On Friday night, Oct. 3, the Biola Conservatory of Music held a film and composition screening in the business building lecture hall. Seven students had the opportunity to showcase their original music scores, and additionally, any film work that went with the musical composition. When composing music, artists start with no backing track or lyrics, just an idea or prompt, creating a score by combining multiple instruments, tools, voices, and whatever else they like – a very time-consuming endeavor.
Present that night to showcase their original pieces were Hayden Bryan, Clementine Rijke, Annie Taylor, Tobey Siemens, Andre Builta, Jaden Knighton and Heidi Voth. Each prepared a short introduction for themselves that included the context and motivation for their scores.
LIST OF PIECES
Hayden Bryan
Clementine Rijke
“Temecula”
“Arizona”
“Colorado”
Annie Taylor
“The Notebook (rescore)”
Tobey Siemens
“Forest Soundtrack (Zelda rescore)”
Andre Builta
“Altar”
Jaden Knighton
Heidi Voth
“Alien Covenant (rescore”
“Harry Potter (rescore)”
Pieces that deserve additional recognition from this night were “Roman Candle,” composed by Knighton. From start to finish, this musical score was captivating and set the tone for the film that it accompanied incredibly well. With each location change or perspective shift, the music enriched the story to draw the observer directly into the scene. Additionally, the “Forest Soundtrack” piece from Siemens that accompanied a Zelda cutscene was lighthearted and enjoyable, doing an excellent job portraying the whimsical, fantastical nature of the Zelda world. “Laboratory” by Bryan was a brilliant sci-fi-inspired track. I thought it would fit nicely in a production like the CW’s “ The Flash”. Annie Taylor’s rescore of the Notebook theme was so delicate and perfectly matched, if not enhanced, the original scene.
Musical composition is not easy. These young artists worked admirably hard in creating each piece and offered in humility the opportunity for their peers to come and enjoy. The Conservatory does a tremendous job at giving students plenty of opportunities to participate and observe the talent and gifts God has blessed this campus with. All these events, along with dates and introductions, can be found on their website.
