Amin Abbas

American musician Ron Wasserman, who composed the original theme song for “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” or “Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger” in addition to others that were recorded for the franchise, discusses the inspiration behind his music.

American musician Ron Wasserman, who composed the original theme song for “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” television series. (Supplied)

In an exclusive interview with Arab News Japan, Wasserman explained his passion for music and the history of his integration into the field. 

“Writing music was always in my DNA. I started playing piano at the age of three and began composing music at the age of five. It’s all I’ve ever done. As for my favorite music, I listen and love nearly all styles of music. Bach to Black Sabbath to Thom Yorke to Cardi B, I’m all over the map,” Wasserman said.

Despite his involvement in the composition of songs for other series, Wasserman categorizes  Dragon Ball Z as an “all-time favorite.”

While Wasserman has not visited Japan yet, he currently has plans to visit within these two years, and highlighted his admiration for a particular aspect of Japanese culture by saying that “I have the upmost respect for the respect Japanese people have for one another. I live this way. Considerate and caring for my fellow man/woman.”

Speaking about the process of establishing his career within the field, Wasserman said that he was initially involved in brands that were not widely known and continued to progress from there.

“I had been in so many unfamous bands in the 1980s. I just wrote from the heart. Always honestly and people picked up on that. When I started scoring television in the early 1990s, I tried to add a more (adult) sound to kid shows,” Wasserman said.

“I did a lot of guide vocals on songs for other singers for years. The first time my voice made it out into the world was on the “Go Go Power Rangers” theme song that was initially released in the USA in 1993. I never considered myself a great singer,” Wasserman added.

Wasserman is known for composing the music for the first US Power Rangers series “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” named “Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger” in Japan and shared details about the development process of the music and songs for the show.

“One night in 1993 the president of music for Saban came in and said they needed a theme for a new show called (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers). It literally took me 2 – 3 hours to write, play, sing and mix that track. Ideas come to me very quickly most of the time. The boring part is finding the right sounds, and getting all the parts from my head into the recording,” Wasserman said.

During the time spent working with the Power Rangers franchise, Wasserman described being involved in such a well-known show as fun and particularly enjoyed that he got to “play the part of a rock star in the studio.”

About being part of Power Rangers franchise which has become a huge phenomenon around the world for over 30 years, Ron Wasserman said:” Absolutely astounding. So lucky to be a part of such a huge phenomenon & I’m very honored for it

The show, which tells the backstories of the five teenage characters – a misfit, a loner, a school bully, an intellectual and a drop-out – and their transformation into action heroes has become a phenomenon around the world for over 30 years, making it one of the longest running children’s action series in television history. Acknowledging the success of the series, Wasserman said that the accomplishments achieved by the show have been “absolutely astounding” and considered himself “lucky and honored” to have been part of such a huge phenomenon.

Still, Wasserman’s journey in contributing to television series has not stopped there and is currently working on several shows with new releases as a contributing composer. Additionally, he mentioned that he has been working on a role-playing game (RPG) called “The Next World” that is scheduled for release soon.

Wasserman also offered recommendations for those interested in the creation of music, singing or performing in cartoons, anime and video games.

“Become an intern for a company that does the type of work you’d like to get in to. You have to start at the bottom, at least here in the states you have to, and work your way up. If you stay consistent and truly have a talent, you’ll eventually start making contacts and getting work. But remember, always be professional and nice!” Wasserman said.