Today we’d like to introduce you to Annah Tencic.
Hi Annah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
As a kid, I was raised in Germany where I learnt to play the cello and to sing. Very early on, I got to play in chamber music and folk ensembles and was encouraged to join the Youth Symphony Orchestra. I also had the opportunity to be part of professional Opera productions at the Opera House of Bonn as a member of the children’s choir. I remember what a joy it was for me to meet other young musicians and singers, to share those lovely musical moments with them as part of a team, and I soon grew very passionate about music.
My family then moved back to France, where I continued my musical studies at the Conservatory of Paris. That is where, at 11 years old, I got to write my first compositions as part of my Music Theory course. I loved it from the start and began daydreaming about one day becoming a composer. At that time, I also played modern cello and sang in several bands, which proved instrumental in my expanding my mostly classical background to other music genres (Rock, Soul, Folk).
After High School, I chose to study Science, as no one in my family is a professional musician and I didn’t realize at the time that composing music for a living was actually a viable career option. I graduated with a Master’s degree in Computer Science and Innovation Management and worked for a year in a consulting firm. All the while though, I was growing restless and felt like I was missing out on my passion. During my years in college, I taught myself how to use Digital Audio Workstations (Ableton and then Logic) and composed my first original soundtrack for a short film showcased at the 2018 Nikon Film Festival. This short was a turning point for me: I had found what I truly wanted to do with my life. I still finished my Science curriculum and got my Master’s degree, which I thought would come in handy as a plan B. But my mind was made, and I finally quit my consulting job, bought pro studio equipment, and set out to become a professional composer.
I had the honor to be admitted into the USC Thornton Screen Scoring Master’s Program and to receive the Harry Warren scholarship. That program was an absolute game changer for me: I’d arrived self-taught, with little experience in the field, and graduated with professional knowledge of the industry, solid musical and technical skills, and valuable connections. I’m am forever grateful to all my excellent teachers at USC for their help, trust and support.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It wasn’t.
I first had to realize that composing music for movies and video games could actually be a viable career. I first thought I had to get a “real job” and that music couldn’t be anything more than my hobby. And then I heard Danny Elfman’s beautiful score to “Edward Scissorhands”, and it hit me that some people were actually composing music for movies at a professional level. But that path still seemed very daunting and I believed only a very select few could actually make a living out of it. And then, after contacting students and professionals in the field, I realized that if I only moved to the area where those films were made, there was far more work than in France, that the budgets were higher, and that there were plenty of working composers out there that were neither super famous nor starving artists.
Then, once I set out to become a professional composer, I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t know the softwares nor which equipment to buy. I knew how to write music on a sheet of paper, but I didn’t know the first thing about making a sound mockup on a computer. There is a lot of tech to get familiar with before one can even begin to actually compose. So I watched tutorials online and asked some friends who I knew dabbed in electronic music to show me the basics. I always found that people were generous with their time and happy to share their experiences, and I feel very grateful to all who did and helped me overcome the “tech barrier” in those early stages.
And then, I had to learn how to compose to picture and to different genres (animation, comedy, drama, action, etc.) or different media (movies, video games, podcasts, theater plays…). What’s more, I had no knowledge of the world of music scoring: so many steps in the process (spotting, composing, programming, revising, score producing, recording, etc.), so many different roles involved to actually create and produce a score (composer, orchestrator, copyist, music editor, mixer, recording engineer, etc.)!
It is a big learning curve, and the more I learn, the more I discover that there is still so much I don’t know. But that is also what makes it fascinating to me.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a composer and cellist. I have composed original soundtracks for various short films, as well as a live theater play. I also record a lot of cello and voice for fellow composers, at my studio or theirs, for movies, songs, video games, podcasts, and live concert performances. I sometimes also do some additional freelance work as an orchestrator and copyist.
Moreover, I am now working in LA as a composer’s assistant to the brilliant Christopher Lennertz. Thanks to him, I got to work on several movies and series this year, such as “The Boys Season 3” on Amazon Prime Video and “13: The Musical” that just came out on Netflix. I feel very thankful to be part of Chris’ team and to keep learning and growing by his side.
I am proud that I had the courage to leave behind my country, former career path and everything and everyone that I knew to pursue my dream. I am happy that my life has evolved so much in just a couple of years, and that every day, I get to live my dream here in LA and grow as a composer, musician, and as a person. And I am excited to share that I got to record a 60-piece orchestra performing my music at Warner Brothers in April 2022 and that I was on the podium conducting: I had such fun!
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I am not only a passionate musician, I also love to read and write. I have started writing a novel, but I am currently prioritizing my journey as a composer. I’m planning on finishing it someday though.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://uscscoring.com/students/2021/annah-tencic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annah.tencic/?hl=fr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnahTencicComposer/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9625000/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
