Scoring for Film & Television
It was probably Ry Cooder’s playing behind the movie “Crossroads” that first turned me onto film scoring. As a kid, of course I loved the now infamous guitar duel at the end of the film. But it was also how Ry’s music captured the feelings of sexy, Friday night juke joints and used it to dovetail into scenes depicting loss, regret and heartbreak.
In my younger days, I would sit with a guitar and improvise entire scores to movies on TV—no doubt driving people in my house crazy. What I was learning was how to tell stories with music— how to convey the emotions on screen with music; and how to reflect back with score that might drive the scene forward.
Below are a selection of Film & TV Cues I created. Click to listen/watch.
Initially, I pictured myself scoring films as a guitar player. It seemed a natural fit for my original skillset. But, I quickly became more interested in orchestral scoring. The ability to choose instruments from a much larger ensemble brought more freedom and clarity to the compositional experience.
After working in this world for a while, I’ve found I’m relying on my whole range of experience: hearkening back to my twenties, when I was working in world music; giving new context to my years as a sideman on the Blues scene; and finding catalysts for new, instrumental guitar and orchestral pieces.
The Last Visit • short film by nasar abich
The director had a song in mind, but licensing was out of the question. Instead I created something that seemed to capture the same emotion with voices and Rhodes.
Grace - tv pilot trailer
This piece calls back to my roots in the Blues world. Created for the trailer, I worked to create a hook around the sound of a family singing through their tragedy.
zawadi (The Treat) • short film by richard card
While scoring this lovely film, I was learning to play a Kenyan lute on loan from the director. He wanted to hear it in the film. This cue features a melodic chant on that lute. The bed of the track is a duet between Robert Peterson on upright bass and myself on percussion.
OWN Network Holiday Promo
Originally, the director approached me with the direction: “write me a Silver Lake-sounding Christmas jingle.” And eventually we had one that everyone loved, even Oprah. But then, as projects often go in this world, many opinions/versions later, we landed on this epic cover.
The Space Between • Feature Documentary Film
by Kimberly & Travis North
Though I didn’t necessarily play in the style, I felt it important to honor Kenya’s history of great acoustic guitar players when creating this score. The topic and images of the film showcase a unique struggle. I used strings to pull and tug at the folky sound of the guitar.
The Space Between • Feature Documentary Film
by Kimberly & Travis North
This is a second clip from the film, featuring a different character, who’s scenes featured the strings dueting with percussion in long, meditative phrases. Two kalimbas (traditional thumb pianos) were used to echo the chattering language of hospital life.
Chedda Stanks • Short Film by Dry Hump Comedy
I love getting to score for comedy. Watching scenes over and over is part of the gig, but doing so while laughing is extra fun. In this piece, I got to explore the sounds of 70’s street films with wah-wah guitar mixed with strings and vibes over funk grooves.
Honk if You Miss Randy Todd • TV Pilot Opening Credits
Well this one might be tipping the hat right towards my original film score hero, but if the slide guitar fits, you lay it down. For this cue, I found myself playing, drums, bass, guitarjo as well as the lead slide part. Composing brings so many opportunities to stretch!