Jacob Yoffee started his career as a composer in a classical conservatory but was exposed to modern Jazz very early on and spent a decade exploring that world. He made a living performing in all kinds of bands & groups: rock, pop, music theatre, country, neo-soul, hip-hop, big-band jazz, chamber music, etc. In 2016 he met Roahn Hylton in Israel and the two became great friends. They have been working together ever since, creating the music group Th3rdstream in 2018. Since then they have scored six series together and have worked on film/television projects with Jay-Z, Robert Downey, Jr., Kevin Hart, and Janelle Monae. He has continued to compose traditional concert music and is still currently the Resident Composer for the American Studio Orchestra. His concert music has been performed in the U.S. and Great Britain at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, the Royal Academy of Music, and on BBC Radio. As a Jazz artist, Jacob was signed to Inner Circle Music Records in 2007, releasing his debut album Dead Reckoning. The album’s release concert rave reviews in the New York Times and was featured on the cover of Saxophone Journal magazine.

When did the journey start for you?

I saw Gremlins when I was eight years old and something about Jerry Goldsmith’s music hit me. At that point, I was already a huge movie fan. Could there be anything better than a big cinematic adventure? I remember the moment I realized that the combination of music and picture made it better, bigger, and more exciting. I instantly knew I wanted to do this. There were a few decades where I did silly things like go to college and play in a thousand different bands but I finally moved to L.A. at the end of 2010 and jumped in the fire.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

In no particular order: Eliot Goldenthal, Gary Thomas, Jennifer Higdon, Jerry Goldsmith, Samuel Barber, John Williams, Christopher Theofanidis, George Butterworth, Alan Silvestri, Don Davis, John Corigliano, Jeff Cardoni, and Thomas Newman.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

My favorite is the soprano saxophone, but I rarely have an opportunity to use it in my scoring work. The Prophet 12 has been much more useful and a lot of fun to incorporate.

What was your latest gear purchase?

An AKAI EWI, to program woodwind parts in a much more natural way – anything to help the sequencing side of things be more fun. Very similar to the soprano saxophone so far….

Is there a piece of music you’re most proud of?

The Loved By All soundtrack about Apa Sherpa, who is considered to be the Michael Jordan of Mt. Everest. There are moments in that score where I felt more like myself than I usually get to be.

What’s your favorite score of all time?

Interview with the Vampire by Eliot Goldenthal.

Who is your favorite composer and why?

Eliot Goldenthal (and I should mention his work with the orchestrator Robert Elhai in particular) writes exceptional “slow” music that reveals the true power of an orchestra without needing additional processing, layering, doubling, etc. The melodicism is there while also bringing the low-end beefiness that we all love.

What’s the oddest job you’ve ever had?

I had a weekly gig with my jazz trio where we played INSIDE a parking garage every Friday afternoon. At the time it was definitely one of my “money” gigs that paid some serious bills. I’m sure I did damage to my health by breathing in all those fumes.

If you were stranded on a desert island with one album on your Walkman that somehow never ran out of power, what would it be?

The Beatles Anthology — or is that cheating????

Daniel Ciurlizza (pronounced “Chur-Leet-Zuh”) is one of the hardest-working composers on the Score a Score roster, always pushing himself to meet the highest standards and consistently creating beautiful work.

Since 2013, he has run Outlier Studios, a 14-person music team that has assisted him in creating scores for over 110 scripted films and documentary projects.

One of Daniel’s main objectives is to combine disparate styles of music to make something new. This journey has led him to create sounds used on songs by Kanye West, Maroon 5, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Harry Styles, Khalid, and other Top 40 productions.

Daniel’s experience in the fast-paced world of marketing (i.e., creating music for trailers and ads) has allowed him to hone his ability to communicate and deliver quickly. He combines a solid musical vision with great efforts toward collaboration. His positive attitude is unwavering from version 1 to 100; we’ve never seen him break a sweat.

If you ask Daniel what he wants to be known for in the long run, he will offer the following tenets: 1. Overwhelming kindness and generosity; 2. Mind-blowing artistic innovation; 3. Tenacity on a micro and macro level.

What’s the strangest method you’ve used to get the perfect sound?

My team was doing a lo-fi album and, instead of using a regular mic, we used a converted shotgun shell as a microphone. Talk about bang for your buck.

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed.

1. Developing the practice of using kindness and generosity as a business model.
2. Having figured out my way of balancing deep happiness at all times, while embracing that I’ll always be unsatisfied and hungry for more.

What’s the most interesting non-music job you’ve ever had?

I’ve been an ice cream man, a janitor, and an intern working at John Powell’s studio. One of the most memorable jobs I’ve had was as an event staffer.

It took me to the best wineries in Napa Valley, a Pixar movie premiere, and a WWII aircraft carrier. I even gave one of the MythBusters a crostini.

If you were a sound design element, what would you be? (i.e. a screaming riser, a stuttered power-down, a fireball woosh, a high eq metal ping)

An atmospheric intro that says, “Let me tell you an interesting story…”

Joni Fuller is an exciting talent and an increasingly bright light on the Score a Score roster, always maintaining distinction with consistently elevated and lush orchestration paired with equally incredible production chops. Her classical training in all things stringed and her virtuosic mastery of the violin can be heard at the center of much of her work. Her music spans across a variety of mediums, from custom music for brands and networks like FX to marketing campaigns for films like Us, X-MEN: Dark Phoenix, Bird Box, Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos, Blow The Man Down, and Hold The Dark.

Where did the journey start for you?

I grew up listening to a lot of my parents’ music and, inspired by an early love of The Waterboys, my Mum and Dad bought me a cheap violin for my 5th birthday. Some of my earliest memories include jamming along to 12-bar blues and Jimi Hendrix songs with my dad strumming guitar. I wrote my first song when I was eight and attempted to start a band with my classmates, but when I realized that they did not share my level of commitment I begrudgingly went solo. I’ve never looked back!

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

My biggest inspiration in terms of pure mastery of skill and work ethic has to be Prince – I’ve been a huge fan since I was a teenager, and his music has been the soundtrack to so many events in my life. I also pull daily inspiration from a lot of female artists/singer-songwriters, including Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones, Kate Bush, Lana Del Rey, St. Vincent, Janelle Monáe… the list goes on! As a string player and arranger, I often refer to Nicholas Britell’s If Beale Street Could Talk and Hildur Guðnadóttir’s Joker score for inspiration.

Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?

I love any excuse to get my violin out and jam at an open mic night, but when I’m on my own I tend to gravitate towards the guitar or piano.

Other than your studio, where does inspiration most often strike? (or rather “Where is the second most common place you come up with ideas?”)

Always on public transport! I get the train down to London a lot, and more often than not inspiration will strike and I’ll have to grab my phone to make a quick voice note. I’m always so self-conscious that when I listen back later I can barely figure out what I was trying to hum.

What are two things you’re most proud of? One musical/professional, one personal. No humility allowed.

Five years ago, I came up with the idea to offer live string recordings to composers and producers. After sending out some initial cold-call emails, I started to see a lot of work come in via word of mouth, and it allowed me to offer a useful service to composers while connecting with people I might not have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. I’m proud that I found a niche that enabled me to share my skills and build my profile in the composer network.

After I finished school, I ran the music department at a local high school for a few years and taught around 100 teenagers every week. It was a complete baptism by fire as I had no formal teacher training, but I still hear from pupils from time to time and it always means such a lot when they tell me they’re still playing the instruments I taught them. I’m passionate about the importance of music in education, and I feel proud that I did my small bit to keep a few teens on the straight and narrow!

If you were stranded on a desert island with one album on your Walkman that somehow never ran out of power, what would it be?

This is an impossible question, but I’ll try my best… I think I’d have to choose Hounds of Love by Kate Bush. It’s one of my favorite albums of all time, and is so eclectic that I could listen forever and it would never grow old.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

A few years ago, a fellow composer told me about the concept of ‘deep work’, which resonated with me. It’s so easy to get pulled in by notifications and Instagram scrolling, so I make a conscious effort to minimize distractions while working. This not only allows me to engage fully in what I’m writing, but it actually gets the job done faster so I can have better quality free time afterward.