BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
When Melbourne trumpet player Louisa Trewartha was growing up, there were some films she couldn’t get enough of. The Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Best, and FernGully were a few of those she’d watch on repeat.
As a teenager, Louisa’s musical tastes matured alongside her, and scores from films like The Truman Show, The Hours, and Amelie started “doing the rounds”. Now in her mid-20s, Louisa is making film music of her own, having moved her life to Dublin where she has studied film composition for about half a year through Pulse College.
“For me, hearing a score that is exceptionally well-paired to film completely absorbs me,” Louisa says. She’ll return to her homeland this June, but in the meantime you can hear Ensemble Goldentree perform the world premiere of her new work Memories of a Stranger on March 13 – right here in Australia.
Louisa chats with us from Dublin about her venture into film composition and the way musical culture differs across borders.
You’re studying film scoring – was there ever an ‘aha!’ moment of realisation that you wanted to write music for film? Is this your main life goal?
There were two main ‘aha!’ moments. Firstly, when I was a student at ANAM in 2013 we played with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in two performances of The Crowd, firstly at Palais Theatre in St Kilda, then the Sydney Opera House. The live orchestra and choir combined with electronics brought to life a series of short films playing on the screen above us. I found the concept inspiring, and it definitely planted a seed in my mind. Secondly in 2014, I was booked to play trumpet with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to record the soundtrack to Paper Planes. Not only was I thrilled to play alongside Geoff and Julie Payne, but Nigel Westlake was there conducting his score! I don’t often get really outwardly excited about things, but after that session I was bouncing off the walls. I had a real Liz Lemon-like feeling of: ‘I want to go to there!’.
As to whether it is my main life goal, I love the idea of being a portfolio musician. I am open to whatever work comes my way, and I feel exceptionally fortunate to be able to support myself as a performer, teacher, and composer.
How would you describe the style of your compositions?
My music tends to include thick chromatic harmony, a strong rhythmic accompaniment, and dark, beautiful melodies. I’ve been told that it is somewhat reminiscent of Charles Ives. When I compose, I trust my ears and instinct first and foremost. Composers who I admire (in absolutely no order) are Björk, Philip Glass, Nigel Westlake, Ben Folds, Igor Stravinsky, Sia Furler, and Owen Pallett.
Why did you decide to move to Dublin to study?
By chance, I discovered online that Pulse College runs a Fundamentals of Film Scoring summer course in Varna, Bulgaria. I then saw that they were in their first year of running a Masters in Scoring for Film and Visual Media. Pulse itself is based in Dublin – so I applied, got in, then worked my arse off for half a year so that I could afford to go. It’s an exceptional course: as well as having talented local tutors, guests such as Christopher Young, Conrad Pope, and Andy Hill are brought over from America to teach us, all of whom have many years experience in the industry.
Does Dublin have a strong film scene? How does it compare to Australia?
I’m really no expert, but I’d say it’s quite similar to Australia, though Ireland’s close proximity to the UK, USA, and Europe does help them. As far as I can tell, both countries have connections to the American film industry, but also have smaller, quality local productions in film and television.
And how have you found the music scene compares to Australia’s?
There is a strong traditional music scene here, and much like Melbourne there’s always a gig of some type on every night. I find that really impressive, given that Dublin has a population of half a million, compared to Melbourne’s four million.
How have you felt the industry characters of Dublin approach you as an Australian musician?
I find that the Irish people I’ve been studying with are similar to my Melbourne peers; a good sense of humour, fairly laid back, kind, and self-deprecating. I often get the line: ‘Wow! All the way from Australia?!’, like they think they aren’t worth it. Among my 18 classmates, most of whom are also international students, we are competitive to a point that encourages one another to work harder. We all have different strengths so we help each other out.
What are the main things you’ve learnt about Irish musical culture that you weren’t expecting?
I didn’t realise until I arrived that traditional music is such a huge part of Irish culture. It’s not uncool; it’s respected, and Irish people young and old are rightly very proud of it. The same goes for Irish language which is written alongside English everywhere you go.
I’ll be moving back to Melbourne in June. I’m really excited to come back and hopefully put these skills to work!
Nonet. Louisa Trewartha. Recording.[purchase_link id=”4697″ style=”button” color=”red” text=”Add to Cart”]
Nonet. Louisa Trewartha. Score and parts for flute, clarinet, marimba, guitar, piano, accordion, violin, cello, double bass.[purchase_link id=”4694″ style=”button” color=”red” text=”Add to Cart”]
