Stephen Arnold (composer)
Stephen Arnold | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Genres | Jingles |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, sonic branding |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, piano, bass |
| Years active | 1970s - present |
| Labels | Stephen Arnold Music |
| Website | www |
Stephen Arnold is a jingle writer, often referred to as "the least known, most heard composer in America." His company, Stephen Arnold Music, was formed in 1993.[1]
Early life
Stephen Arnold was born in Dallas in the early 1950s. Arnold discovered a passion for music at an early age whilst strumming his guitar in a junior high version of The Beatles. Dallas was not the kind of environment for a 22-year-old who dreamt of forming the next great rock and roll band, so in 1974 – after a couple of stints as a singing waiter and an ill-fated gig in Las Vegas,[2] Arnold, at the age of 22, headed to Los Angeles seeking his fame and fortune.
Career
While chasing his dream of becoming a rock-and-roll star in L.A. in the ‘70s, Arnold worked for free at the United Western Studios and learned the ins and outs of music production.
"I was setting up mics and stuff like that, but I was getting to watch people like Neil Diamond and the Beach Boys record. But eventually I had to start paying the bills."[3]
With the financial hardships of a struggling musician behind him, Arnold’s first paying job as a musician was producing a jingle for his parents’ arts-and-crafts store.[1] Within a year, he’d done jingles for Valley View Shopping Center, Friendly Chevrolet, Ebby Halliday and many others.
At around $750 to $100 per jingle, Arnold figures he couldn’t have brought in more than $30,000 in revenue.[4]
Today, Arnold is president of his own company, Stephen Arnold Music, and is known for writing jingles for major TV networks including ABC News, CNN Headline News, Sinclair Broadcasting Group, the Weather Channel, and more than 250 local stations. Confirmation of Stephen Arnold’s standing in the jingle world was confirmed when he was awarded an Emmy for his compositions for Comcast in 2003.[5]
Stephen Arnold is most known for his sonic branding, and offers seminars explaining the psychology behind music and how it triggers emotional responses. Famous melodies from TV shows such as Friends and I Love Lucy are studied to show how each of the melodies works to establish a level of familiarity with its audience.[2]