We recently had the chance to connect with Jacquie Joy and have shared our conversation below.
Jacquie, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Who are you learning from right now?
Right now, I’m learning from a mix of mentors for both music and personal growth. On the music production side, I follow online content from top producers like Rob Late, as well as inspiring contemporary female producers such as SEIDS, Alina Smith, and Aubrey Whitfield. I’ve also enrolled in a year-long weekly course called Master Your Music, run by Xylo Aria and Music Production for Women, which has been incredibly valuable and energising.
On the personal and spiritual side, I’m learning from authors and their works—Be Water, My Friend by Shannon Lee, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, and Sacred Contracts by Caroline Myss—all of which are helping me grow and see life from different perspectives.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a music composer, producer, and sound designer, and I’ve worked extensively across film, TV, and corporate media projects. Some of my film scores, such as Peace Pilot and Double or Nothing, are available on Apple TV, and I’ve had music featured in shows like Bondi Rescue and The Amazing Race.
Recently, I scored the action thriller feature film Land of Wolves. Currently, I create music and sound design for brands like Expedia and Skyscanner, and I write sync tracks for Primerchord Music and Fliktrax.
Moving forward I also have a new direction, and I’m diving deeper into EDM and pop/cinematic song production. I aim to bring a strong female voice into that space and carve out a sound as bold and exciting as producers like David Guetta and John Summit—just with my own unique twist.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
As a child, I was probably the only one who truly saw myself as a creative in the music industry. My family and friends weren’t musical, and at the time, it didn’t seem there was a place in the community for someone like me. At school, the options for girls were so limited—I wasn’t allowed to play drums or guitar, so I focused on sports instead. But behind the scenes, I was teaching myself to play the electric guitar, writing songs, and holding onto that dream.
It wasn’t until after studying Physical Therapy at the University that I began formal singing lessons and really started my musical journey. I’ve never let the dream go, and in my spare time, I started a career in live performance, singing and playing guitar at local venues. This was a successful venture, and I worked four to five times a week. In the years following, I also taught myself the art of scoring to picture. Over the past few years, I’ve finally found my creative community and gained a more profound clarity—both spiritually and musically—about what I was always meant to do. Through many discussions with like-minded friends, I’ve rediscovered my power as a woman and as a creative, and now I see myself a lot more clearly again!
When did you last change your mind about something important?
In the last year, I changed my mind about being primarily a film composer. For 5–6 years, about 90% of my work was in film—I worked on nearly 100 film projects, earned prestigious award nominations, and saw my work on Apple TV and Amazon Prime. But after the pandemic and Hollywood strikes, productions slowed, budgets dropped, and the market became oversaturated with film composers. Despite working nonstop, I was earning significantly less than when I started, and financially, it was unsustainable. Also, scoring a feature film and writing and producing 90 minutes of music takes a lot of time, and it wasn’t smart for me to continue with such a poor work-life balance.
So I chose to pivot—diversifying into sync, corporate, and sound work. It’s been a positive shift, both creatively and financially. I now approach film projects more selectively, focusing on those that align with my passion, ie, for giving women their voice through music. I’m also focusing on shorter-form projects – for example, releasing and producing songs. I’m now allowing myself the time to work on more passion projects of my own!
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, the public version of me is real, though I’ve always been fairly private except with close friends. Years ago, I put myself out there publicly in front of live audiences, but once I stopped gigging, that “public” side of me went quiet for a long time—and the version people saw for many years wasn’t the whole picture. In recent years, I’ve taken the reins again and begun rediscovering myself and my voice, both musically and spiritually. That journey led me to create a podcast (with ASMR-inspired style conversation), spend more time meditating, and reconnect with the healing energy I’d lost touch with. At my core, I’m a glass-half-full person who loves fun, laughter, and collaboration. And that’s the version of me I now share both publicly and professionally.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I feel like I’m finally getting closer to doing what I was born to be doing. For years I built up skills in music and sound production, but I realised I wasn’t actually releasing much of my own music and had lost my way. Things shifted last year when I worked on three films with female filmmakers—those projects made me see how powerful it is to collaborate on stories that shine a light on important social and women’s issues. That’s when I knew I wanted my music to be part of positive change. This year, I joined the “Music Production for Women” program with the hope of networking with like minded female musicians and (potential) collaborators, and it has been incredibly inspiring—I’ve found my creative tribe and feel like my true path is unfolding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bio.site/jacquiejoy
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacquiejoycomposer
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquie-joy-128148170/
- Twitter: https://x.com/ComposerJoy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com//jacquiejoy.composer.7
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jacquiejoycomposer
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jacquiejoycomposer
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10068312/?ref_=fn_all_nme_1
