Let’s begin by delving a bit into your musical background. How did you first get involved with music in your life, and how did it affect your decision to pursue it professionally? 

I have always been obsessed with music – when I was a little kid, I was always making up songs about things like playtime, and cleaning up your room. In my teenage years, I wrote introspective folk-inspired songs that I played every Sunday at a local restaurant. I never had a specific career goal in mind growing up; I only knew I wanted to do music. When it came time to apply for college, I only applied to one school, which was Berklee College of Music. I was drawn to Berklee because I didn’t have a classical background, and I had mostly a jazz and pop background. Thankfully I got in, and that’s where I learned how much I love scoring to picture.

Your musical journey thus far is reflective of the clearly wide range of skill sets you possess in your wheelhouse – occupying spaces such as copyist, orchestrator, and songwriter, in addition to being a composer for the screen. (With some incredible credits to your name in these spaces; including the brilliant film Minari and series Cabinet of Curiosities!) Can you speak a bit on how these various creative pockets may connect to one another, and how you view the relationship between these areas, regarding bringing a story or project to fruition? 

I have learned so much from copyist and orchestration work. You get a chance to see a lot of different scores and kinds of music, and you get a chance to sit in on sessions and see how they run, how they can be most efficient, etc. Those things are all really helpful when you are writing to your own projects. As far as songwriting, I think we are in a really exciting time where scores and songs intertwine a lot. Having the ability to write a song and weave it into a score is so helpful, and just another fun way to dig into the characters and help bring the story to life. I’m always trying to acquire new skills because they all come in handy down the line.

What does your creative process look like? Does it shift depending on the type of project you are working on?

My creative process is always changing. I’m not really a template person because I can’t commit to anything and my tastes are always changing. I can’t even commit to one DAW, to be honest. If I have a reference track, I will start by analyzing that. Then, I usually move onto creating sounds and getting a vibe together. I’m definitely a “big picture first, then little details later”-kind of person. Sometimes, especially on more collaborative projects, I write with my partner, Adamo Di Giorgio. It’s always interesting to blend our perspectives and approaches to create something unique.

Is there a specific medium and genre of music for the screen that you are particularly drawn to? 

At the end of the day, I’m just a girl, and I love pop music. Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Charli XCX. I’m loving a lot of the pop-forward scores we’ve seen in the past few years. Especially scores that incorporate vocals in interesting ways like Euphoria and White Lotus.

What have been some of your personal favourite projects you’ve worked on to date?

I think my first EP, Down The River, was really special to me. I’ve always wanted to release songs, and this EP marked my first time navigating how to collaborate on production and learning how to produce songs myself. The music blends a unique kind of contemporary pop with lyrical themes centered on self-discovery and rich nature imagery. The songs are very heartfelt and personal, which is a nice reminder that music can simply exist to express emotion and connection.

With your experience fulfilling multiple roles and being a part of musical teams, what has been one of your biggest takeaways? Can you elaborate on the impact and value of musical teams overall, and the relationship between collaboration and storytelling? 

Being a part of a musical team is an extremely amazing experience. I have learned so much being a part of a collective – not just about music, but also about myself, and navigating different spaces, relationships, etc. Being a part of a team can take a lot of the pressure off of doing things solo. I always say that just because you can do everything yourself, doesn’t mean you should.

What have been some of the challenges you’ve come to face thus far in your compositional journey? 

This industry has a long way to go in terms of fair practices, and I’ve definitely stumbled around that. I’m not someone who’s very good at saving face, or pretending I like something I don’t, so being in an industry where there can be a lot of unfair practices, and taking advantage of people, etc. I think it can be difficult for me to navigate those spaces.

You are originally from Austin, Texas, however you’ve lived in Boston, Los Angeles, and now reside in England. How have these cities compared to one another regarding your own experience in the music industry? 

This is an amazing question. I feel like every city has its own vibe, musically. Austin has an incredibly vibrant live music scene that I feel so fortunate to have grown up surrounded by. It is a great city to play live, enjoy live music, and meet some really incredible players. Boston – I didn’t get to experience the music scene because the film scoring department at Berklee had me pretty busy! But, Los Angeles, I think is a great place to get your foot into the door of the entertainment industry. There are so many industry events, and networking can be easy because everyone is expecting to do it. It can be a double–edged sword, but it is a really helpful experience to have. I’m still learning about the industry in the UK, but so far I see a lot of music happening all over the country, and I’m so fortunate to have the amazing AWFC UK chapter here with me.

Are there any upcoming or current projects that you are particularly excited by, and can share with us?

I’m currently working on this incredibly interesting short film which hasn’t been released yet. The music is so different from anything I’ve heard before and I’m so grateful that the director has been open to making something weird together.

Interview by Alexandra Petkovski 

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