Life & Work with Michael Teoli of Newbury Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Teoli.

Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, but I knew I wanted to pursue it seriously in 7th grade when I became unhealthily obsessed with The Beatles. That led me to Berklee College of Music, where I graduated in 2004 with a degree in Contemporary Writing and Production with a focus in film scoring. While still at Berklee, I had the incredible opportunity to work on Howard Shore’s music team for “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King”, where I saw first-hand what goes into the production of a blockbuster feature film score.

In 2006, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a film composer, and have since worked on/scored music for over 70 films and 30 plays/musicals. Some favorite projects include the Tubi Original family adventure “Family Ornaments”, Dark Sky Films’ GenZ slasher “KillHer”, and “Love, Danielle” (starring Lesley Ann Warren, Barry Bostwick, and Jaime King) a comedy-drama about a woman’s decision to undergo preventative surgery to reduce her risk of breast and ovarian cancer. I’ve also recently scored a short directed by Claudia Doumit (The Boys) and Joe Fria’s directorial debut, “Shadows of Willow Cabin”, a queer psychological horror/romance.

Beyond film, my work has included composing for Rihanna’s Fenty brand, Shudder’s “Video Palace” podcast, music for The Venardos Circus – (a traveling circus coming to Thousand Oaks in April!!) and live theatrical productions such as my full-length musical “Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera”, which has played around the country and has a live album released by Broadway Records. In addition to film, I really enjoy working on corporate projects and music for advertising.

When the pandemic slowed production, I began offering beginner guitar and ukulele lessons, which quickly became something I genuinely love doing. While composing remains my primary focus, teaching has been a meaningful way to share music in a hands-on, personal way—especially with adult beginners and seniors rediscovering music later in life. Watching that growth and joy has been incredibly rewarding. While I teach in-person lessons in Newbury Park, 90% of my students are over Zoom, so I have students all around the world from here to Greece!

I also created “Music Time With Mr. Michael”, a family enrichment concert series performed at libraries throughout Southern California. It’s been a wonderful way to stay active as a performer while creating experiences that bring families together through music. The program features songs that span generations—everything from The Beatles and Bowie to classic rock and nostalgic favorites—because I believe great music can connect audiences of all ages.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Choosing a career in the arts is rarely a smooth road. I understood early on that I wanted to be a composer, but I didn’t fully grasp the realities of being an independent contractor. When a project ends, you’re unemployed again until the next gig. There’s no built-in stability, and navigating health insurance, retirement planning, and financial consistency is a real challenge.

The industry is also highly competitive, and staying relevant means continually evolving, networking, and advocating for your own work. That ongoing hustle can be demanding, particularly while balancing family life in one of the most expensive cities in the country.

There’s also the gear side of things. Today, you can’t just be a composer — you’re often the composer, producer, programmer, engineer, and more. You’re only as good as your sounds are, which means constantly upgrading gear, software, and sample libraries. It can be tough looking at writer friends who just need a laptop, while composers are investing thousands of dollars each year just to stay competitive.

At Berklee, I took a class with Livingston Taylor, who said something that really resonated with me: We’re not musicians because we WANT to be — we’re musicians because we NEED to be. He said that if you can picture yourself doing something else, or have another viable option, you should choose that — because choosing to pursue music would be a dumb choice. But there are those of us where it isn’t really a choice. It’s who we are. We couldn’t do something else if we wanted to.

There have certainly been challenging seasons, but those experiences have reinforced my commitment to the work and the importance of creating multiple avenues within the industry to sustain a long-term creative life.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I primarily work as a composer and music producer, creating original music for film, corporate projects, theater, podcasts — and really anything that needs music. I even created music for The Venardos Circus, a traveling circus that I first worked with in 2019 and just did their “Far Beyond” show that touring now! That was super fun since we got to record with a killer dixieland band!

As a composer, I focus on melody, emotional connection, and strong thematic identity. I love storytelling through music as well as musical branding — whether that’s crafting memorable themes for films, creating earworms in advertising, or writing original songs that linger long after a theater performance.

I’m also known for my dynamic versatility, working across genres and blending styles. Whether I’m scoring horror films, comedies, dramas, or musicals, I aim to find the emotional core of a project and build the score around that.

If you asked different clients what I’m known for, you’d likely get a variety of answers. Some might say my lush, epic orchestral walls-of-sound; others, my nostalgic synth horror; some, my big, progressive rock/metal musical sound; or my intimate piano melodies. One place that may set me apart is that I think they’d all say that I’m easy to work with, patient, a good listener, and passionate about my work and the needs of each project. Those characteristics shine through whether I’m in a composer or music director role, performing, or teaching.

I included some favorites in that first question… but also I’m really excited about a couple up-coming projects – I just signed on to score the vampire, western, comedy – “Blood Rush” starring Billy Zane, and later in the year I’ll be scoring Joe Fria’s second feature, “Jacob” starring Abraham Benrubi. Both of which you can find out more about online.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
This is a tough one! I’m someone who was lucky enough to have a very happy childhood so I feel very connected to my inner child and have several reminders and memories to people, places and things from my childhood around my house. I grew up in New England, so may just the whole vibe of the fall and Halloween time. Going to The Topsfield Fair every year… seeing the giant pumpkins, drinking apple cider. The New Englander in me might have something to do with my connection and love of horror films.

Another formative memory came a few years later, on my first trip to Walt Disney World with my show choir in 7th grade. That experience was life-changing, and to this day, it’s still a dream of mine to create music for the Disney Parks. Scoring a ride at Epcot would truly be a dream come true.

Contact Info:

• Website:
  Composer Website: www.michaelteoli.com
  Music Time website: www.michaelteoli.com/musictime
  Lessons: www.michaelteoli.com/lessons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michael_teoli_music/
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/michaelteolimusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelteolimusic
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelteolimusic –

Image Credits
Main Photo: Gary Miereanu
Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera photo by Barry Weiss