What We Found Over That Hill

Scott Johnson is a composer for film, games, and other media. Also a writer and filmmaker, Scott began scoring his own films from a young age; with the idea of making movies naturally came the need for music. As time progressed, he further realized the power of the right score. Now a member of ASCAP, Scott professionally produces music for a variety of projects. His involvement ranges from student films to work from major film studios, such as Warner Bros. 

For Scott, film scoring is a process of energy and creativity. Adept at creating themes and symbols through music, Scott rewards listeners for repeated listening, especially in the case of a larger work such as an album. Scott enjoys film scoring because of this; there are a myriad of ideas in a film’s story to be represented musically. 

Every project has a unique sound. Scott not only writes music that complements the storytelling, but music that establishes the sonic landscape of a project (considering setting, characters, motivations, etc). In this case, an understanding of film is equally important to an understanding of music. While film scoring allows for a versatility of styles, a film requires music strictly linked to its DNA. For Scott, it's all about writing to this identity, exploring different harmonic languages, textures, and sounds to build an auditory story to accompany the visual one. The collaborative energy and effort involved in filmmaking has always been an inspiration for Scott. Like Christopher Nolan said to Hans Zimmer at the conception of “Interstellar”: It’s about knowing the heart of the movie. 

In addition to working with traditional, live players, Scott embraces technology in the music industry, and works at the forefront of its rapid development. With the art of sampled music and orchestral mockups, Scott focuses on achieving the greatest realism possible through the marriage of tools such as sample libraries and skills like orchestration and sound engineering. 

From the movies to personal life, music keeps everything connected. A film’s score integrates components such as character situation and landscape to reinforce a story. But outside of film, music connects people to their own stories, and to each other. Unique to the medium of music, something so personal to one person can instantly become personal to another the moment it is played. Mastering the psychology of music is a mastery of connection.