A Love for Music and Film

Palisadian Martin Katz Combines Two Passions in Drone Videos

By KARINA EID | Intern

One Palisadian has combined his love for music and film to highlight the beauty the town has to offer in a series of drone videos.

Martin Katz, a resident of The Highlands since 1979, has spent the latter half of his career composing symphonic and piano music.

His musical genre expertise ranges from classical to ragtime—but his creative talents don’t end here: Katz shared that he incorporates his music into the soundtrack of various drone videos, filmed by fellow Palisadian Gary Baum.

Katz said he edits the videos himself using iMovie then publishes them. Viewers can watch Katz’s drone videos or listen to his music on different platforms, including YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud and his personal website.

One of his films, titled “Palisades Drive,” features the scenic views of several Palisades neighborhoods and destinations, such as the Alphabet Streets and the Village. Katz encouraged all Palisadians to watch this video, as they may be able to spot their house.

“[The Palisades] is one of the nicest places in the world,” Katz said to the Palisadian-Post, “and some people don’t even know it’s there.”

Prior to his career as a composer, Katz had worked in many different fields. After studying chemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles, he earned a master’s degree from California State University, Northridge, in electrical engineering. Following graduation, Katz became a professional electronic engineer.

He later pursued substitute teaching and worked in various Los Angeles Unified School District schools, specifically ones in the Valley. Throughout each profession, Katz continued to maintain his interest in music.

However, it wasn’t until his late 60s and into his 70s when Katz began to view composing as his main career. His transition to music was hastened by a challenging four-year-long recovery from surgery.

During this time, he began composing his own music—which he plays either on the keyboard or piano, and sounds “like an orchestra.”

Once Katz creates the melodic music, he said he sets them to video, which he acquires from both drone footage and his own personal travels to locations, such as Venice, Italy; Budapest, Hungary; and Barcelona, Spain.

In addition to these destination spots, Katz spent two and a half years living on his farm in Chile—between the Andes and the coastal mountains—with his wife, while the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged through the United States. This setting offered Katz a beautiful landscape to film and edit videos.

In referring to his musical and technological endeavors, Katz communicated that his passion for music goes far beyond fame and money: “It’s a part of my soul.”

Katz’s most current work spotlights live recording artists, such as a violinist and cellist, as opposed to the typical computer instruments.

Peering toward the future, Katz said he aspires to host an orchestra performance locally, perhaps at Theatre Palisades on Temescal Canyon Road. He also said he would like to spread his music to a greater audience, which has been difficult thus far since classical stations tend to strictly play composers, such as Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.

To hear and watch Katz’s work, visit his YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/mannakatz.