What are you looking for?

Who are you, how old are you and what are you doing right now?
My name is Fenix Gayed, I’m 30 years old and I’m currently studying film music in the master’s program at the KONRAD WOLF Film University in Potsdam-Babelsberg. I also have a progressive rock band called Soulsplitter, a live-performed electronic music project called Neon Fenix, and am self-employed as a drummer, composer, arranger, producer, DJ, and music educator.

What do film music and composing mean to you?
Composing is my most important creative outlet. I see it as our responsibility as artists to reflect on social developments and to
to reflect on social developments and to process them creatively. Audiovisual formats such as films, concerts with visual components, or immersive formats such as games and VR are particularly appealing to me, as I see extraordinary potential for intense and profound experiences here, when a topic is really brought to the point emotionally and/or dramaturgically. Music has a special significance for me in this respect, as it can often create an emotional resonance even beyond the rational mind, which I think is invaluable for lasting inspiration.

How long have you been composing?
I started improvising and developing small pieces on the piano at a very early age, even though I didn’t write down or otherwise record these early works. I didn’t start doing that until my teenage years. This simultaneously developed a preference for orchestral work as well as band-focused songwriting in the rock and metal scene. Later, piano music and electronic music came along.

Where do you get your inspiration from? Are there artists and genres that inspire you in particular?
I draw my inspiration mainly from my fascination with human consciousness and the will to unlock our inherent creative potential. I believe there is a lot to clean up and heal systemically and individually; a lot of discrimination, gatekeeping, internalized inferiority complexes and traumas etc. that I want to counteract with my art.Composer:s that inspire me specifically include Sergei Rachmaninov, Björk, the French IGORRR collective and Jacob Collier. The list is not exhaustive, in every genre there are people who stand out and do excellent work.

Why did you apply to the Masterclass?
I applied for the Masterclass to develop my orchestration skills and to find new ways to express myself musically.
express myself musically. Any opportunity to work with an orchestra and input from experienced composers is always invaluable and unique.I hope to gain new experiences, new contacts, input on my current ideas and aspirations, and a new piece of music on the other end.