David DeRose

David DeRose is a composer based in Chicago, Illinois. Having no traditional musical training, he tends to wonder if he’s in the right profession but after landing a spot in the eleventh hour, he’s always sucked back in. His music can be heard in advertising campaigns for brands such as Intel, Marriott, Sony, AMEX, and Burger King, as well as Joe Biden’s Presidential campaign, and television shows such as The Today Show and TMZ.

When did the journey start for you?

My love for music stems from hearing Danny Elfman’s Batman score when I was a kid and is probably the impetus for my lifelong obsession with the bat.

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

My days are spent wiping butts and entertaining a four and one-year-old. After a long day, I like to stress myself out and write deep into the night.

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your studio?

I’m quite fond of the Pocket Piano by Critter & Guitari at the moment.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

Johann Johannsson, Alexandre Desplat, and Thomas Newman.

What was your latest gear purchase?

I recently broke the bank for a Mac Pro so hopefully I never have to deal with processing ever again.

What’s your favorite score of the past year?

This may be a few years old but Thomas Newman’s score for 1917. “The Night Window” in particular is an extraordinary piece of music. That sequence in the film has become one of my all-time favorites.

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

The family business was a car shop growing up and I was relegated to the warehouse. What happens to tires after they’ve been driven on for thousands of miles? They become “junk tires”. These tires collect rainwater and begin to smell like sewage most foul. What does sewage water attract? A variety of insects and pestilence. For many years I drove around and collected these abominations from other shops to dispose of properly. They would bounce and roll in the back of the van to create a splash pad. Good times.

Alex Collier & Joshua Smoak

Alex Collier & Joshua Smoak (aka Eastward Music) is a Charleston, SC-based music composition studio led by award-winning composers Alex Admiral Collier and Joshua Smoak. With a wealth of experience, the duo produces original music for a wide range of media, specializing in long and short-form documentaries, advertising, and film.

After studying film score and production at Berklee College of Music, Collier and Smoak returned to Charleston to launch their own agency. As the sole operators of Sunday Entertainment, they have since composed a range of diverse music with notable placements including Google, Got Milk?, Honda, Nature Valley, American Express, TOMS Shoes, Hallmark, Liberty Mutual, PGA, Quiksilver, Brita, among others.

Both skilled composers and multi-instrumentalists in their own right, the duo are involved in many outside projects. Collier was tapped for his organ skills in Lunch + Recess’ short film King of Instruments featuring collaborations with The Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra which featured covers of Frank Ocean, Bon Iver, Kanye West, Vampire Weekend, and more.

In 2013, Collier and Smoak decided to take their passion a step further and launch their studio, Eastward Music, growing their team to include both established and emerging composers, classical and jazz musicians, vocalists, and studio owners.

March 2015 brought about Eastward Music’s full-length score in Dorian Warneck’s Color of Fire, the intimate tale and unique perspective of Warneck’s father grappling with his post-war life after service in the German army. The score delicately, yet deliberately carries the weight of Warneck’s award-winning documentary.

2015 pushed forward strongly for Eastward Music with their original piece, Undersong, landing Vimeo’s Staff Pick with 50k views, as well as their score for the South Carolina Education Lottery commercial, earning the studio an ADDY award for Best Original Music.

The studio is growing its repertoire with a series of WW. ads, feature-length documentaries, and short films.

When did the journey start for you?

Josh: When was the earth created?

Alex: When I met Josh in grade school.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

Josh: This would be a lot easier if we could just share a Spotify playlist. Hans Zimmer, all of them mugs from the ‘90s but especially Thomas Newman, James Horner, Harry Gregson Williams, Rachel Portman, and new composers like Olafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm, Johann Johannsson, Daniel Pemberton, etc.

Alex: Same.

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

Josh: We’ve been inside of the Bedient pipe organs at the cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston, SC., we’ve torn bikes apart for our score Backpedal, and we’ve had to work late to not disturb the lawyers in our building.

Alex: Same.

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

Josh: Nope.

Alex: I always go back and listen to Mark Isham’s score for Crash.

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

Josh: Mostly the only ones I know how, but drums.

Alex: The Pipe organ.

What was your latest gear purchase?

Josh: A portable crib.

Alex: Moogerfooger delay.

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your studio?

Josh: Wurli.

Alex: Apollo duo and the plug-ins!

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

Josh: The SC Lottery feat. Anna Mossman Smoak.

Alex: There is a piece I wrote for the Tokyo Sonata film trailer where I used spoons instead of hi-hats and I love how it blended with the dialogue, fx, and music.

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

Josh: The car.

Alex: Usually any place where you can’t run and immediately put your ideas down.

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

Josh: Professionally, the first full-length independent film with good friend Dorian Warneck, Color of Fire. Personally, both kids.

Alex: Professionally, having built a long career in music and having our music heard throughout the world. Personally, maintaining lifelong friendships.

If you could join any band, past or present, which would it be and why?

Josh: A member of the 1993 original scoring stage recording of John Williams’ Jurassic Park, but not the first trumpet player.

Alex: What Josh said but also I’d want to be in any band with Quincy Jones, from any era.

What’s the coolest or strangest experience your music has given you?

Josh: Alex being on the set of Netflix Outer Banks

Alex: I got to play trumpet in the movie The Notebook and I got to meet most of the actors plus the composer, Aaron Zigman.

In your opinion, what’s a score (or soundtrack) that is better than its movie?

Josh: The Host (2013, USA Version).

Alex: The Power of One – Hans Zimmer.

What’s your favorite score of the past year?

Josh: I am going to extend this to 2019:

• Nicholas Britell – The King

• Emile Mosseri – The Last Black Man in San Francisco

• Jung Jaeil – Parasite

• Thomas Newman – 1917

Alex: Nicholas Britell’s Succession.

What’s your favorite score of all time?

Josh: Shawshank Redemption

Alex: The Patriot by John Williams.

Who is your favorite composer and why?

Josh: John Williams! I grew up in the ’80s/90’s so no “why” needed.

Alex: Same.

Who is your “guilty pleasure” artist?

Josh: Taylor Swift

Alex: It’s Adele for me.

Who is your dream composer dinner guest and why?

Josh: Hans Zimmer – unreal night, drinks all around, great food, great stories, etc.

Alex: John Williams – I just want him to eventually sing what’s in his head. Can we have them both over?

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

Josh: Visitors center ticket taker at Middleton Place Plantation in Chs, SC.

Alex: I played in a brass quintet at a Taco Bell for the Spoleto festival. Definitely wasn’t the right demographic. Smh.

What are your other hobbies when you’re not in the studio?

Josh: Probably for the both of us, cooking. Taking headphones off and listening to the world, especially my wife singing and playing guitar every night.

Alex: Grilling and doing yard work. I can do both all day.

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?

Josh: Kacey Musgraves’s Golden Hour or Dr. Dre’s The Chronic depending on my mood on the island. I’d also probably try to take it apart at some point to use the endless power source to get off the island and listen to other albums again.

Alex: Issac Hayes Hot Buttered Soul. I think that would give me the peace to be on the island forever.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

Josh: I’ll leave this to Alex as his advice is usually the best.

Alex: Never let them see you sweat. This will allow you to make it out of any situation and even find success.

David Das

David Das is a prolific composer, music producer, and songwriter based in Los Angeles. His experience covers feature films, TV shows, cartoons, commercials, trailers, and other media work, as well as modern music production, choral and orchestral writing/arranging, and more. He has worked on projects for Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox, CollegeHumor, Funny or Die, DirecTV, Dreamworks, Fremantle, Intel, BBDO, HBO, PBS, TLC, Telemundo, Weight Watchers, Coca-Cola, Hal Leonard, and many others. He has composed music for dozens of TV shows and scored films such as Lionsgate’s feature thriller The Appearing and the drama Trafficked. He has also written additional music for films such as US and See You Yesterday, plus written and produced songs for numerous pop, rock, R&B, soul, and indie artists. He serves as President of the Academy of Scoring Arts and is on the board of the Society of Composers & Lyricists.

When did the journey start for you?

Probably around two years old while bossing my family around telling them what tracks they could and couldn’t play on the record player then throwing a fit when they put on the wrong track.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

I go all the way from Maurice Ravel to Dirty Loops. I love listening to any musician who can create something inspiring that moves me.

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

Anytime I pick up a new instrument it’s fun to see what I can make it do. Sometimes it’s the instruments I know the least that make me think differently about how to make music.

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your studio?

My 8-track player.

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

Over the years I’ve composed thousands of cues and songs so I don’t know how to pick favorites. Each cue has a little part of me in it. Two film scores I’ve written have songs that I’m really proud of such as “Disappear”, co-written with Rachael Yamagata, featured in The Appearing, and “Fly Away”, co-written with Ginny Owens, featured in Trafficked.

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

When I’m on TikTok. No, seriously, TikTok is rewiring my brain on how music relates to pictures. I think it’s going to define a lot of where media music and advertising are headed. The diversity and the creativity going on there is magnetizing.

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

Musical/professional: doing my earliest arrangements for my peers in orchestra and band when I was in junior high and getting them performed. This was the spark that lit the flame that will burn for the rest of my life. Life-changing thanks to my music teachers.

Personal: despite the challenges and pressures of this industry that occasionally test me to my limit, I have an awesome family, and great kids, and am able to keep forging forward every day with music.

Who is your “guilty pleasure” artist?

Debbie Gibson for evah!

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

Producing 1800 different versions of a kid’s CD with the child’s name spliced in dozens of times across each album. I’ve produced multiple albums for Disney, Sesame Street, Barney, Wiggles, and others.

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?

I think Bruce Hornsby’s The Way It Is might keep me sane the longest. Take 6’s debut album Take 6 might keep me occupied the longest because I’d spend my days transcribing every singer’s part. Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and 2 would just keep my soul happy. Give me a 120-minute cassette so I can squeeze it all into one cassette.

Gabriel Benjamin

Gabriel Benjamin is a singer/songwriter/producer from Oak Park, CA. While writing songs for artists such as Avicii (“The Nights”) and Au/ra x Camelphat (“Panic Room”), he‘s been writing for sync and meticulously crafting his debut EP Way Too Young. His songwriting showcases a fusion of hooky pop melodies with the skinny jean-pop/rock lyrics that shaped his teenage palette. Recent credits: Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2, Magic: The Gathering commercial, HBO Max commercial, CBS Love Island, NBC World of Dance, Netflix Selling Sunset.

When did the journey start for you?

Well, it REALLY started at age nine when I put my little brother on tin pans and banged out my first song on my keyboard. Professionally, I’ve been in the music industry since 2015.

Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?

Composers: Danny Elfman and John Williams.

Producers: Ryan Tedder, Max Martin, and Pharrell.

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

Yoga, video games, Cooking, and a bit’o’whiskey.

What was your latest gear purchase?

Arctic White Fender P-Bass! It’s beautiful!

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

Probably “The Nights” by Avicii

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

1) Having a multi-platinum song travel around the world and touch people on a personal level. Unreal!

2) Being able to make music my career.

Who is your “guilty pleasure” artist?

Bhad Bhabie. I can’t stop.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Chris Burrink

Chris Burrink adds a touch of magic to the Score a Score roster with his intriguing emotional style. His compositions have enhanced stories for filmmakers and brands around the world. His film credits include the original score for the feature documentary The Flying Dutchmen, Shaun Monson’s film Unity, and the Netflix series Fastest Car. His music has also been featured on the White House YouTube channel and licensed by brands such as Google, Microsoft, TikTok, LinkedIn, Marriott, Hyundai, Blue Cross Blue Shield, World Bank, and Cigna.

When did the journey start for you?

It was ultimately the movie August Rush that inspired me to quit my paintless paintball business and start making music.

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

My two-year-old made an extraordinary snort while the camera was rolling. The sound was nearly perfect already—just needed a little EQ.

What do you do to decompress after a long day in front of the monitors?

Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu. My thoughts become calm and clear when I have to defend myself against someone who’s trying to break or choke me.

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

I’m renovating our home at the moment, so I’ve been sampling my construction materials and tools. I’ve had the most fun playing with the pile of corrugated drain pipes.

What was your latest gear purchase?

Well, I had a fast-turnaround project come in right as a bad bios update bricked my motherboard. So I drove up to the city to buy new parts and assembled a new machine to meet the deadline. Okay, okay— I splurged! Now, I stare at my resource monitor and grin like Monty Burns.

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

I like to hum to the sound of motors and machines. It can be the refrigerator at the gas station, a buzzing light, the neighbor’s lawnmower, or the steady 220Hz drone of my Sonicare toothbrush. For me, inspiration usually tastes like toothpaste.

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

The Flying Dutchmen. I was overwhelmed with pride & emotion when I experienced the audience’s laughter & tears from the back row of the theater.

The Brrr Rink. Each winter I build and maintain a temporary 5000 sq’ ice rink in my yard, I stare at it with great pride, and then I pray that people will get to enjoy it before it melts.

Who is your favorite composer and why?

I just love the way that Thomas Newman uses harmonics. Where others might prefer more of a grandiose approach, he often finds more subtle ways to get the job done, and I think his humility gives him access to the audience’s emotions at a deeper level.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

“Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.” – Jordan Peterson