Brian Skutle’s passion is for storytelling, be it through music, film, or creative writing, with the story dictating the medium that best brings it to life. In his music though, it may not be a specific story that inspires him but a feeling. A sense of longing. Of mystery. Of tension. Of serenity. Of sensuality. Of something beyond the humdrum normalcy of life, though sometimes his goal is to just compose for the fun of creating. Inspired by storytellers of all forms, select examples of Brian’s personal expressions, and several of his film reviews and commentaries, are found at www.sonic-cinema.com.
About
Brian (born 1977) began to play trombone in 1989; though he enjoyed performing, it wasn’t until later that he would consider music as a career option. In 1995, Brian- already an admirer of film music- heard James Horner’s score for “Braveheart”; this was the score that inspired him to want to compose for film. The other key score he heard during this time was Hans Zimmer’s music for 1996’s “Broken Arrow,” which inspired Brian to consider the possibilities of electronic music for the first time. Brian graduated from LassiterHighSchool- and a rewarding four years in their acclaimed band program- later in ’96, heading to GeorgiaStateUniversity to major in Sound Recording Technology in their Music Industry program. From the Fall of 1996 until he graduated in the Spring of 2001 with a B.M. in Music Industry, Brian studied recording, MIDI applications, and Csound synthesis from Dr. Robert Scott Thompson and composition and orchestration from Dr. Nick Demos, eventually composing about 20 pieces employing both electronics and acoustic instruments. He also belonged to the University’s student chapters of the Music Industry Association and the Society of Composers, Inc. While he wouldn’t compose his first film score until 2005 (written for a series of hand-made short films by a friend of his), this valuable experience at GSU served him well in creating an aesthetic quality to his music that is capable of standing alone as concert works, but also retaining the same sense of mood and emotion he found in the best film music he listened to during this time. In 1999, Listen.com said of Brian’s music, “At times these compositions can get downright spooky, first lulling you and then raising the hairs on your neck with eerie, minimalist rhythms and synthesized reverberations.” Since 1999, Brian’s music has been available online at sites such as MP3.com, BeSonic.com, IUMA.com, and MySpace. Currently, Brian’s compositions can be found on the CDs he’s released via CDBaby.com and other online outlets, as well as www.sonic-cinema.com, Brian’s personal website that also includes many movie reviews, essays, and fan commentaries he’s done over the years. In May 2006, Brian became a member of the Society of Composers, Inc. In addition to his musical projects, Brian is currently working on a short film of his own, with the intention of creating a soundtrack for it that is layered and ambitious while serving the underlying purpose of film music.
Brian Skutle
