Amin, based in Canada, has composed a wide range of musical scores for film, television, radio, theatre and albums. Initially working as a radio producer and playing with synthesizers on the side, being a full-time composer was not on his radar.
He decided to pursue higher education, studying broadcasting at a tech college in Canada, before getting into radio production. Amin continued to learn and level up his skills through experience, and two simple tools- a Minimoog synthesizer and a four-track tape recorder. This led to a turning point in Amin’s career once he ended up winning a major prize in the industry.
“Winning the Roland Synthesizer Competition changed everything because it meant that someone else (other than my supportive family) actually likes my music.” Amin goes on to explain “it also opened doors to meeting some of the greats in the business, like Steve Porcaro and David Foster.”
The composer also has a synth cameo in Michael Jackson’s famous hit Thriller. A few widely recognised television projects of Amin’s are: Anne with an E, The Handmaid’s Tale and animated Disney show Get Ed which earned him an Emmy nomination. He also has a passion for science fiction shows which is celebrated in his solo albums The Interstellar Suite and Virtually.
Throughout his career, Amin has been part of various Jamati projects. “My work with AKDN as well as others in the Jamat has been so inspiring because as Ismailis we have progressed but we still retain our values of family and community,” Amin shared. “I love to present that combination in music.”A notable project of his was working on a new rendition of the Nashid al-Imamah in 2007.
“Reworking the Nashid al Imamah into full orchestra for the Golden Jubilee was exactly that: a modernisation of the sounds and size of the ensemble but still keeping the essence of the melody from Kavi Dilgir generations ago.”
Whilst his career has been nothing short of successful, Amin reflects on the challenges he has had to overcome. One, in particular, was coping with rejections and projects that did not live up to his expectations.
“This is the reality of any artistic endeavour in that you need a thick skin to deal with any rejections,” he says. “Looking back I’m very grateful for the 40-plus years so far in my career, but I could have never predicted in advance which would be the successes and which ones would not endure.”
Another challenge he has had to navigate is the countless hours being a composer entails.
“This business is not a nine-to-five job and it is very tough on your family and friends,” Amin shared. “I’ve had to cut my vacation time short or leave early when attending family and friend events, having to go back to my studio that night to finish music that is due the next day.” As a result, Amin highlighted how gratitude for friends and family is imperative as they’re patient with the unpredictable hours.
When it comes to his artistic process the composer shared a quote he lives by: “Write without fear, edit without mercy.”
Amin goes on to say, “it definitely is a two stage process for me because I go crazy with my sounds and melodies and then come back the next day to listen and decide what to keep and what to throw out.” However, when he composes pieces for film or television, the final say goes to directors and producers.
Amin aims for every composition to tell and showcase the story of whichever project he is working on. “All the emotions of love, fear, aggression, tranquility can be enhanced through music and that is the joy and challenge of being a film composer.”
With the Global Encounters Festival taking place later this year, he believes “the Festival will showcase our individual and combined talents to the world and it will inspire excellence.”
“Even if one does not pursue a career in music, the act of collaborating with others, practising, and performing a work of art are all skillsets that help us achieve success in so many other things in life.”
