Author: Carrin Tanaka

ASA Welcomes New Board Members

Posted on by Carrin Tanaka

THE ASA WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

TIM DAVIES

Tim Davies leads a very busy musical life. Born and educated in Australia, now based in Los Angeles, the Grammy-nominated and Annie-winning musician splits his time between orchestrating for features, television, and video games; composing his own scores; and conducting and arranging for orchestras all around the globe.

His film and TV credits as lead orchestrator and/or conductor include Frozen and Frozen 2, both Ant-Man movies, The Lego Movie 2, La La Land, Trolls, The Peanuts Movie, The Croods: A New Age, Free Guy, The Bob’s Burgers Movie, Empire, and WandaVision. He is the most prolific orchestrator and conductor in the world of video games, having worked on multiple titles from the God of War, Infamous, Sims, Ratchet and Clank, Resistance and Batman franchises, Marvel’s Spider-man, and Halo: Infinite. A full list of credits can be found on IMDB. He is currently lead orchestrator for Christophe Beck, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Fil Eisler. When not on the scoring stage, Davies can be found on the podium conducting orchestras in concert halls and other live venues specializing in film scores live to picture.

Davies has been asked to score several high-profile projects. He has special relationships with Mexican directors Jorge Gutierrez and Guillermo del Toro. He recently scored Gutierrez’s Maya and the Three, winning the Annie Award for best score, and previously collaborated with two-time Oscar winner Gustavo Santaolalla to score The Book of Life. He also received an Annie nomination for his work scoring Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, executive produced by del Toro, and contributed additional music for Crimson Peak. In 2019 del Toro asked him to produce and conduct a concert of scores from his movies with the Jalisco Philharmonic in his home town of Guadalajara, Mexico. His next project is del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities.

Davies is an active pop and jazz arranger as well. Highlights include arranging and playing drums for the twentieth anniversary concert of NAS’ Illmatic and being lead arranger for Kendrick Lamar’s performance of To Pimp a Butterfly, both featuring the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Other collaborations with the NSO have included shows with Ledisi, Common, Maxwell, and Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds. He enjoys a close relationship with the Metropole Orchestra in the Netherlands and has recently written for concerts featuring Donny McCaslin, Cory Henry, Ibeyi, and Moses Sumney. He has contributed arrangements for several recent BBC Proms concerts and for the last two Academy Awards Ceremonies. He has written string arrangements for Amy Winehouse, Miguel, Cee Lo Green, and Akon. When not working for others he can be found playing drums and writing for his own group, the 18-piece Tim Davies Big Band, for which he has received two Grammy nominations for Best Instrumental Composition, in 2010 and 2016.

In 2013 he launched his orchestration blog, www.debreved.com, which has since become an important resource for composers and orchestrators. He is represented at  ICM Partners by Brice Gaeta (Composing) and Emily Yoon (Conducting).

JOSH LUCAN

Josh Lucan is a Los Angeles based composer for film and t.v. He has written music for Funny or Die, TMZ, Teen Titans Go!, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Cartoon Network’s Unikitty, Bravo’s Stripped, Fox’s Hustle, BET’s It’s a Mann’s World and South of Wilshire, Nickelodeon’s Jagger Eaton’s Mega Life, Real and EXTRA. He has also composed numerous advertising spots for the muti-Clio Award winning Fall On Your Sword and Headquarters Music. In 2019 Josh began composing music for film trailer music house redCola and the trailer music project Short Story Collective. He is currently composing for an upcoming Netflix docu-series as well as a Hulu feature film.

BILLY SULLIVAN

Billy Sullivan is known for his versatility. A Composer, Conductor, and Author, Billy is known as a consummate professional when it comes to the projects he’s working on. He has scored hundreds of projects from film & television to audio books, records, commercials, and testimonials. Some of his award-winning works are: The Nature of Existence (2019), ‘The Truth About Marriage (2020) Brothers in Arms (2019) Ran Mi Lowo (2022) ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm Veep’ (HBO) and Running Wild from Ted Nugent (2011). Billy boasts a 20+ year friendship and working relationship with academy award nominated composer David Newman. Billy is passionate about nurturing the next generation of musicians. He created and currently teaches UCLA’s dynamic film course ‘Score like the Masters’ and has created the sound libraries ‘Black Cat Boogie Piano’ ‘British Rock Guitars’ and ‘Ethnic Percussion Loops.’ Mr. Sullivan serves on the Board of Directors of The American Youth Symphony and The Judaic Sacred Music Foundation. He is an affiliate writer for Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) And support the Society of Composers and Lyricists.
Billy is about to embark on a first production of ‘Mission To Midnight’ shedding light on important truths about how music has shaped our world and it’s socio-economic and cultural ramifications of homelessness in L.A. (2023)

MIKE MEEHAN

Mike Meehan is an award-winning media composer based in Los Angeles. Coming up through the ranks of Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Studios, he composed additional score for projects like CBS’ “Cold Case, Showtime’s “The Tudors”, and Dreamworks Animation’s “Megamind.”

Mike’s music is featured in Tokyo Disney and Shanghai Disney theme parks as well as a number of projects for Dreamworks Animation, including “Shrek’s Adventure to Santa”, directed by “Beauty and the Beast” director Gary Trousdale and “The Prince of Egypt” director Steve Hickman. Mike has worked with Drake and Lil’ Wayne, scoring animated cut-scenes that were featured on jumbotrons during performances in their 2014 international tour.

He’s also scored campaigns for Nintendo, Fortnite, Capcom and Bethesda as well as the game “Midway Arcade Origins” released on PS3 and Xbox 360. Additionally, he has scored a number of indie features like “Retake”, starring Tuc Watkins (Boys in the Band, Desperate Housewives, One Life to Live) and Devon Graye (American Horror Story, Dexter), a variety of TV movies for Hallmark and Lifetime, and commercials for Nike, McDonald’s, Burger King, Petsmart, 23 and Me and more.

ASA Member Spotlight: Akira Komatsu

Posted on by Carrin Tanaka

ASA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Akira Komatsu

Website: https://www.akirakomatsu.com/

Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/akira.komatsu.752/

 

ASA Membership Level: Orchestra

Composer, Orchestrator, Musician: Guitar

Members of the ASA Community can contact me for: Professional Opportunities, Remote Recording (guitar)

GET TO KNOW Akira Komatsu

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE ASA EVENT/MEMORY OR SOMETHING YOU’VE LEARNED 

I have really enjoyed Vitello’s gathering. I love meeting and eating there! Taxi Driver Study was a great seminar, comprehensible and deep. Study with Jeff Beal was very inspiring because horror / suspense is my area.

 

BRIEFLY TELL US ABOUT YOUR CAREER AND/OR ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS

I came to LA in 95′ for the first time after my graduation from Waseda Univ. in Tokyo Japan. I had studied contemporary jazz guitar improvisation at Musicians Institute / GIT in Hollywood in the 95-6′ with Jeff Richman, Joe Diorio, Scott Henderson, Sid Jacobs back then and graduated with the human relation award, the Ovation guitar I am holding in the picture is the prize. I have gone back to Tokyo after my graduation once and had been working as musical instructor, guitarist and media composer for TV commercial, indie movie, etc. Fortunately, I could be back in LA in 2017. I’ve been composing for indie movies, library music, including albums released from Counter Communications and Flipper Music, and playing as an accompanying guitarist in comedy shows since moving to LA. I participated in some quarantine projects, including “Quarantine Music Chain with Kenny G” produced by Imre Czomba, “Lights In The Forest V” produced by David Raiklen and “Raising Voices”, a project in in support of social justice and equality organizations, produced by Chris and Marion Wirsig. I am also a Japanese / English interpreter, translator, worked for the masterclass with Grammy Award-winning producer and mix engineer Dave Isaac, Grammy Award-winning engineer and producer Francis Buckley, Ivan Zawinul, Zahari Schtonov at my old school MI.

 

NAME ONE COMPOSER OR MUSICIAN THAT HAS INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST 

Christopher Young

 

ANY LIFE OR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE FOR OUR COMMUNITY?

I am the last person to advise you something but would like to be advised by you all. Just one thing I can say is “one life to live”. I came to LA following my dream and quitting day job in 2017 at the age of 49 young from Tokyo Japan. Age is just a number here, but not in my country with invisible “should be” standards. Some had even ridiculed me. I keep telling myself , “Do or die”,”Go big or go home.” or “Fake it till you make it.”, like a mantra.

 

WHAT ARE SOME NON-MUSIC RELATED INTERESTS YOU HAVE? (IF ANY!)

Language exchange. Message me if you are interested in Japanese.

ASA Member Spotlight: Andrew M. Edwards

Posted on by Carrin Tanaka

ASA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Andrew M. Edwards

 

ASA Membership Level: Orchestra

Composer, Orchestrator, Musician

Members of the ASA Community can contact me for: Mentorship

GET TO KNOW Andrew M. Edwards

Attending 10 years ago with Ron Jones going over the Rite of Spring. Ludwig Göransson’s Black Panther presentation.

 

I earned a BA in Music Composition/Theory from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and my MFA in Music Composition for the Screen from Columbia College Chicago, where I returned to join the faculty from 2010-2018. I have scored over 60 film, tv, and video game projects, but the documentary “Alex and Ali” stands as one of my proudest moments. Additionally, the short film “Get the F K Outta Paris,” the therapeutic video game/VR experience “Soteria,” and the Legendary Webcomic “ROB” have all been favorite projects. I recently completed the Los Angeles Film Conducting Intensive during the pandemic, which was thrilling for several reasons!

 

Elliot Goldenthal

 

We get told to say “yes” to everything, but we should also embrace the curative power of “no.” Find your tribe. Don’t be afraid to have your own opinions. Never be ashamed of the movies and music you love – there’s no such thing as a guilty pleasure. Social media is the worst gatekeeper. Stop talking about gear – it’s not the tools, it’s the craftsperson. Never cold-post music on groups/boards, or cold-send invitations to like your page(s) on social media.

 

Doctor Who, Art and Photography, Indie Films, Cinema History, Cooking, Traveling, Board and Video Games.

ASA Member Spotlight: Rachel Hardy

Posted on by Carrin Tanaka

ASA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Rachel Hardy

ASA Membership Level: Philharmonic

Composer, Musician: Vocalist, Media Creator

Members of the ASA Community can contact me for: Professional Opportunities, Mentorship, Remote Recording

GET TO KNOW RACHEL HARDY

I loved the Back to the Future score study! Back to the Future is one of my favourite films and Alan Silvestri’s score is a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the dialogue with the other members and was able to learn a lot about the score that way.

 

I am a 23-year-old composer and recent graduate; I received a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Calgary and hold a professional certificate in composition for film and television from Berklee College of Music. In 2018 I attended Conrad Pope and Nan Swartz’s course at the Hollywood Music Workshop, and a year later I interned at Henry Jackman’s Sacred Tiger Music for 3 months. I am now working full-time composing music mainly for video games, while running a YouTube channel for covers and arrangements on the side.

 

Austin Wintory is one of my favorite composers and he has become a great mentor of mine who I admire and look up to!

 

Take risks! Try new things. I never thought I would get into writing music for games but after accepting my first one, I’m hooked! Don’t be afraid to take new opportunities and step out of your comfort zone.

 

I’m a huge nerd and I like to relax by making chainmail!

ASA Board Member Spotlight: William Malpede

Posted on by Carrin Tanaka

ASA BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: WILLIAM V. MALPEDE

 

ASA Membership Level: Board Member, Philharmonic

Composer, Orchestrator, Musician: Keyboardist, Engineer, Media Creator, Student, Educator

Members of the ASA Community can contact me for: Professional Opportunities, Mentorship, Remote Recording

GET TO KNOW WILLIAM V. MALPEDE

Interviewing and learning from legendary percussionist Emil Richards

 

Oh, let’s make it brief: Bachelors: Music Business, Elmhurst University, Grad Certificate-SMPTV: USC, US tours as multi-keyboardist: CATS, Joseph (Donny Osmond), Music of ALW (Melissa Manchester), Mamma Mia, dozens of other short runs, numerous indie feature and short film scores, “Quiet Is” and “Lucky Duck” songs for Disney Junior, score prep and synthestration for Christopher Young, library music for Extreme, Amplify Audio, FineTune, and Opus One, choral music awards and artists’ Residency at Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, orchestration for Martin Tillman (SUPERHUMAN coming in 2022), adjunct professor of film music history, CalState Northridge.

 

Bernard Herrmann

 

Believe in your talents. Believe in your skills. Practice and develop your Best. Have a positive outlook even when it gets tough, because at your core, you are built to succeed, and all that you need is out there waiting to connect with you!

 

Sorry, some are gonna be music-related! … The great UFO Coverup and Government Secrecy. Taos, New Mexico. Global climate change. Classic Cinema, especially Alfred Hitchcock. Fitness. Rock singers from the ‘Golden Era’ of classic rock. Jazz singers from the era of the Great American Songbook. Excellent coffee.

ASA Board Member Spotlight: Vice President Reuven Herman

Posted on by Carrin Tanaka

ASA BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: VICE PRESIDENT REUVEN HERMAN

ASA Membership level: Vice President, Board Member, Philharmonic

Composer, Orchestrator, Musician

Members of the ASA community can contact me for: Professional Opportunities, Mentorship

GET TO KNOW REUVEN HERMAN

Too many to count! But one great event that we put on was the score study of John William’s Catch Me If You Can. On a whim, I checked Facebook to see if I had any connections to Dan Higgins, who had played all the sax solos on the score. After reaching out, Dan graciously agreed to come speak about his experience working with John!

 

I am a film and visual media composer, conductor, and orchestrator, living and working in Los Angeles. I’ve composed music for multiple films, television shows, and video games, including Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Jane the Virgin, AMC’s Hell on Wheels, and the Activision title James Bond: 007 Legends.

I studied at the Rimon School of Music in Israel, then continued my studies at Berklee, where I was selected to conduct The Fellowship of the Rings in fronth of Howard Shore. The following year, my original composition, Now What, was chosen by popular vote as the commencement processional performed at my own graduation ceremony.

While living in Boston, I also served as the inaugural conductor of the VGO Video Game Orchestra, including orchestra, choir, and rock band, dedicated to playing music from well-known video games. In 2016, I was among the first class of Fellows of the LA Film Conducting Intensive, and conducted my own music in concert in Veracruz, Mexico, in 2019.

Since moving to Los Angeles in 2009, I’ve worked on music for films, television, and video games, as well as producing multiple soundtrack albums. I’ve collaborated with composers including Kevin Kiner, Penka Kouneva, and David Schwartz, and my music has been featured in numerous hit television series.

I’ve been serving as the Vice President of the Academy of Scoring Arts since 2014.

 

How could I not answer John Williams?

 

We are blessed to get to do what we love, and cursed to have to do what we love. It’s not easy, and giving into despair and cynicism is a constant danger. But don’t give up! Be kind to yourself and to others, and make yourself an active part of the community. There are many of us out there who share this passion for film music, and we are stronger and better when we’re together, supporting each other and lifting each other up.

 

I’m a pretty big gearhead. (My original dream was to be a car designer!) Also love movies and video games, and I am doomed by my family roots to cheer for Detroit sports teams, which is mainly an exercise in patience and frustration.

Short Liszt, Op. 2: The Two Hour Composing Challenge Winners!

Posted on by Carrin Tanaka

On August 16, 2020, we hosted our first online composing challenge called Short Liszt! We provided the participants with three musical parameters and they had two hours to compose, mockup, and produce up to 40 seconds of music. We then met on Zoom with other members of the ASA community to play the compositions live and vote using these three parameters:

1. Use of “ingredients” – did the composer use them in a creative way?

2. Composition quality – is it an interesting/effective piece of music?

3. Production – mix/technical execution

4. Originality

5. Mood – Does the composition evoke the mood of the inspiration photo?

Here is a video recap of all of the submissions!

We want to congratulate our three winners!

 

First Place: Wolf Wein

Composition: Cat’s got your tongue?

Wolf Wein is a composer, sound designer, multi instrumentalist working in media music. He started out in Innsbruck, Austria – a beautiful town in the middle of the Alps with a surprisingly rich music scene. First he worked with bands – a lot – as a bass player and writing songs, arranging them, recording them, getting deeply into all aspects of music creation.
By 2001 his bass playing brought him all the way to California. He earned a Masters of Music in bass performance and honed his skills on guitar, piano and most recently the wonderful GuitarViol.
Wolf started scoring video games in 2003. The diversity of genres and challenges is ever inspiring. He often was also responsible for all the sound design and voice over production, delivering the full audio package. A highlight for Wolf’s game scores was always writing music for the in game movies. So the next goal on the horizon is to work on animated scores.
So far his credits include 40+ handheld video games for a wide variety of properties like tie ins to blockbuster movies Wall-E, Cars, Ratatouille, DisneyToon’s Planes; games accompanying TV series like Spongebob, Trolls, Ultimate Spiderman and Transformers Rescue Bots. Also a Sonic-X game, Nascar racing and several Leapfrog original content games.
Wolf currently lives in Los Angeles in the beautiful Shadow Hills neighborhood. For more details and listening examples please visit wolftrackaudio.com.

 

Second Place: Jesse Carmichael

Composition: An Ode To Eternal Youth

JESSE CARMICHAEL IS A CO-FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE GRAMMY AWARD WINNING BAND MAROON 5. HE LIVES IN LOS ANGELES WITH HIS FAMILY AND THEIR TWO GOLDEN DOODLES.  HE LOVES MUSIC AND FILM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third Place: Jeffrey Gold

Composition: I Can’t Believe I Found Love On The Underground

Jeffrey creates film music in a variety of styles ranging from symphonic to ambient and electronic to minimalist.

Winner (3rd Place) in the 2020 Academy of Scoring Arts (ASA) Short Liszt Op. 2 Two Hour Composing Challenge, Winner of the 2019 Akademia Music Award for Best Song (Ambient/Instrumental), Nominee in the 2017 American Songwriting Awards in the Instrumental category, Winner of the 2016 Akademia Music Award for Best Ambient/Instrumental Song, Winner of the 2015 Akademia Music Award for Best Instrumental/Acoustic Song, Winner of the 2013, 2012, and 2006 Best of State Awards for Original Music Composition, Winner of the Silver Medal in the 2011 Park City Film Music Festival, Winner of the Jury Choice Gold Medal for Excellence in the 2004 Park City Film Music Festival, and Semi-Finalist in the 2004 Moondance International Film Festival filmscoring competition, Jeffrey Gold’s works have premiered at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Centres in Cardiff, Wales and in Piccadilly, London, on television in the U.K., on PBS television in the U.S., on the radio and at international film festivals.

In 2005 he was invited to participate in the 19th Annual Sundance Institute Independent Producers Conference and the 3rd Annual Sundance Institute Theatre Program/Johnny Mercer Foundation Masterclass with composers and performers Melissa Manchester, Jimmy Webb, Michael Rupert, Margaret Whiting, Charles Strouse, Billy Stritch, and Don Rebic. He has had additional masterclasses with Academy award winner Hans Zimmer, film composer/orchestrator/arranger Conrad Pope (Star Wars, Munich, Memoirs of a Geisha), two-time Emmy award-winning film composer/arranger Hummie Mann (Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Year of the Comet), Academy award nominee Danny Elfman, multiple Grammy and Oscar-winning musical theatre lyricist and composer Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Wicked), film composer Reuven Herman (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars [tv]), Grammy Award-winning songwriter Diane Warren, award-winning film composer Douglas Romayne (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), award-winning film composer & Sundance Institute alumnus Vincent Gillioz, and Clio award-winning guitar virtuoso Vince Lauria.

Among his influences are film composing legends John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newman, Harry Gregson-Williams, Alan Silvestri, John Barry, Georges Delerue, Vangelis, and Peter Gabriel and classical composers such as Holst, Barber, Elgar, and Satie—to name a limited few.

Educated at the Cambridge University, University of Utah, and Westminster College, he is a lifetime member of the Cambridge University Film & Television Society (CFTV), a full member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Producers (ASCAP) since 1999, a full member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL), a member of the Academy of Scoring Arts (ASA), a member of the American Film Institute (AFI), a member of Film Independent (FI), and an associate member of the Recording Academy (Grammys).

He lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

Short Liszt, Op. 1: The Two Hour Composing Challenge Winners!

Posted on by Carrin Tanaka

On August 16, 2020, we hosted our first online composing challenge called Short Liszt! We provided the participants with three musical parameters and they had two hours to compose, mockup, and produce up to 40 seconds of music. We then met on Zoom with other members of the ASA community to play the compositions live and vote using these three parameters:

1. Use of “ingredients” – did the composer use them in a creative way?

2. Composition quality – is it an interesting/effective piece of music?

3. Production – mix/technical execution

Here is a video recap of all of the submissions!

We want to congratulate our three winners!

 

First Place: Tim Corpus

Composition: Midnight Ghosts

Tim Corpus is an internationally performed composer, sound designer, and arts administrator who calls Chicago home. Highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Federal Justica Cultural Center of Brazil, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, RHA Gallery in Ireland, and the Chicago Cultural Center. In addition to concerts, he has been featured on CNN Money, the Sound of Silent Film Festival, 98.7 WFMT, the Connecticut Historical Society, and Classical King FM: Second Inversion.

As a composer for visual media, he has written music for films, corporations and commercials, and interactive media. Most recently he is working as composer and sound designer for “Ira, Act I: Pilgrimage”, due out in early 2021.

A recipient of numerous awards and commissions, Tim has been honored by 3Arts, ASCAP, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and the Illinois Arts Council. He has also received funding for his research on Filipino composer Lucio D. San Pedro where he most recently presented at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History.

His diverse career in the arts has included work on and off the stage as an Executive Director, Production Manager and an educator at Loyola University Chicago and Chicago City Colleges. An advocate for arts education, he has been a guest speaker and clinician presenting on a variety of topics including composing for percussion and timpani. He began his career teaching at the collegiate level at Richard J. Daley College and Loyola University Chicago. As Executive Director of the Lake Forest Symphony he led the organization to a historic 2018-19 season with its first financially profitable season since 2013-14. During the historic season the Symphony’s debut commercial release with composer Jim Stephenson and Cedille Records, “Liquid Melancholy”, was nominated for a GRAMMY-Award.

Tim earned his Bachelor of Music degree in percussion performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and received his Master of Music degree in music composition from The Hartt School at the University of Hartford. He currently serves as the Board President for the Illinois Council of Orchestras, is a member of the Vic Firth Education Team and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. His compositions are published by Attacca Publishing.

 

Second Place: John McCarthy

Composition: Dream Sweet Dream

John McCarthy is a composer for film and television. His music is a hybrid of ‘acoustical and electronic’ elements and has an extensive background in classical, jazz, rock and world music. His first film, ‘Love and Human Remains’ was directed by Academy Award winner Denys Arcand. John won the 2009 Genie Award [Canadian Academy Award] for best original score for the feature film ‘The Stone Angel,’ starring Ellen Burstyn and directed by Kari Skogland. He also scored the NBC show ‘My Own Worst Enemy,’ starring Christian Slater and the hit CBS television series ‘Due South’ for Academy Award winner Paul Haggis. More recently John scored an animated film for Cirque Du Soleil and the feature film ‘Faces in the Crowd’ directed by Julian Magnat staring Milla Jovovich, and a pair of episodes of the David Shore/Vince Gilligan show Battle Creek (CBS).

 

 

Third Place: Vikrant Muthusamy

Composition: Behind the Face

My name is Vikrant Muthusamy. I usually go by “Vik”. I was classically trained in piano from the age of 4 till about 20, I played percussion from 6th grade to the end of high school, and I got serious about composing at the age of 16.

I graduated from UT Austin in 2017 with Bachelor’s degrees in Music Recording Technology and Radio-Television-Film along with a Business Foundations Certificate from the UT McCombs School of Business. During my time at UT, I met my music production mentor, Gary Powell. He helped me hone my skills in operating a studio and mixing music and, by extension, composing music. In one of our first meetings, when I told him of my interest in film music, he immediately introduced me to a film professor he knew on campus – Nancy Schiesari. After meeting her and showing her some music that I made in my free time, she allowed me to present myself to one of her film classes during my freshman year, which led to multiple students throughout the four years asking me to make music for their projects.

Nancy was impressed by my growing reputation at the film school to the point where, during my sophomore year, she asked me to compose the score for her PBS documentary, “Canine Soldiers: The Militarization of Love”. The film premiered at the Austin Film Festival in October 2016 and aired on several PBS stations around the country by the time I graduated. At the time of writing this, we are currently working on our second film together. Outside of film scoring, I am a music producer with my own music and audio/video production house, Evoaura™, which is based in Los Angeles. I have released three EPs and multiple singles. I use my production house as an outlet for my own personal content as well as a way to help other people in their creative endeavors – video, music or a mixture of both. My entire music and film portfolio is available at www.vikrantmuthusamy.com.

Rest In Power, Ennio Morricone

Posted on by Carrin Tanaka

The Academy of Scoring Arts wishes to express its condolences, deep respect and gratitude to the artistry of Maestro Ennio Morricone (1928 – 2020). We join the community in mourning the loss and celebrating the legacy of this legendary composer whose life and work is an inspiration to us all.

Rest In Peace Ennio Morricone

 

LA Live Score Film Festival 2019

Posted on by Carrin Tanaka


The Los Angeles Live Score Film Festival features short films with original scores performed live-to-picture. The 2019 festival on Saturday, July 20th at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre is presented by Helix Collective in collaboration with the Academy of Scoring Arts. Films for the 2019 festival are curated by the faculty at the L.A. Film School, New York Film Academy – Los Angeles, and Columbia College, Hollywood.

6:00pm Composer and Filmmaker Panel

7:30pm Screening

9:00pm Reception

Free Parking in Barnsdall Art Park

Selected film composers are paired with a winning filmmaker to create an original score for the festival. The film is screened with the score performed live by the renowned performance and recording ensemble, Helix Collective. The screening includes an interview with the filmmakers and composers with arts journalist Tim Greiving. The audience votes for Best Picture and Best Musical Score and the awards are presented at the close of the festival.

 

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!

Here’s the festival lineup!

A Deep Breath – Directors – Ion Legarda, Aliza Jafri, Composer – Cali Wang

After relocating to the United States, Ion Legarda uses his passion for Freediving to help him with the stresses and difficulties of adjusting to a new home, far from family and friends, whilst exploring the underwater world.

Cali Wang

Raised in Taipei, Taiwan, Cali Wang worked on various TV series, commercials and short films before she attended USC Thornton’s Masters of Music program in Screen Scoring in 2017. Currently based in Los Angeles, Cali continues to work on projects and with other industry professionals. She has recently received BMI Pete Carpenter Fellowship 2018, and the Public Vote Winner Award of Pannonia Music Competition. caliwang.com

 

 

 

 

 

Ion Legarda

Born in Seville, Spain. He recently moved to the United States to study Production at the New York Film Academy. From a very young age, Ion was a competitive swimmer, until he got drafted to the IDF (Israel Defense Force) at the age of 18. Shortly after being released from the army, during a trip to the Philippines, Ion decided to take his love for the water to the next step and become a Freediver.

Aliza Jafri

Born in Karachi, Pakistan. She grew up in Canada for most of her life before coming to the United States to pursue a degree in Film and TV Production. Aliza has produced many short films including the short film “Keepsakes”, which has won several awards including the Award of Excellence at the Global Shorts Film Festival in Los Angeles. Aliza has also served as the 2nd Assistant Director for the film “Sherdil”, shot in Pakistan, Dubai and Egypt.

 

Enigma – Director – Vaibhav Arora, Composer – Philip Timofeyev

A man recounts his life while suffering from the illusion that he transcends space and time.

Philip Timofeyev

Coming from a Russian upbringing, Philip Timofeyev is driven by the classical greats and passion for the arts. Studying piano and composition throughout his life, he developed an immense love of storytelling through music which brought and bonded him to the limitless world of cinema. PhilipTimofeyev.com

 

 

 

Vaibhav Arora

Vaibhav Arora is from New Delhi, India. He was always fond of films since childhood but never thought of pursuing it as a career. I found my love for camera & lighting techniques after leaving playing cricket and came here to USA to learn and pursue cinematography and filmmaking.

 

 

 

 

 

HONEST – Director – Jonathan Samukange, Composer – Michael Paraskevas

A young teenager desperate for a way out of poverty, makes the wrong decision.

Michael Paraskevas

Michael is a LA-based film composer, enthusiastic collaborator, and nostalgic film nerd. He also works closely with mentor, Christophe Beck, where he has written some additional music and co-composed the score for Netflix’s The Christmas Chronicles. When not busy writing music he can be found watching Dodgers games, biking, or stuffing his face with tacos. www.paraskevasmusic.com

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Samukange

Jonathan Samukange is a film director in his final year at the New York Film Academy where he collaborates and creates films, music videos, fashion editorial clips, commercials and even cartoons. Organizing and working with other creatives, building teams and telling exciting stories is his true passion. All the way from Zimbabwe.

 

 

 

 

 

Last One – Director – Carlo Tonda, Composers – Isabelle Engman & Gerardo Garcia Jr.

In a post-apocalyptic future, the last woman on Earth journeys to find other survivors and reconcile the loss of her loved ones.

Gerardo Garcia Jr. and Isabelle Engman

Gerardo Garcia Jr. and Isabelle Engman are a composing team based in LA. They are graduates of the film scoring program at USC and have several years under their belt collaborating with clients like Microsoft, Sony Pictures and HBO. Combining their expertise, they’ve created a unique sound and teamwork. www.suitetracks.com

 

 

Carlo Tonda

Born and raised in Guatemala, Carlo Tonda came to the U.S. to pursue filmmaking and minority representation in media. His films explore taboo subjects through a lens of fantasy. Recently, he shot and co-edited the feature drama film Abide, and is directing Poor Connection, a long-distance romantic comedy.

 

Lillith – Director – Marco Martínez, Composer – Sergei Stern

Ryan is a depressed man who begs to see his dead girlfriend. His desperation will lead him to make a bad decision.

Sergei Stern

Sergei Stern is a Sundance Composer Fellow (17′), whose music was featured in ‘GOTHAM’ TV series, ‘Inside Amy Schumer’ TV Show as well as ‘Pawn Stars’ and ‘American Pickers’ and other shows on History Channel, National Geographic, E!, HULU, Netflix. The latest feature film he scored, Queen Of Spades 2: The Looking Glass, was picked up by Disney receiving distribution all around the globe. Sergei has won 6 ‘Best Original Score’ awards at various film festivals. One of the latest documentaries he has scored was co-produced by Werner Herzog. So far he has scored 8 feature films and more than 80 shorts. www.sergeistern.com

 

 

 

 

Marco Martinez

Marco Polo Martinez is 30 years old, proudly born and raised in Mexico City. He studied in Mexico City and Spain and has 9 years experience in the film field. He has worked with directors and brands from all around the world.

 

 

 

 

 

Odd Job – Director – Meaghan Hellmers, Composer – Javier Colmen

Gavin, an average 20 year old, responds to an advert for open interviews at a locally owned shop that, unbeknownst to him, is owned and frequented by otherworldly beings.

Javier Colmen

Javier Colmen is a Film & Video Game composer from Madrid (Spain). After graduating from Berklee College of Music, he moved to Los Angeles where he’s been composing music for short films, video games and concert music as well. His influences include Spanish and Brazilian music, Jazz and classical composers among others. www.javiercolmen.com

 

 

 

 

 

Meaghan Hellmers

Meaghan is 20 years old and a senior at Columbia College Hollywood. Originally from San Diego, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue an education and career in the film industry. She is passionate and dedicated to bringing important and entertaining stories to life through film.

 

 

 

 

 

SHHH! – Director – Devaughn Hooper, Composer – Lasse Elkjaer

“SHH” is a horror film about a  timid young boy, who after being kidnapped by a deranged woman, is forced to indulge in her wicked fantasies.

Lasse Elkjær

Los Angeles-based Danish composer, Lasse Elkjær recently received an award for his gothic score for the horror movie Sticks (2018), featuring prominent Hollywood cellist Tina Guo. Elkaer moved to LA in 2013 to study at the Screen Scoring Program at USC. Since then, he has been involved in blockbuster movies, award winning documentaries, over 70 short movies and TV series. lasseelkjaer.dk

 

 

 

 

 

DeVaughn Hooper

After serving in the United States Navy for four years, De’Vaughn Hooper decided to pursue his dream as a writer. He then attended Full Sail University where he obtained a Bachelors In Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing, and is now studying film at Los Angeles Film school.

 

 

 

 

 

Siblings – Director – Savannah Sivert, Composer – Alex Robert Heinrich

Three siblings deal with the loss of their mother.

Alex Robert Heinrich

Alex Heinrich is a composer from Brazil. After attending USC’s film scoring program he had the privilege to collaborate with composer Tony Morales on scores to Disney’s TV show “Elena Of Avalor”, Discovery Channel’s “Alaska: The Last Frontier”, ESPN’s “30 For 30: The Dominican Dream” and the upcoming feature “Wish Man” among others. alexheinrich.com

 

 

 

 

Savannah Sivert

Savannah Sivert is originally from Gaithersburg, Maryland. After completing her Bachelors of fine arts in Quincy, Massachusetts, Savannah moved to Los Angeles for her master’s program in filmmaking in 2015. During her program, she wrote and directed her short film, Siblings, a film dedicated to her late mother and her family.

 

 

 

 

 

Together Forever – Director – Nirupan Dhakal, Composer – Jesper Ankarfeldt

Together Forever’ follows a mother grappling with the death of her daughter as she encounters a presence in her house.

Jesper Ankarfeldt

Jesper Ankarfeldt is a Danish LA based film composer with more then 100 films to his name. Latest his music was awarded the Golden FIPA award for Best Original Music at FIPA / Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuals for the Van God Los: Kerstkado. www.ankarfeldt.dk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nirupam Dhakal

Nirupam Dhakal is an 18-year-old who hails from the city of Biratnagar, from Nepal. He came to Los Angeles nine months ago to study film in the Los Angeles Film School. His main dream is to write and direct horror movies. He also likes doing production design.

 

 

 

 

 

Won’t You Be My Friend – Director – Vionna Lam, Composer – Logan Stahley

A ghost seeks out a friend in a teenage girl but when loneliness encloses on ghost, their real motives start to reveal themselves.

Logan Stahley

Logan Stahley is a native of Billings, Montana, and holds a BA in Music Technology from Montana State University Bozeman. In 2015, he graduated with an MFA in Music Composition for the Screen from Columbia College Chicago. In 2015, he moved to LA to work as film composer and producer. loganstahley.com

 

 

 

 

 

Vionna Lam

Vionna Lam is a writer and director currently based in Los Angeles, CA. She has directed 4 short films including the 2019 short, Between the Line, which was a semi-finalist at CineFest. A Colorado native, Vionna is an artistically, ambitious, Chinese-American filmmaker who is fluent in both English and Cantonese.  

 

 

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