Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Ewing.
Sam, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m a media composer and I love to make weird sounds. I’ve been working with Bear McCreary in LA for about six years and we’ve become great friends and collaborators. Now we’re co-scoring projects together and always trying to make cool music.
After graduating from Berklee in 2013, I set foot in LA and was immediately running errands and getting lunch for Bear’s small scoring company – fast forward to today and I’m writing music for major TV, movie and video game alongside him. It all starts somewhere.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have always been bumps along the road, just as there is in pursuing any creative field for a living. The key I have found has been holding onto this roller coaster and not letting go. I decided I wanted to score TV, movies and games and Bear McCreary was my probably best shot at getting to do that – but this was never a guarantee.
There has been sleep deprivation and incessant self-doubt along the road, sometimes questions of changing career paths entirely, I’ve held on tight and not lost sight of my vision. Patience, grit and loyalty to relationships have absolutely been key.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
We compose music for TV, movies and games. I’ve been writing alongside Bear, often as an additional composer, for years. Some of our projects include The Walking Dead, Happy Death Day franchise, Hell Fest, Black Mirror, God of War (2018 video game). They all have very interesting opportunities for music.
When a project comes in that calls for something unusual and sound design-oriented, that’s when my phone rings. I’ve destroyed pianos, smashed garbage cans against industrial crane hooks, bowed 747 jet engine rims, and teased out the nastiest sounds from my analogue synths – all in the name of cool music.
That being said, my first love is writing for and working with an orchestra. This is a critical reason that Bear and I work so well together and where Sparks and Shadows thrives – we genuinely love the orchestra, the super high level of musicianship that comes with such a group of people, and are constantly looking to push and develop our writing for it.
What were you like growing up?
I was the shy, introverted kid who still managed to get in trouble in class because I was making obnoxious explosion sound effects with my mouth.
Then, I think discovering my dad’s guitar gave me an outlet: music. I really haven’t changed much.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sam-ewing.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @samuel.j.ewing
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/samueljamesewing
- Twitter: @samjewing
Image Credit:
Alec Siegel, Mike Irving
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