“Creating custom sonic worlds for media”

Joseph Aey is a film composer whose style is a blend of traditional Hollywood sounds and modern synth film scores. Being a nostalgic movie enjoyer himself, his music is for movie lovers of today who wish it were 20 years ago. Growing up in the early 2000s positioned him in a place where the classic Hollywood sound was very much prevalent, but the new age of Hollywood was on the rise. Being immersed in both these genres from childhood is a very prevalent characteristic of his music, with large sweeping orchestral parts rising to play with the technology-dominant scores of today.

            Growing up with little in a small town in Northeast Ohio, his exposure to music came at a much later age than most when he was introduced to the “Piano Guys.” From then on, he wanted to learn how to play piano and not just classical pieces, but also film scores. He learned scoring by listening to the films and trying to play them back on the piano. This curiosity into film music eventually led to trying to write his own music. Primitive at first, but eventually he cultivated the skills to create music you may hear in the theatres. While some may characterize him as a late bloomer, he quickly made up the gap in skill to become equal to his peers.

            His artistic influences include the likes of John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, Thomas Newman, and Mark Mothersbaugh. This diverse range of influences enables him to score a wide range of media. Studying Williams’ work taught him about the classical orchestral sound and traditional Hollywood scoring. The likes of Hans and Mark Mothersbaugh showed him how electronic elements could mesh seamlessly with the orchestra, adding to the sound rather than distracting from it. Creating scores that seem inevitable to the media they are in is something he strives for in every work he composes.

            His music has been used in short films such as “Christmas Cookies,” which was shown at a film festival in Atlanta, Georgia. Not forgetting his piano chops has enabled him to collaborate with fellow students on their own projects. As a result, he has recorded a number of keyboard and piano parts on Music Row. Recording a wide range of genres has kept his piano technique professional and diverse. This has allowed him to play weddings and has written music for wedding videos.

            Joseph has played in ensembles in the Fisher Performing Arts Center as well as various weddings and receptions. His compositions have garnered the praise of various Belmont professors. One professor was quoted as saying, “I could see this being on the big screen in a theatre.” Another said that his “music perfectly captured the emotion I was hoping for.” Quotes from professors as well as his peers have earned him a very positive reputation in composition.

            He is currently working on a new suite of themes that capture a wide variety of emotions one may see in the theatres. Composing various themes can give prospective directors more of an idea of what music they want and what he can provide. Speeding up the creative process by giving directors a theme that already captures the emotion they are looking for. This suite includes themes of love, action, betrayal, romance, death, and aggression. Enabling him to compose for a medium before even seeing it.

            Aey will continue composing and releasing various suites of themes to show prospective clients. He will also continue composing for short films, both professional and student-created. All further cultivates his style and portrays the powerful emotions captured on film. Joseph can be found on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Check his socials out for more on his work and process in scoring.