Dino Meneghin | follow: @DM_LA
We recently sat down with the incredibly talented Music Composer, Dino Meneghin, for the hit MTV show Teen Wolf. We talked recording gear, Teen Wolf characters, and personal influences. Dino was the man behind the theme song to Teen Wolf and we just released The Bloody Beetroots ‘Alpha Remix’ of the song, which you can download for free here
Read the interview below:
ST: What was your initial thought when you were brought aboard to score Teen Wolf?
Dino: I was really excited to get the chance to do it. It was my first long-form scoring job, and after speaking with Jeff Davis, I knew it was going to be a chance to really push myself musically. I had worked with (Music Supervisor) Laura Webb previously on Taking the Stage, and we’ve always had a really wonderful working relationship, so when she called me, I knew I’d want to be involved.
ST: Do you score the music while watching edits of the show or do you create the music based on the feel of “Teen Wolf”?
Dino: Almost all of it is scored to picture. A few things will be scored away from picture, but the majority of it is done to specific cuts of the show.
ST: Do you score the music on Analog recording gear or Digital?
Dino: Both, but the heart of my setup is all digital. The analog gear is sprinkled throughout the studio for color.
ST: Looking around your studio, what is the single most important piece of gear you couldn’t live without?
Dino: Oh, wow! Um… let’s see… My u-he Zebra 2 synth. (software) I use that thing so much- it’s the best sounding synth I’ve ever heard, and there’s almost no limit to what can be done with it.
ST: What’s the most challenging thing you have to deal with while scoring the show?
Dino: I would say the deadlines are always a challenge for any composer. Putting out 30-40 mins of dense orchestral music in a week can be pretty challenging. Technical mishaps just add to that – having a computer go out at 2am with a deadline the next day can be pretty terrifying! I’m lucky to get to work with one of the best technical guys in LA, Abhay Manusmare. He’s saved my butt on more occasions than I can count.
ST: Who are your biggest musical influences?
Dino: Great question- almost impossible to answer! I really like guys who infuse their work with a strong sense of melody. Ennio Morricone is a personal favorite of mine. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is such a masterpiece of filmmaking and scoring. It’s just stunning. As far as newer guys, I love Fernando Velasquez- also a wonderfully melodic composer. Robert Duncan, who does tons of shows – I loved his scores for Missing and Last Resort. (ABC) He really sets the bar for me as far as television music. iZler is another favorite of mine- the work he does on Revenge (ABC) is just superb. Amazing sense of melody. Outside of film composers, I really love Kraftwerk. That was a huge turning point for me, musically, and what really sparked my interest/ obsession with synths. I am a big fan of Black Milk, the hip hop producer out of Detroit. Really some of the most innovative stuff out there. There’s so much good music- I could go on. Anyone who says, “the film/ pop/ rock/ etc. music was so much better back in _____” is completely full of crap. Musical technology and technique advances and music gets better!
ST: Can you reference a single TV show or Film that continues to influence your work today?
Dino: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly definitely.
ST: If you could bring back one Artist or Band from the past, who would it be?
Dino: I’ll pick two: Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix. They were supposed to do an album together- can you imagine what Bitches Brew would have sounded like with Hendrix? (No disrespect to John McLaughlin!)
ST: To someone reading this interview, give our readers one important piece of advice if someone was looking to get into this side of the business.
Dino: Say yes to everything! Take every opportunity that seems like it might be at all worthwhile. That’s how many of us worked our way here, and it’s great to see that “hungry” quality in prospective hires.
ST: You’ve been intimately involved with this show since the beginning, who is your favorite character on Teen Wolf, and why?
Dino: I can’t choose! You get to know all the actors, so it’s hard to pick a favorite when you see the people behind the characters. That being said, the bad guys get all the best lines. Deucalion and Gerard are just all kinds of badass.
ST: Finally, give us one word that immediately comes to mind when we say “Teen Wolf”
Dino: Shirtless.
+ WATCH: Behind the Music with Dino Meneghin
Get More:
Teen Wolf, Full Episodes