News

A MOTHER'S LOVE received its world premiere as part of the "Dark Matters" section at the 32nd Austin Film Festival. This supernatural thriller, starring Emily Hall, Nathan Owens and Kara Hayward, produced by Julie R. Snyder and written and directed by Patrick Q Roberts, tells the story of the strange occurrences haunting a new mother struggling with postpartum, when the discovery of a dead body hidden in the walls of her family's dream home leads down a path of dark secrets.

I could not be prouder of this film and its score. (The score is pretty high-concept - can't say more without spoilers, so I won't - do have a listen to a small preview here!) A special shoutout to soloists Nyla Smith (vocals) and Emer Kinsella (violin) for their contributions!

My third collaboration with filmmaker Cory Santilli, IN THE MOUTH, has been playing in one festival after another - most recently at the New/Next Film Fest in Baltimore, MD, before then at the Lucca Film Festival in Italy, at the Chattanooga Film Festival, Popcorn Frights in Florida, Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival, and more. The film received its world premiere at the 2025 Slamdance Festival in Los Angeles, CA. IN THE MOUTH is a wonderfully surreal and offbeat drama-horror-comedy fable, and the music I wrote for it is a wild mix of classic 1950s horror tropes with handmade clangs and custom-sounds filtered through oral cavities.  For a teaser of the score click here.

I’t was an honor to have been the featured speaker for the most recent edition of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Soundpost series on November 14, 2024 at the Symphony Center on Michigan Ave. right here in Chicago. Soundpost is a live event series that explores the ever-evolving medium of music — highlighting artists, individuals and companies who challenge the ways in which we interact, experience and view classical music. I of course talked about - you guessed it - music in movies; specifically, how music in movies can convey meaning.

I am deeply moved to have been invited into the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, in film circles often simply referred to as “Motion Picture Academy” or just “The Academy”) as a member of the class of 2024. Founded in 1927 by luminaries including Mary Pickford, Louis B. Mayer, Douglas Fairbanks and Cecil B. De Mille, the Academy is a professional honorary organization with members across the world representing all parts of the film production process, with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion pictures. I am honored to now be a part of this organization alongside my most accomplished film music peers.