Today we’d like to introduce you to Youssef Guezoum.
Hi Youssef, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I was born in Marrakesh, Morocco, with a big a dream as a Film Composer, so I decided Leave my country for Canada, initially to follow a cycle in ‘Sound Engineering and Mastering’ at the ‘Vancouver Film School’, was not rosy, especially since I was born into a modest family in Marrakech. I was, of course, an only child, but without great resources for a career in music, I had to learn very early to get by accompanying local orchestras at private parties to earn enough money to go abroad to perform my dream. So, I said that in Canada, I had, afterward, followed an internship at ‘Studio 189’; it was arduous. I had to learn English in addition to French, which I spoke before, but it was, above all, the rigor of the Canadian climate which had discouraged me from continuing there. A year later, I made the decision to complete my academic education by joining the ”L’Académie de Musique de Jette” in Brussels for 4 years because I was told that to break into the very competitive field of film music, you not only had to be passionate about music but also master the technical aspect of the sound design of a film. At the end of my studies, I founded my company ‘Soundscore’ in Belgium and started to compose music for jingles and short films and create sound designs for festivities or institutional films.
In 2009… I was invited to the Dakhla Film Festival for a week, and I had the opportunity to follow a masterclass led by the Great Hollywood Film Composer ‘Hummie Man.’ This meeting was a turning point in my artistic journey because this great artist told me: “Youssef, you have all the skills necessary to break into Hollywood; you must go there to try your luck.” On my return to Belgium, my agent also encouraged me to target Hollywood film Music business.
This period of almost 2 years was very difficult from an administrative, logistical, financial, and also family point of view; I had to make quite perilous and very risky decisions with my little family, who had always supported me. My move to Los Angeles was not easy, especially since life there is very expensive, and my family and I had to make great sacrifices while waiting for the first orders. Then, little by little, through patience, perseverance, and, above all, great effort, I was able, with the help of my agent, to make a name for myself among the other film music composers in Hollywood.
I would still like to remind you that this field is one of the most competitive and fierce in the artistic field. I met very, very few Arabs there (especially Lebanese and Egyptians), and the vast majority of the best composers of World films (European and American) are in Hollywood. This scared a lot of beginners in this field, but it excited me because I love challenges, so when people think that I’m going to give up or get discouraged or that I won’t succeed, I like to prove them wrong; ) In summary, it was certainly an obstacle course but full of lessons, challenges, and humility, I also learned a lot about myself and others along the way.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Yes, indeed, especially since the aforementioned major studios are constantly looking for the best and only work with ‘the cream of the crop,’ as they say, in the field of film music. To be able to gain their favor, you have to show what you are capable of and, above all, prove to them that with you, they will have the most Oscar-winning soundtrack of the year, if not the century 😉 To achieve this, 4 essential things to adopt on a daily basis: Continuous work, discipline and rigor, risk-taking, and an innovative spirit (always being up to date and finding new ideas). I remember in my early days when I was asked for a ‘sample track’ for a piece of film in order to decide which of the film music composers in the running would win the contract, I would give them 3 different samples, the first corresponded to the criteria requested in the specifications, and one of the two remaining corresponded to my personal vision of the best design for the chosen sequence and ultimately, it was this track which was chosen each time. I say this to highlight a crucial fact in my eyes: professionals in Hollywood and in the field of Entertainment in the USA in general know how to value effort, listen to the suggestions given by the composer, and above all love artists who
stand out from the crowd, who are inventive and who take risks by leaving their comfort zone and this is a very rewarding and motivating attitude for anyone in continuous quest for perfection and new challenges like me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
From the age of 7 yo, I assiduously attended the cinema in the neighborhood where I was born in Marrakech. I remember that I was so transported by the music of the film that I often forgot how the scenes unfolded. The music has always been with me for as long as I can remember, but in my head, I don’t never thought one day that I would do the music for several seasons of the television series ‘Power Rangers’ that we avidly followed at the time 😉 I would say around the age of 11 yo. I told myself when I grew up, I would learn to make music especially for films, and become a film music composer. I don’t remember exactly when it clicked in me, but it happened. confirmed around the age of 18. However, I would say that I didn’t have the ambition at the time to land in Hollywood; it came later in an almost natural way.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
A few things, by the way, still tempt me, but above all, I aim to lead a philharmonic orchestra by creating mixes between world music and the Moroccan musical repertoire, which is very varied. Moreover, I noticed that my Moroccan and generally oriental background gives me a little specificity compared to other film music composers in Hollywood, an asset that I try to take advantage of to stand out and make the richness of our Moroccan folklore known globally speaking…
Contact Info:
- Website: www.youssefguezoum.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youssefguezoumofficial/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youssefguezoum1/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youssefguezoum%E2%9C%94%EF%B8%8F-3356a326/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/youssefguezoum
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzOmfQw9wV5n1nb9JXm8hFg
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/youssefguezoum
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@youssefguezoumofficial
