Today we’d like to introduce you to Collette Jones.
Hi Collette, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Music has been a part of my life as long as I can remember! I grew up in Tooele, Utah, and am the oldest of five children. When my next-oldest brother and I were little, my dad used to get out his violin and play for us, and I begged my parents to let me take violin lessons. I started lessons at the age of four and later began piano lessons as well. While growing up, I played with all of the school orchestras, participated in all-state orchestra, and performed with Salt Lake City’s Young Artist Chamber Players, which are an advanced youth string orchestra. With them, we toured all over the state of Utah and across Europe. As we performed, I saw how much our music meant to people, especially during the Christmas season, and this was a powerful lesson to me about the impact that music can have.
During my freshman year of high school, my school took a trip to Disneyland and participated in a backstage workshop where we recorded some excerpts of the soundtracks to the Disney films. This was a really magical experience for me, and I knew that it was something I had to be a part of. From that point on, I fell in love with film music and listened to every film score I could get my hands on. I worked really hard to audition for Brigham Young University’s Commercial Music program and was elated to be accepted. During that time, I worked as an assistant in one of the campus studios and assisted with teaching the orchestration class for several years. I also performed with the BYU Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as their Chamber Orchestra, and had many wonderful experiences playing classic works such as Debussy’s La Mer and Mahler’s Symphony No. 9.
I was able to compose the music for many student films, podcasts, and a music library album during my time at BYU, but I’d have to say that the climax of my studies there was being selected to write and record the music for the BYU animation film my senior year. The short, titled “Stowaway,” features two pirates who find an unwanted visitor aboard their ship, and I had so much fun collaborating with the filmmakers. Stowaway won the Student Emmy Award for Best Animation Short in 2021.
After graduating from BYU, I was hired to work with the sample library company Cinesamples to assist customers with support issues. I’ve had the opportunity to write several demo tracks for some of their newer libraries, as well as the new plugin, Musio, and I’ve also been grateful to learn about the world of recording and sampling from the team.
In 2022, I was beyond excited to be accepted to the University of Southern California’s Screen Scoring program, which I graduated from in 2023 with my master’s degree. This brought me from Utah to Los Angeles, and the year was a whirlwind of amazing experiences learning about the music industry, making connections, and recording talented musicians. I also had the opportunity to write music for many student films and other projects, as well as record on many others on violin. I was honored to receive the Betty Rose Collaboration Award at graduation. My favorite moments were attending the student film screenings to see the culmination of the projects I worked on, collaborating with amazing filmmakers, musicians, and my cohort, and having the opportunity to record with a full orchestra at the Warner Brothers Eastwood Scoring Stage.
Since graduation, I have continued my work with Cinesamples and have been working as a composer’s assistant here in LA. I hope to continue learning and one day make music that can inspire others like I have been!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think the biggest obstacle for me has been finding confidence in myself. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there and venture into the unknown, and I’ve been very fortunate to have had wonderful family and friends to cheer me on and support me along the way. When things get hard, I always have to remind myself how far I’ve come. Just a few years ago, being able to compose music for film was merely a dream. I could have never imagined all of the things I’ve learned and all of the opportunities I’ve had since then. There will always be more to learn, and while it’s a bit scary to take a step forward into the dark, I am so grateful for all of the times I did and for the people around me who encouraged me to do so.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Because I am both a composer and a violinist, I am able to use my violin playing in a lot of my music. I love to record violin sounds and turn them into interesting effects in my tracks. My musical strength is writing for orchestra, and I especially enjoy combining orchestral sounds with other elements to create hybrid pieces.
As I compose, my goal is to enhance the story that is being told by bridging the gap between the screen and those watching. Whether it’s laughing and dancing, sitting on the edge of your seat, or getting a little teary-eyed, I know film music has a great ability to change someone’s day or even their life. Because of this, I strive to add feeling and emotion into my music so that it can touch the listener in some way.
How do you think about happiness?
So many stories and music of all kinds have meant so much to me in my life – I can’t count the times I’ve been overwhelmed by or obsessed with a really well-told story, whether through music, art, film, or writing. I love hearing stories that other people want to tell, and I love helping to tell stories through my music. I want to be able to give back by helping others have moving experiences through storytelling, and it brings me a lot of joy to know if I’ve made even a small difference to someone. Other than film and music, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, exploring the outdoors, and masterminding a treasure hunt or two.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Christian Amonson Lolita Ritmanis MarikoKay Photography
