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Creative Process

How a Composer Creates Music Millions Remember | Bob Farnsworth

Where do great ideas come from? For a composer, that question carries a little extra pressure. You may have only 30 seconds to make an audience feel something, remember something—or even want something. As legendary Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy put it, “Music is the shorthand of emotion.” But translating emotion into music that actually connects with millions of people takes more than inspiration. It takes imagination, discipline, instinct, storytelling—and sometimes the courage to create something that may not work at all. Few people understand that creative process better than Bob Farnsworth, founder of Nashville-based Hummingbird Productions, now celebrating its 50th year. In our conversation, Bob explains that when he composes for a brand or campaign, he isn't thinking only as a musician. He moves between the roles of musician, storyteller and psychologist, considering both the story being told and the emotional response the music needs to create.

Highlander Studios

February 14, 2026

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