Thinking in Sound: Why the Sum Is Greater than Its Parts with Matt Naas
Matt Naas is a New York-based audio engineer. After earning a degree in Recording Arts from Full Sail University, he moved to the city and worked as an assistant audio engineer and in 2008 joined Pilot Content as the audio mixer and sound designer. As senior mixer, Matt has created soundscapes for trailers, promos and sizzles for clients Peacock, Paramount Plus, FX, USA, AMC, TBS, Instagram, Spotify, and Yahoo Finance.
LBB> When you’re working on a new brief or project, what’s your typical starting point? How do you break it down and how do you like to generate your ideas or response?
Matt> This can go many ways. I’m fortunate to work at an agency where I can be looped into the creative as early as when they are exploring concepts and writing the copy. Sometimes in this stage I’ll generate a pre-mix and as the process moves through editorial it just becomes a refining process. Each mix is a collaboration with all the creatives and a work-in-progress until we finally deliver.
LBB> Music and sound are in some ways the most collaborative and interactive forms of creativity - what are your thoughts on this? Do you prefer to work solo or with a gang - and what are some of your most memorable professional collaborations?
Matt> It most definitely is. I’m a musician as well and know that the sum is greater than its parts. With that said, if I have an idea, I like to run solo and get out what’s in my head before talking it through with someone. It can impede your process if you don’t get out what you have in mind before you start receiving input. Sometimes what I have in mind doesn’t come through as I thought it would, so it works both ways. When I’m working with an editor, I love panning back and forth. The “Hot Guy” promo we did for TBS was a great example of this. Me and the editor had a lot of fun passing this to one another to get the beat just right and I think you feel that energy in the spot.
LBB> What’s the most satisfying part of your job and why?
Matt> I’m given a lot of freedom to experiment and that keeps me hooked. I love when something comes in that we can create a track that’s unconventional and gives us even more runway to try funky things, much like this spot we worked on for Fox called 'Animation Domination'. This was one of those projects where I got to run with the creative and create something fresh and exciting.
LBB> As the advertising industry changes, how do you think the role of music and sound is changing with it?
Matt> I think that people are ensconced in the sonic quality of ads/promos more than ever since earbuds and headphones have become part of our everyday lives. It can be a driving factor in keeping one engaged.
As a musician I see this as well – smaller artists are getting their work in big places, like a major tech company and/or car commercial. People that do not have access to a big studio are still able to create and circulate their work via social media and it’s helping start a lot of careers.
LBB> Who are your musical or audio heroes and why?
Matt> Musically, I’m a huge Phish fan. While they treat their work very serious, they still allow themselves to have fun and that combination has proven well as is evident by their longevity and success…I try to emulate that. When it comes to sound design, there’s the incomparable Ben Burtt. When I was a kid, I didn’t really appreciate his contribution to the Star Wars universe as much as I do now. He was a pioneer. In retrospect, the sound of Star Wars is one of the biggest reasons I was and am still a fan of the franchise, let alone this industry. He also popularised the 'Wilhelm scream' and that is something I have been fortunate to be able to use in a couple projects with self-satisfying success!
LBB> And when it comes to your particular field, whether sound design or composing, are there any particular ideas or pioneers that you go back to frequently or who really influence your thinking about the work you do?
Matt> I look more to the people who helped me get into the industry when I first came to New York. Those who let me assist them and the connections I made to get to where I am today. I’ve learned a lot from so many before me and am grateful for their guidance.
LBB> When you’re working on something that isn’t directly sound design or music (lets say going through client briefs or answering emails) - are you the sort of person who needs music and noise in the background or is that completely distracting to you? What are your thoughts on ‘background’ sound and music as you work?
Matt> Depends on what I am doing. Obviously, if I’m mixing, then no. In between doing the work, it depends. Moving to the suburbs of NY after living in Brooklyn for 15 years, I’ve learned to appreciate the quiet. At the same time, I also have a five year old…so when he’s home there is no quiet!
LBB> I guess the quality of the listening experience and the context that audiences listen to music/sound in has changed over the years. There’s the switch from analogue to digital and now we seem to be divided between bad-ass surround-sound immersive experiences and on-the-go, low quality sound (often the audio is competing with a million other distractions) - how does that factor into how you approach your work?
Matt> You’re never gonna know what medium someone is listening on, so I deliver the best mix I can from my studio of which I had spent much time treating in order to make sure whatever I do in there will translate accurately on the outside. I’ll do the QC on other devices such as a MacBook and headphones, but I try not to let that change the way I mix.
LBB> On a typical day, what does your ‘listening diet’ look like?
Matt> I listen to podcasts, satellite radio shows, and live music. Sometimes I like to throw on a Grateful Dead or Phish show and let it play in the background.
LBB> Do you have a collection of music/sounds and what shape does it take (are you a vinyl nerd, do you have hard drives full of random bird sounds, are you a hyper-organised spotify-er…)?
Matt> I inherited a vinyl collection from family, but I don’t have to listen to music in specific formats to enjoy them. Nonetheless, I appreciate the various ways you can elevate the experience.
I also listen to Spotify, but I don’t just put it on shuffle, I usually have something specific in mind I want to listen to.
As far as being hyper-organised, I am with my work, just not with my personal stuff. I just go with what I’m feeling in the moment.
LBB> Outside of the music and sound world, what sort of art or topics really excite you and do you ever relate that back to music (e.g. history buffs who love music that can help you travel through time, gamers who love interactive sound design… I mean it really could be anything!!)
Matt> Having a five-year-old takes a lot of my focus because I enjoy seeing the world through his eyes and ears. Right now, he’s really into space and he has learned a lot, so I like to find ways to engage with him on that whether it being songs about space found on YouTube or watching space documentaries. We have fun on the microphone as well as exploring my collection of software synths… he loves the keyboard.
LBB> Let’s talk travel! It’s often cited as one of the most creatively inspiring things you can do - I’d love to know what are the most exciting or inspiring experiences you’ve had when it comes to sound and music on your travels?
Matt> My wife and I went to Nairobi, Kenya more than 10 years ago to visit friends living there. I went wanting to hear authentic African music and, at first, all I was hearing was pop music everywhere. It made me appreciate that no matter you go, people are very similar in that they crave connection and joy through art/music. The second half of the trip we went on safari and were treated to a warm welcome by the Maasai villagers who had performed traditional Kenyan music and it sticks with me today.
LBB> As we age, our ears change physically and our tastes evolve too, and life changes mean we don’t get to engage in our passions in the same intensity as in our youth - how has your relationship with sound and music changed over the years?
Matt> I still try to write and make my own music in my office. I’m so appreciative to do what I do for a living and that this is my actual job. I get to be super creative so it still fulfills that original passion I had when I was younger and just focused on being a rock star.
