Turtle Power: Interview With Sebastian Evans, Composer of TMNT on Nickelodeon!

I recently had the chance to chat with Sebastian Evans, composer of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Nickelodeon. It's on my kids's favorites and it seems like they always have it on, so if you've got that new TMNT theme song stuck in your head, Sebastian is the one to thank! Read on to find out more about his process and what it's like composing for a huge hit TV show.

How did you get into composing for TMNT? Were you a fan of the 80’s/90’s
classic?

Ciro Nieli (The producer of the show) called me up and asked me if I wanted to do
the music for the pilot. The pilot led to me doing the music for the entire show including
the main theme. I was a HUGE Tmnt fan as a kid. My parents use to buy episodes of
the original series on VHS and my little brother and I would watch them over and over
again. Getting the opportunity to contribute to a franchise that was such a big part of
my childhood is a humbling honor.

Do you draw any inspiration from the original animated TMNT?

Well, I do, but in the sense that the original series was such a big part of my
childhood. So it’s always in the back of my mind. I draw more musical inspiration from
the original TMNT movies though. Especially in the first season.

What’s your process for composing for a particular scene?

My process usually starts with identifying what’s needed. Does the scene need
to be enhanced someway? Do I need to help set the mood or environment? Does the
intended audience’s attention need to be drawn towards a character’s point of view?
Once that thing is identified within the context of the entire episode, everything falls
into place from there.

If you were a Ninja Turtles villain, which would you be?

I’d like to say I’d be Shredder. But diabolical scheming and immutable
vengeance aren’t skill sets I possess. So if I’m being honest, I’d probably be a middle
management Kraang droid.

What are you listening to these days?

Well, Radiohead’s latest release is still in heavy rotation for me since it dropped
last year. The Rogue One score by Michael Giacchino is pretty amazing. I’ve been
listening to that. I still put on Jack Garatt’s Phase album regularly. Bear McCreary’s
soundtrack for Outlander as well. A lot of different stuff. My playlists are in constant
flux.

Where can fans find your music?

Some excerpts from TMNT can be found here:

https://soundcloud.com/user-726764988/sets/nickelodeons-teenage-mutant-n...

turtles-mp3/s-QpKfA.

What can we look forward to about the new season?

Well I can’t speak too much about it, but there are some truly awesome
episodes coming up. I think people will be very happy with what’s to come.