20 24 is the 100 and fourteenth and the anniversary of the italian novel that Carlo Wrote. And then I'm we're doing Picasso, the painter, because this is the fifth... This year is the 50 anniversary of his death. So we're... They're doing, like, their ballet on his life,
featuring his paintings and stuff. And it's really nice, you know because the ballet, the only way of communication on stage is good use it. It's not an easy task is way harder than writing a music for a movie because the music and a movie, is a background in a way. But the music in Ballet is main, even the communication within between the desk is the music, you know? Yeah. It's just a different direction but
I love it. Seeing those dancers on stage and the orchestra life playing your music, like, is really way few. Mh. Mh. Absolutely. And to watch bodies become music is a really cool thing. I love going to the ballet. It's... Yeah. Stunning. Yeah. I mean, Chi and the nut crackers, Chi wrote nut crackers and Swan lake. I mean, these 2 Vale My absolute favorite and I always dreamed to have a project where I'm gonna bite the music show and it was Kin nokia I and I have video hope that will love it.
Yeah. Well, I think that they are loving it. Are they not? Yes. Absolutely. Is it hard to as you move through your daily life, when you're just going through life as a normal quote unquote person, not performing not practicing, not composing, but just living your life. Is it hard to assimilate amongst the masses, if you will. Does that make sense? Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. I... And again, is this another Ego go quick. Yeah. When you are... No.
No. Yeah. I mean, Actually, I love meeting new mindset, and new people. I mean, I love to meet new impressions every day, new nc entities, new visions. You... It inspires you to see different kind of people. You know, how they think how what kind of music they hear, I like... I like to discover a new music through new people, You know? But being stuck home writing music at the end of the day, you know, know, have to go out and say in France, be full mall, which
means You just have to... Sometimes I go crazy outside. Know people think I'm crazy with my friends. But just scream and just... That's... I don't. I just need to breathe, You know? Because writing orchestrating on papers is such a stressful task. It's sku calculations, the imagine Next week, I have a recording with the Bud pass Orchestra. For the for the Bug movie, and there's 70 musicians that are gonna play my music. That is still on paper now, which is very stressful,
You know? So the amount of stress with the deadline that we have and this industry is is really tough. So when I go out and I meet people. I just go, mad. I just, you know, don't wanna talk. Like music. I don't wanna. You know what I mean? Yeah. It's just my way of... Yeah. I'm forgetting that I'm a musician. Music
is mathematics? Matthew. So as you're building your compositions, is it 1 of those things where as in masks that you can tell when the equation isn't quite lining up, and then you have to go back and and recalibrate everything or doesn't it really flow in real time forward? Depends. The time sometimes I change your whole concept. Sometimes I feel the rhythm is you know, when you're write with make lines, pure math mathematics, you know, pure math.
But... Yeah. Sometimes I change the whole concept Some sometimes Just change and instruments, You know? But it's it's a whole thing of creating and writing and orchestrating because as you know, the Orchestra is not playing all missions they're not playing the same thing. You know, that's the magic of orchestration is knowing what to write to who and, you know, when should they play when they when should they not? It's not easy. It's not easy to task of orchestration.
Composing is is not easy coming up with new themes. That's that's the gift having having to think that I need a timeless team that will just help the audience, and I want them to leave the the concert all the room. The theater with this music in their head. That's not an easy task, so to to sign a theme in my head and saying that's it, you know. But orchestration... Orchestration is why you think this music is huge. That's why John williams is the best for me is the best orchestra on the planet.
He was just about to bring him up. Alive. I have to see a alive. He's the best live orchestra the planet because, you know, you feel with this music that it's huge just like an army together, You know, you feel there's a big weight in his music, you know, as if you feel it's supported, and this support the orchestration. I was wondering if he studied the way you study the classical music if you studied composer of film as well. I'm I'm of course you do, But John Williams
yeah. And my head, Danny Elf also is really interesting... I love Danny Elf as well. Yeah. He's a great composer. Mori James Horn, Y on Johan johannes and I love Hans as well, James Newton Howard back in time, Howard chore. Scott Bradley and Man. I have a lot of... Every composer have in Hollywood they have their touch of magic. They have a really cool thing here at the Hollywood bowl where they'll show a film and they'll... The Plays live. That's my z
now. I've gone to back to the future and I've gone to black Panther and seeing those, and it's really extraordinary. No. Nice. Wow. I attended 1 of the concerts a few years back with John Williams conducted by You gustavo with good them out. They played star was it was amazing. Oh, I wish I got that. Space Odyssey as well. Do you have a favorite which is, I know a question you probably
get asked a brazilian times. So I'm gonna ask it anyway, do you have a favorite Orchestra that not for you to write for, but just if you were to yeah go out for a night and enjoy. I mean, I have Okay so that I'm targeting some there to work with, hopefully talk you for money, we end up for that money. Berlin for, new, what else sent. Yeah. I mean, those focuses are among the best in the world. I would love to
work with that somebody of course. Yeah. Well, it's my hope that music continues to heal the world. So I appreciate that you're giving your gifts that way. Thank you, Susan. Yeah. Thank you. I mean, I hope music inspires people to to be more hopeful in a world where we need more good people around and that vibes and good energy. Any suggestions to young people that might be listening who want to follow your lead. They should study as much
scores as possible for other conclusions. That's where They know where the the their direction is in the old registration or even composition. And not just think that, yeah, I am gifted That I have music and add, I'm just kinda write. They have to study the orchestration. And study the other composer scores, that's how they get to better and better and better love everything. Mh. I know that Piano is your craft, but do you have other instruments that you enjoy
playing? The only instrument that I play professionally in Piano. Yeah. Other than that I enjoy listening. So other instruments. Here. Like, I like with Solo cello. I like solo transcripts would be orchestra. But to play, you no. I'm artist. Yeah. Enjoy your stay in Paris. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you so much, Susan. Thank you for this beautiful, discussion. I may call it, and I hope to meet you soon in Santa Monica. Yeah. Definitely.
Let people know how they best might follow your work. I mean, I have a website, a George with an ST0MB dot com, and I have Instagram, same pane, george with an ST0MB. They can, listen to my music on spotify Apple music, these are Youtube channel. I have a Youtube channel. But they can follow me on Instagram to know my updates where I am if If they wanna attend my concerts and stuff. Perfect. Wonderful. Thank you. And I'll put links on hey human podcast dot com.
For everyone to go to, that's easy so that they can find it all in 1 place as well. Thank you so much, Susan. Thank you. Yeah. I wish you much success, and I, and also a success in the bud past, the getting that all done as well. Thank you so much. I'll just send you the music afterwards the. Oh, perfect. Wonderful. Thank you for listening everybody. Thank you everybody. Bye bye. Bye bye. Bye bye. Great review and subscribe to hey human podcast on itunes or wherever you get your podcast.
Thanks. Bye.