Septicemia is blood poisoning, especially that caused by bacteria or their toxins, and I thought that term an ironically academic title for what is, in essence, a zombie origin story cue. Directed to make a classic symphonic score in the vein of a Spielberg/Williams collaboration, I focused on two pillars of that musical school: dark suspense through meandering melodies in the lower regions of the orchestra, and intense panic via rapid runs of the treble instruments.

If there's one thing the director wanted this music to sound like, it was Indiana Jones. Taking that as my cue to write a score dripping with the sound signature of John Williams, I did my very best to capture his iconic style through florid orchestral exploration of a central theme tied inextricably to the protagonist. This theme, rhythmically and structurally derived from Indiana Jones, calls attention to both the adventure tale of the film and the whimsical idea of a boy chasing his imagination.

Given a week to write this score, I put it together in just one day! This was made possible by a small orchestral instrumentation I used to balance calm, friendly music with more somber underscore as asked for by the director. As tension builds in the latter half of the film, however, the ensemble demonstrates the might it can attain, much like the protagonist as he conquers his fears and expels the unwelcome intruder.

Cinematic Scenes is a trio of short pieces written to demonstrate my film scoring abilities for my senior capstone project. Taking on Western, romantic, and horror styles of film music, each cue cuts straight to the point of capturing a genre-defining moment whilst trying to maintain musical interest in structure, harmony, and orchestration.

One of man's greatest achievements was his ascent into the stars. Inspired by Richard Strauss's "Also sprach Zarathustra" and John Stafford Smith's tune in "The Star-Spangled Banner," the melodies and fanfares of this piece attempt to capture the the wonder, pride, and patriotism that millions have felt with every spacecraft launch.

What would happen if the internet went down? The world would be thrown into terror and chaos, of course! In this piece, the emotions of such a horrible event are captured, as well as the great relief that would take hold once that precious utility came back.