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Andrew Raiher urges everyone to learn CPR, sharing how essential it is to be prepared in an emergency. He stresses that even basic knowledge can make the difference between life and death. His initiative, Project BAM, offers free CPR training to empower people to act when it matters most.

Key Topics

• Why everyone should learn CPR
• The panic and guilt of not knowing lifesaving skills
• The basics of CPR take only 30 minutes to learn
• Project BAM’s mission to provide free training
• How being prepared can save lives

Quotes

• “Be the person in the room who knows how to perform competent lifesaving CPR.”
• “If you find yourself in a room where you need to save someone’s life and don’t have that knowledge, the panic is terrible.”
• “To know that you did what you could is all you can do — and it only takes about half an hour to learn.”
• “Get in touch with Project BAM. We will train you for free.”

Andrew Raiher emphasizes that real learning happens in person, not virtually. He believes energy and presence are essential to absorbing skills, and that true growth comes from being alongside someone brilliant, emulating them, and then developing your own version.

Key Topics

• Why in-person learning is irreplaceable
• The limits of remote/virtual tools like Zoom
• The role of energy and presence in mentorship
• How emulation leads to personal growth
• Why direct human connection drives deeper learning

Quotes

• “If you wanna learn something, learn it from someone.”
• “Be in someone’s presence — that’s when you do the learning.”
• “This is not remote, this is not virtual, it’s not happening in Zoom.”
• “Only they can show you their energy when they’re doing the thing they’re brilliant at.”

Andrew Raiher emphasizes the importance of taking control of your algorithm instead of letting it control you. By curating your digital inputs, opposing what you don’t want, and focusing on what you do, you can build an algorithm that reflects your taste and brings joy.

Key Topics

• Why algorithms are valuable in 2025
• Training your algorithm vs. being trained by it
• Curating your feed by rejecting unwanted content
• The joy of building an algorithm that reflects you
• Why personalization is digital power

Quotes

• “Train your algorithm. Don’t let it train you.”
• “Your algorithm is the most valuable thing you have in 2025.”
• “The goal is to make other people jealous of the brilliance of your algorithm.”
• “Make your algorithm your own — treat it with love.”

In this candid reflection, Andrew Raiher explains how a life on tour pushed him to pivot into film and television scoring. What started as a desperate shift to protect his health became a career-defining move. Today, with more than 40 films to his name, Raiher’s story is a reminder that the scariest pivots often lead to the most meaningful growth.

Key Topics

• Why Andrew Raiher had to leave touring behind
• The role of health in driving career decisions
• Taking the leap into film and TV scoring
• How friends and opportunity shape pivotal moments
• Growth through risk and reinvention

Quotes

• “I realized that if I didn’t pivot within a year, I’d have no liver.”
• “It was the most terrifying pivot of my life.”
• “And now, about 40 movies later, I pivoted.”

Andrew Raiher explains the dos and don’ts of English swearing, highlighting the cultural differences between the UK, Australia, and the U.S. He emphasizes that certain words carry far more weight than Americans might realize, and using them improperly can lead to real offense — or even a fight.

Key Topics

• Proper use of “bloody” in English slang

• The cultural weight of certain swear words in the UK

• Differences between English, American, and Australian usage

• Why context matters when swearing

• How misusing slang can offend or escalate

Quotes

• “When you use bloody, you have to use it in the right way — it’s a descriptor.”

• “A woman can never, ever be called that word in any circumstances.”

• “It’s fighting talk. You can’t use that word unless you’re ready to break a glass and have a real fight.”

• “Americans don’t really understand the weight of it — and you’ve got to stop using the T.

Andrew Raiher breaks down the often-overlooked jargon of film scoring. He explains the role of music cues — bespoke compositions tied to moments in a production — and reference tracks, which guide and inspire composers as they craft new music. This candid explanation reveals the hidden processes that shape how film and TV music comes to life.

Key Topics

• What a music cue is in film scoring
• How ref tracks guide composers
• The hidden jargon of film music production
• Why audiences rarely notice these processes
• Behind-the-scenes look at how music shapes film storytelling

Quotes

• “A cue is each separate piece of bespoke, custom-made music.”
• “When you’re working on something, you’ll often be given a ref track — a reference track to inspire what you’re tasked to write.”
• “It’s inside baseball. No one else in the world would know that process occurs.”

Andrew Raiher reflects on the power of slang in shaping culture. With terms like “mid,” “fire,” “tough,” “cooked,” and “riz” now dominating conversations, he shows how language is constantly evolving and generationally driven. Sometimes, understanding slang is less about knowing exact definitions and more about recognizing the cultural context.

Key Topics

• Popular slang terms: mid, fire, tough, cooked, riz

• How slang evolves through younger generations

• The cultural role of slang in communication

• Why definitions are often fluid and left to interpretation

Quotes

• “Mid, fire, tough, cooked, riz — those are at the top of the slang list.”

• “Thank you to my kid and all his friends to make this dream a reality.”

• “No, I don’t have to explain what those mean. It’s the internet.”

Andrew Raiher explains that a soundtrack includes all the music in a film or TV show — original score plus licensed songs — while a score refers only to the custom music written for that production. He also highlights how soundtrack albums don’t always match what viewers expect, as they often exclude the score.

Key Topics

• What a soundtrack is
• The difference between soundtrack and score
• How source music and composed score work together
• Why soundtrack albums sometimes exclude score
• Examples like Reservoir Dogs

Quotes

• “A soundtrack is all the music in a movie or TV show — both the custom score and the pre-existing songs.”
• “A score is only the music created from scratch by the composer.”
• “Soundtrack albums often don’t have score — especially in the ‘90s when movies relied on big song placements.”

Andrew Raiher clarifies a common misconception: the difference between a score and source music. A score is original music composed for a film or TV production, while source music is preexisting and licensed. His simple explanation highlights how music supports storytelling in very different ways.

Key Topics

• What a film score is
• Difference between score and source music
• Why people confuse scores with popular songs in films
• The role of music in storytelling

Quotes

• “A score is music that is made especially for a production, a TV show, or a movie.”
• “That Celine Dion song you loved? That’s not score, that’s source music.”
• “Score is music created from scratch to go specifically with a piece of motion picture.”

Andrew Raiher discusses the role of temp music in film production and how it shapes the creative process for composers. While temp tracks guide filmmakers, they also create bias and limit imagination. Raiher highlights the skill of proposing bold ideas without undermining the director’s vision, describing the constant push-and-pull between artistic risk and professional survival.

Key Topics

• The framework of temp music in film scoring
• The problem of “temp love” in filmmaking
• Balancing creativity with production expectations
• The push-and-pull between artistic risk and job security
• How to break past preconceived ideas to bring something new

Quotes

• “One of the tasks is to not get stuck in temp music, because oftentimes filmmakers have ‘temp love.’”
• “For me, the fun is looking at it and going, how can I really blow this open?”
• “It’s a push and pull — pushing the creative envelope without upsetting the production and losing the job.”
• “They look at you like, why are you messing with my baby? And I’m like, because I think your baby could have a really cool outfit.”