Peter began playing music at a very young age. In 1979, he left Stanford University after one year to become a professional musician. Peter landed his first breakthrough job in 1981 audio-branding logos for MTV. This launched his career with ad agencies in San Francisco writing commercial jingles for clients including the California Milk Advisory Board, Sprint, CNN Headline News, and Coca-Cola.

His experience in advertising led to composing jobs in film and television. Peter scored the memorable "Fire Dance" scene in the Oscar winning film Dances With Wolves and performed at the film's premiere. Through his relationship with Kevin Costner, he composed the full score for 500 Nations, the eight-hour Emmy-awarded CBS miniseries Costner produced. Peter had the opportunity to work with film composer John Barry at the famed Abbey Road studios, while contributing to the score for The Scarlet Letter. Additionally, Peter has composted for An American Portrait (earning him a Best Soundtrack Emmy), Triathlon: Through the Eyes of the Elite, and Ojibwe (resulting in a second Emmy).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From 1987 to the present, Buffett has released 15 records, and has been signed with such labels as Narada, Epic and Hollywood Records. He now owns two independent labels, BisonHead and BeSide Records. Most of Peter's releases had been instrumental recordings until 2006, with the album Goldstar, on which he "found" his voice (Peter had originally considered putting that album out under another name because he was afraid to expose himself). Having devoted his entire career to creating electronic-based music for compact disc, film and theater, and writing songs for others to sing, Buffett literally had no idea what to expect from his own natural instrument. He was "surprised and thrilled" to discover that the vocal sounds coming out of the studio monitors bore the distinct echoes of the artists he'd cut his teeth on, particularly Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds and The Beatles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter's theatrical production, Spirit-The Seventh Fire, began as a 1995 benefit concert for Robert and Jamie Redford in which Buffett combined his Native American-inspired music with live native dancing, powwow drummers and the singing of Chief Hawk Pope. The experience was not only personally gratifying, but universally well-received; after first being aired as a successful PBS Pledge Special, the Spirit show embarked on a four-month tour of the U.S in 1999. The reworked, Buffett-produced Spirit - The Seventh Fire returned in 2004 as part of the national Lewis and Clark Bicentennial events across the U.S., as well as being staged for the opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. The show brought together Imax-scale film and imagery, live music, and an all-Native American cast of performers. The show tells the story of one man's journey of reconnecting with his heritage and the land he lives on. Spirit is currently trying to schedule tours in Europe and China.

 

RV: Your music scores for 500 nations, Spirit-The Seventh Fire and Dances with Wolves are both highly riveting and emotionally stirring. When writing music for these productions I can’t help but wonder how emotionally stirred and influenced you have to be when walking away from composing your music. Is there a particular score that you have created that stands out in your mind that you feel deeply connected to?

Peter: There's no question that the emotions ran deep and strong when I was working on these scores. The music of mine that Costner heard which led to my contribution to Dances With Wolves was really the beginning of a journey that lasts to this day. My second album, One By One, was written after reading the book Son of the Morning Star. I had never learned about the true history of our country in school. I was certainly stunned at how the country was taken - but it was the realization of what was lost that really got to me. And then I worked on 500 Nations and that drove the point home - but at the same time made me realize that all was not lost. And through my relationship with Chief Hawk Pope, Spirit - The Seventh Fire was born. This progression for me was all about reconnecting... not to romanticize the past, but to take the best of it and bring it into the present.

 

RV: When you submitted your album “One by One” to Kevin Costner after hearing that he was creating Dances with Wolves, had you studied Native American music or culture? Where does your inspiration come from? How did you work those influences into your music?

Peter: The inspiration really came from the book (Son of the Morning Star). It was pure emotion.

Definitely nothing you could learn through studying. Not that there's anything wrong with studying! But I've been asked whether I've ever studied Native music and the answer is no. It's always been work from the gut - which is why I think it touches people the way it does.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RV: No doubt there are still injustices not only afflicting the Native American Nations but also around the world. Your music has certainly have had to have an impact on native cultural awareness and brought attention to some global issues such as human slavery and prostitution. How does that feel knowing that your music has provided awareness and a voice towards issues that impact us culturally and globally?

Peter:  It's a little overwhelming - in the sense that I am reacting to my own feelings about these things and expressing them in the only way I know how. The fact that they touch other people and may bring about change is very humbling but also the most fulfilling thing that I could imagine doing.

 

RV: The song “The Place Where the Crying Begins” from the spirit album is a personal mood stirring composition. What were your influences behind creating this piece?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter: I was reading about the Ghost Dance religion and really got a picture of how it must feel to watch your world being destroyed around you.. when all you want is a chance to live a free life like your ancestors. Of course as I write this, I realize there's no way I could even get close to imagining that... but music is where I can lose myself in that sort of thinking and try and translate the feeling the best that I can.

 

RV: At what age were you when you first started studying music?

Peter: I think I was six. I took the same piano lessons pretty much everyone did. But I definitely heard music in my head.. I wanted to figure out how to make it real.

 

RV: Is there a difference in producing music for theater versus movies or documentaries and which do you prefer?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter: Well... the only music for theater that I've really done is for my own production. Whereas the music for film is almost always someone else's creation. So that would be a difference in terms of my feelings about it (it's probably always more fun to realize your own creation!). But the film work is like a puzzle. And I see it more like a craft than art. My job is to support someone else's vision while bringing all of my own creativity to the job. It's a challenge that is fun to rise to.

 

RV: Do you have a favorite Native American Musician, Poet, Author, or Actor?

Peter: Sherman Alexie is certainly pretty amazing. And honestly, when I think of the poetry I've heard, it's got to be a poetry slam that I went to in Albuquerque. It was a bunch of high school kids and the work was amazing. I really had so much respect for what these kids were saying.. There's so much talent out there, it's hard to zero in on just one or two names (maybe that's a cop out!).

 

RV: What projects are you currently working on and do you have any future plans for composing any future Native American compositions?

Peter: I've got a few things going on. My Ning site is a place where people can gather if they're interested in what I'm up to. That's been fun to develop. I've got Spirit fans there as well as fans of the more "pop" stuff I do.

http://www.peterbuffett.com/ning/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm still working on getting Spirit back out on the road. It may be in Shanghai for the World Expo in 2010. That would be incredible! The Chinese seem to really like the message of the show because many are afraid that they are losing their culture to consumerism in its many forms. Sort of the 21st century version of Manifest Destiny...

In terms of Native inspired music, I just finished a score to a documentary about the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers.

 

And I have a book coming out in the Spring! Called "Life Is What You Make It". Keep a look out for that! Thanks for all the great questions.

 

I would like to express to my sincere thanks to Peter for his time and contribution and express what a personal privilege it was for me to communicate personally with him.  If you are interested in purchasing any of Peter’s works, you can shop at his online store located at: http://www.peterbuffett.com/store/index.html