I don't usually post things from the world-wide web on this site, but I couldn't resist this inspirational video.  As 2013 starts and so many people are working hard all over the world, I think this video is a much needed source of inspiration and solace.  Enjoy.

Well, it was quite a year, and I don't really know where to start... It seems that these days a year goes by so fast, I have to think really hard to remember what even happened at the beginning of it. This past year was full of exciting musical and life adventures, and 2013 looks to be even more so. Here are some 2012 Highlights:

Performing with Taxes at the Great American Music Hall:

This was one of my last shows performing Keyboards with Taxes, and it was a great one, playing the opening night of the 2012 San Francisco Noise Pop Festival. Brandon Moore shot video for the concert, which came out great. You can watch it here. I have now stopped performing with Taxes, opting to focus 100% on Songwriting, Composition, and Producing. I had a great three years performing, writing, and arranging for this group, and I wish them all the success in the future.

2012 Also was a great year for me in the realm of writing music for visual media- writing and producing score for over ten projects for Film, Commercials, and Animation.

I produced the music for Director Brandon Moore's Riviera Skateboards Promotional Video, which went on to win the Panasonic Shoot it/Share it Contest. Brandon is a great film maker and an all around cool guy, and it was a pleasure working with him, along with mastering engineer and drummer Dylan Travis.

I also wrote, mixed/mastered, and produced the music for Director Ray Hu's film Blind Painter, which went on to win several awards in China, along with being an official selection of the 15th Shanghai International Film Festival. This was a great film, and I am continuing my partnership with Ray on multiple upcoming projects, in one of which I even had a small acting role. This was a first for me, and it's given me a whole new respect for the work of genuine actors. We're currently in the post production phase of that film, and it should be coming out this spring.

I also wrote and produced the music and sound design for multiple projects with animator extraordinaire Reem Ali Adeeb. Reem has since obtained a job in Los Angeles for acclaimed animation studio Titmouse, and continues to create great, original work. Working with Reem is always a pleasure, and I'm sure that she will be very successful in L.A.

Towards the end of the year I wrote and produced the score for the short film A Long Distance Love, directed by James Long. This is a great short film, and it was very fun producing the music, as James specifically asked for a Jazz feel. As I've always had a special place in my heart for writing and performing Jazz music, this was an especially fun project for me.

2012 was also an especially busy year for me in the world of Songwriting.  I registered 33 of my Compositions with ASCAP and the Library of Congress, and wrote and produced a three song Demo, which I am currently shopping around to Publishers, Recording Artists, etc.  I worked very hard producing the demo, and it is my goal to have the songs published by the end of 2013.  I am also shopping around my complete Music Library, and hope to license many of my tracks during 2013 as well.  Right now you can listen to the Demo and download the tracks for free below.  Enjoy!

Music and Lyrics written by Tristan Eckerson. Produced by Tristan Eckerson. Copyright 2012.

2013 is already finding me busy writing and producing new music, both for Film and the Concert Hall, as well as preparing for my last year of Grad School in pursuit of my Master's Degree in Music for Visual Media at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. My wife, two year old son, and I are also planning a move to Seattle, Washington in the spring, where I will continue to work as a Composer, Songwriter, and Producer, immersing myself in the wonderful music and art community that Seattle has to offer. We are very excited about this move and the possibilities it brings, and I will keep you updated as it progresses. Thanks for reading, and the best of luck to you in 2013!

P.S. If you haven't already, please sign up for my Mailing List to receive updates about New Music, Film Projects, etc. Thank you and Happy New Year!

I am happy to announce that Blind Painter, the short film for which I have recently composed the score, has been selected for screening at the 15th Shanghai International Film Festival.  This is a major film festival, attracting stars, directors, and producers from all over the world, and it's a great honor for all of the crew at Iron International Films to have been selected.

Ray Hu, the Director of the film, is currently in China leading a promotional tour of the film, presenting it at film festivals, high schools, and colleges all throughout China.  The film has garnered almost 15,000 votes online for a short film competition in China, all in less than a month's time.  Needless to say, expectations are high for the success of this short film, as well as Ray's next project, which is slated to start in the fall.

I had a great time composing the score for this film.  It was a challenging experience, but the crew was always great and enjoyable to work with, and I learned a lot about my own craft along the way.  I'm excited to see what Ray has in store for us next, as he is a very talented Director, and at only 21 years old, I think the best is definitely yet to come.

You can view the entire film here:

Blind Painter

Brandon Moore's Riveria Skateboards Promo Video, which I produced the music for, has won the illustrious Panasonic Shoot it/Share it Contest for Best Commercial Video.  I am really happy for Brandon, and excited to have worked on an award winning video.  You can view the video below, and listen to the song that I produced with Dylan Travis.

It was great working with Brandon on this video, and I wish him continued success in the future.  Make sure and check out the video and the music, and enjoy!

As promised, here is the video shot by Cinematographer/Director Brandon Moore, with music produced by myself and Dylan Travis.  Brandon asked me to produce a sound-alike for the Washed Out song "Soft."  I turned the project around in two days, and Dylan Travis added live drums and re-mastered.  It was a great experience, and I became a fan of Washed Out in the process!  This video is also up for an award as part of the Panasonic Shoot it/Share it contest, so vote here while you still can:

http://www.shootitshareit.com/videos/viewvideo/123/commercial

Here it is... Enjoy....Share the love... And don't forget to vote!

2011.  What a year.  I have been out in San Francisco for almost four years now, but this last year seems to have been especially eventful.  Where do I start?  Outside of the music world, my wife and I saw our son turn one years old, we moved to the beach, I quit my full time job running a transitional housing program and became a full time Masters student at the Academy of Art, rang in the new year in Medellin, Colombia, took our first trip to Kauai, and made a two week homecoming trip to Cincinnati over the holidays.  Living out on Baker Beach in San Francisco has been a wonderful experience, and getting to focus full time on my family and my passion of creating music has been an extremely rewarding experience so far, and promises to only get better in the future.

A lot happened in the music world as well.  As I said, I went from part time to full time in my Master’s program at the Academy, studying for a degree in Music for Visual media.  I’ve had the privilege of learning from class A session musicians and Film Composers like Daniel Fabricant, Brad Hughes, and Gunnard Doboze, and I’ve had the opportunity to write and produce orchestral music and sound design and score commercials and scenes from film.  I’ve also finished writing, producing, and scoring my first piece for Piano and Orchestra, entitled Espejo Cristal, and I have recently sent it off to various composition competitions.  I have also finished a few other pieces that have been coming together for some time now, and I’m continuing to work on both orchestral/indie classical compositions, as well as a collection of pop songs that I hope will be picked up and recorded in the near future.

I have also continued to play in Bay Area Indie Rock band Taxes, which has taken great strides this past year, and continues to build steam in the local music scene.  We recorded our first full length LP in L.A. and San Francisco with Ryan Williams engineering at Pulse Studios in L.A. and Tiny Telephone (the studio of singer/songwriter John Vanderslice) here in San Francisco.  I shared songwriting credits on the album, and also had the opportunity to arrange the strings for a few songs on the album, which were recorded by Minna Choi and members of her Magik*Magik Orchestra.  This being my first professional gig as an arranger, I was more than pleased to be in the studio talking over my scores with Minna and watching Magik*Magik record them flawlessly.

The album, entitled “It’s Always Something,” was released to a sold out crowd at the Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco, sharing the bill with Seeking Empire, the brainchild of Good Charlotte bassist Paul Thomas.  Taxes also had the opportunity to play at the illustrious SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas, alongside such acts as John Vanderslice and The Dodos.  With the addition of Level 4 PR to the Taxes team and a slot opening for Cursive at the 2012 Noise Pop festival, this year is shaping up to be even better than 2011 for Taxes.

It’s always been a challenge for me, but I am resolving in 2012 to be a much better blogger.  Here’s to resolutions, right?  As I’m sure you’re aware if you’re reading this, tristaneckerson.com is up and running, and I’ve also officially started my mailing list, which you can join on this page.  Stay tuned for a whole lot of new music and events in 2012, and thanks for all of your support and time in the past year; it’s been a good one!

-Tristan