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Photo Jan 16 2024, 10 44 56 AM_edited.jp

BIO

Mark is a New Zealand-born composer of film and concert music, based in LA. His dichotomously beautiful and brutal score for The Reef: Stalked was nominated in the 2023 World Soundtrack Awards and SCL Awards. In the last 2 years, Mark has composed and performed 14 chamber works for 9 concert collaborations: LA Choral Lab (2), Choral Arts Initiative (1) and The Night Temple (6), and performed a selection of his choir & electric guitar works with Belgium's Lassenne Vocale.

Mega #flashbackfriday Part 2: Rehearsal footage from the 2017 live score concert for FLYING SOUTH / excerpt from the film. LINK TO FULL 22 MINUTE FILM IN BIO. 🇳🇿🎵
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#newzealand #music #filmscore #composer #orchestra #concert

Mega #flashbackfriday - 10 years ago I had my 2nd @hmmawards nomination for FLYING SOUTH - a 22 minute, scenic docudrama adventure that traverses New Zealand’s Te Whaipounamu (South Island). I recorded the score with @christchurchsymphonyorchestra and @gk_474b. In 2017, the CSO performed a Live Score Concert of the film, for which I did a fun presentation and played the Ukulele part. FLYING SOUTH screened in tourism hotspots for a few years. To celebrate the anniversary of this epic project, I finally put the film on YouTube - LINK IN BIO! 🎵🇳🇿
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#newzealand #scenery #epic #southisland #fullorchestra #livescoreconcert #anniversary #10years #music #filmscore #concertmusic #composer #kiwi

One year ago today I premiered the full, 3-movement version of “Song of the Sea” for Choir, Electric Guitar, Violin and Double Bass with @lachorallab as part of their epic LAND’S END concert. It’s truly one of the best works I’ve written, and performing it with LACL, conducted by @barakamay, was surreal. Here’s some nice footage from rehearsals and the concert (Movement 2). LINK TO FULL PERFORMANCE IN BIO. Their next concert, IN/HUMAN: Arrivals is on November 22 - just go!
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#choir #electricguitar #newmusic #choralmusic #anniversary #1year #memories #composer

Concert #tbt : Excerpts from the October 18 premiere of my new Piano Quintet “VENTUS” (Breath of Life) at @thenighttemple 🎹🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻

Violin I - @thee.k.wolf
Violin II - @morgmaestro
Viola - @lacroiyalty
Cello - @winnie_liu_cello
Contrabass - @tony_green_
Conductor - @andrew_dalziell
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#newmusic #tbt #piano #quintet #premiere #losangeles #concerts #chambermusic #composer #community

“Susurrus” - to whisper. Wrote this in the weekend. A little twilight dreamscape to close your eyes to.
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#piano #twilight #whispers #ghostly #sunday #newmusic

My musically vibrant Aunt, Philippa Ward (Pippa) passed away a week ago, just after 7pm Wednesday July 23rd LA time, aged 84. She was a distinguished pianist, répétiteur, teacher and adjudicator. From as young as I can remember, with a knowing glint in her eyes, she’d say to me “Mark, keep doing your music. I think you’ll be a composer and will do great things.” I was working on this piano idea in Shadow Hills when she ‘moved on’…so I kept playing it when I found out. Her funeral is happening right now in New Zealand. This is for Pippa. 🩶
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#awesomeaunt #remembrance #nephew #piano

When it’s the last afternoon looking after a house in the hills with a Guild, you must play it even if the strings are old and your little idea is rough.
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#guildguitars #acoustic #veranda #saturday #newidea #newmusic #guitar #create

Mark Snow passed away yesterday. I only knew him for a week in 2011, but what a week it was - he was a mentor at the ASCAP/NYU Film Scoring Workshop - my first trip to the USA. Young small NZ town me was slightly overawed upon meeting Mr. Snow, but he made me feel like I belonged in the screen music world on a larger scale. That’s his ‘call to composer arms’ and signature on my workshop score. I did get busy, and I moved to America early 2013. Thank you Mark, for your music and that incredible, formative week. 🙏🏻🎵
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#legend #grateful #thexfiles #theloveboat #bluebloods #thenewmutants

Long overdue Sunday piano creating. 🎹
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#piano #newmusic #sundaymood☀️

Excerpt from last night’s premiere of NOX NOCTIS - newly arranged for String Quintet & Electric Guitar - closing event of Day 1 of @thenighttemple Music in Visual Media Conference. Thank you @carisa_bianca_mellado and @andrew_dalziell for all that you do for the LA music community, and @alisonlewismusic and @seabasse for the footage!

Violin I @eric.km.clark
Violin II @thee.k.wolf
Viola @marshweedinthegarden
Cello @cellobenz
Contrabass @tony_green_
Conductor @andrew_dalziell

FULL VIDEO YT LINK IN BIO 🎵
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#electricguitar #newmusic #premiere #stringquintet #chambermusic #artmusic #losangeles #musiccommunity

Finally I present to the world the full 3-movement version of SONG OF THE SEA for Choir, Electric Guitar, Violin & Contrabass - premiered by @lachorallab at their LAND’S END concert on November 9, 2024. Conducted by @barakamay with @eric.km.clark on violin and @davidtranchina on contrabass. Huge thanks to @scoringmixer and @genemicofsky for helping me fix the raw video audio. If you like these excerpts - FULL VIDEO LINK IN BIO. Also - LA Choral Lab absolutely ROCK and you should go to their IN / HUMAN concert on May 31 ! Scoot to their IG page as tagged here for full deets. 🎵
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#electricguitar #newmusic #choralmusic #premiere #choir
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A Saturday night musical rumination. 🎹
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#piano #saturday #newmusic #create #peaceful #thoughtful

SmytheLog, March 2025: How to recover from an ear infection:

- Get away from LA noise & chaos.
- Spend 1.5 days in Joshua Tree National Park with hilarious English friend @timdespic
- Hike off-trail; be a pathfinder.
- Watch the sunset. 🌅
- Watch the sunrise. 🌄
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#rejuvenation #recovery #escapefromla #joshuatree #adventure #hiking #camping

@thenighttemple March 15 - last section of my new piece “Solace in the Cracks of Light” for String Quintet, Soprano and Electric Guitar.

Soprano: @alisonlewismusic
Violin 1: @eric.km.clark
Violin 2: @thee.k.wolf
Viola: @marshweedinthegarden
Cello: @andrew_dalziell
Double Bass: Awesome Tony
Footage: @beccaschack

Solace in the cracks of light
Through the endless winding stream, we embrace what we can that moves us
Solace in the cracks of light
Tranquility found under the surface
Time unyielding
We sometimes lose ourselves
In a flow that runs dry
Fly! Do not drown in that place
Solace in the cracks of light
Halcyon song, speak to me
Breathe new life into me
Cradle your anima, hold it fast
Find it in the quieter places
Find it in the truer faces
Onward flies the night into day
Now you flow, now you grow
Fly! Do not fall, do not crash upon the world - you’ll be heard
Far beyond the blind
Lift me up into the shining
Solace of the cracks of light
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#newmusic #chambermusic #premiere #stringquintet #soprano #electricguitar

And then something new. Fun looking after a place with a real piano; adapting to the feel and seeing what comes out. 🎹
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#piano #sundaynight #newpost #adapting #exploring #dminor #seven

Sunday at sunset in Silver Lake. Wrote this years ago as part of my first film score. 🎹
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#sunday #peaceful #reflections #piano #composer #filmscore

The 6th Annual @_the_scl Awards. Fantastic night celebrating music, community, resilience and respect. Many attendees asked where my shark was, so I need to find more score thrills with gills…
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#awards #composers #music #celebration #fun

New week. New mojo. Con moto. 🎸🎵💡
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#monday #newweek #ideas #electricguitar #delay #fender

“Chrysalis” for Violin & Electric Guitar - debuted at the @thenighttemple @voxx_studios Launch Party, Feb 1. Wrote this over a couple of days last week. Again hugely grateful to @eric.km.clark for a sublime performance after just one run through. Chrysalis is the process of becoming - a state of reflection and preparation for things we can’t even begin to imagine, yet instinctively know will be extraordinary. FULL PIECE ON YOUTUBE - LINK IN BIO. 🎻🎸
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#electricguitar #violin #premiere #newmusic #composer

Excerpt from “OUROBOROS” for Violin & Electric Guitar, composed last week for @thenighttemple’s @voxx_studios Launch Party on Feb 1st. The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol of a circular snake, representing destruction, rebirth and connectivity. Kudos to @carisa_bianca_mellado & @andrew_dalziell for inviting me to perform, and @eric.km.clark for once again interpreting my music with sensitivity and technical panache. 👌🏻🎻🎸
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#ouroboros #yearofthesnake #connection #rebirth #newmusic #electricguitar #violin #composer

A musical lamentation on this week’s cataclysmic events. Can’t do it in words. This is for anyone that just…needs a moment, whatever your circumstance. ❤️‍🩹
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#musictherapy #lament #lafires #lovela #tryingtohelp

I haven’t done a 2024 SmytheWrap yet, as I’ve been thinking about friends who had a tumultuous end to their year, and to varying degrees are still navigating trauma. Wrote this in the weekend with them in mind: “Genesung” - a German word for recovery. ❤️‍🩹
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#piano #healing #recovery #genesung #2025 #newmusic #mindful #thoughtful #friends

A Friday pianistic thought. This is for anyone needing a quiet moment from the maelstrom of pre-Christmas times, or life in general. Lose yourself in this. 😀🎹
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#piano #friday #fridayvibes #prechristmas #quietmoments

#tbt to November 25-December 3 in Brussels: a magical week of music, new friends, old architecture, historical exploring, many-flavored beers and all-round enrichment of life. Thanks and kudos again to @ivanyohan and @lassennevocale for bringing my emerging choir and electric guitar sound to a European audience. 🙏🏻🎸🎵
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#brussels #belgium #europe #choir #electricguitar #newmusic #life

#tbt to last Sunday when “ALONE (A Demon in my View)�” had its European concert premiere with the luminous @lassennevocale in Brussels, Belgium. An absolutely magical experience performing it with @ivanyohan and the choir in such a resonant, beautiful setting. More to come!
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#electricguitar #choir #brussels #choralmusic #europe #magical

TOMORROW. The European premiere of “Umbra Animae” performed by @lassennevocale, beautifully conducted by @ivanyohan. This piece was written in honor of my Great-Grandfather Hugh Decimus Bridge, whose WW1 grave is here in Belgium. What a magnificent setting - Chapel de Lindthout - in which to honor him again with this wonderful choir. 🇧🇪🇳🇿🎵
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#choir #choralmusic #brussels #belgium #europeanpremiere #ww1 #1917 #2024 #belgium

ATT: Friends based anywhere near BRUSSELS - I’m doing a concert with @lassennevocale on December 1 - performing my Choir and Electric Guitar works “Song of the Sea” (Parts I & III) and “Alone”. Lassenne have also programmed “Umbra Animae”, composed in honor of my great-grandfather who rests in a WW1 cemetery in Ypres, Belgium. Incredibly excited to present my choral sound in Europe for the first time. TICKETS LINK IN BIO. 🎸🎵
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#choir #choralmusic #electricguitar #brussels #europe #concert #composer

What an absolute joy to premiere this with the sublime @lachorallab last night. Huge thanks to @barakamay for her impeccable conducting, @eric.km.clark for the soaring violin, @davidtranchina for the plucky bass finesse, @abrampoliakoff for keeping me on rehearsal point, @chadword for Executive Directing, and ALL THE SINGERS. YOU ROCK! 🎸 🎵
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#choir #electricguitar #premiere #newmusic #choralmusic #sea #song #happy #tired

THIS SATURDAY: Premiering my 3-movement “Song of the Sea” for Choir, Electric Guitar, Violin & Double Bass with @lachorallab , conducted by @barakamay . Here’s a preview of Part II. The wonderfully curated LAND’S END concert is at 7pm near the waterfront at @altasea, San Pedro. TICKETS LINK IN BIO.
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#choralmusic #choir #electricguitar #waterfront #premiere #newmusic #chambermusic

Romanian contemporary music ensemble TimbrIS are AWESOME. My adapted film score concert suite TE WAIPOUNAMU is in 9 pairs of good hands. Premiering today, November 5. Wish I could be there. Can’t wait to see and share the recording.
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#romania #iasi #concertmusic #premiere #composer #tewaipounamu

As the fate of US democracy unfolds tomorrow, the Romanian contemporary music ensemble TimbrIS will premiere my chamber work TE WAIPOUNAMU (The Waters of Greenstone) as part of SONIMAGICON, curated by @meridianfestival . I recently adapted the 6-movement suite from my score for FLYING SOUTH - an epic nature doc produced by @nhnzworldwide and recorded with @christchurchsymphonyorchestra . This clip is from the film. Nothing to do with politics, but everything to do with lush scenery and music if needed. Huge thanks to @izabela_vieriu for asking me to do this!
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#music #chambermusic #romania #newzealand #premiere #november5

Rehearsal preview - LAND’S END concert with @lachorallab on Saturday, November 6. TICKETS LINK IN BIO.
🎸🎵
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#electricguitar #choir #violin #doublebass #thesea #concert #choralmusic

Haven’t played 🎹 for a while, so made some time for it and came up with this.
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#sundaynight #piano #create #peace

@lachorallab presents LAND’S END - a rhapsody on the beauty, wonder, and complexity of our seas: a call to celebrate, protect and sustain their unparalleled majesty. A partnership with @altasea and the Port of Los Angeles.

The concert includes the world premiere of my newly-commissioned 3-movement version of “Song of the Sea” for choir, double bass, violin, and electric guitar.

An ensemble of 30 extraordinary vocalists conducted by @barakamay and @sharonchohikim .

TICKETS LINK IN BIO 🌊🎵
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#choir #sea #premiere #november9 #choralmusic #concert #electricguitar

Another snippet from last weekend’s String Quartet and Electric Guitar outing at @thenighttemple. If you like what you hear, I warmly invite you to attend @lachorallab ‘s LAND’S END concert on November 9 - for this is actually an impromptu conversion of Movement 3 from “Song of the Sea” - my new full length work for Choir and Electric Guitar. Excited to premiere it with them - TICKETS LINK IN THEIR BIO & MINE. 🎸🎻🎵
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#electricguitar #quartet #newmusic #fender #choir #chambermusic #choralmusic #november

Excerpt 1 from “High Up in The Moonlight” for String Quartet and Electric Guitar, by me. Premiered at @thenighttemple on September 21.
🎸🎻
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#electricguitar #composers #quartet #bminor #delaypedal #fender #contemporaryclassical #chambermusic

DELIGHTED to share the recent World Premiere of my latest work for Choir & Electric Guitar - “SONG OF THE SEA” (Part 1), text by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926). The concert marked the glorious conclusion of the @choralartsoc PREMIERE|Project Festival, a week of immersive workshop, mentorship and rehearsal sessions that I had the great pleasure of being selected for. Huge thanks again to @belliott_music, Dale Trumbore, @lyonhazzard, @iderrickskye and Conductor @whathodges. FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO IN BIO. 🎵🎸
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#premiere #choirmusic #choralmusic #satb #electricguitar #choralcomposer #composers #thesea #poem

Official @allanhelmickphotography pics from the @choralartsoc PREMIERE|Project Concert on June 28. Very happy #flashbackfriday to that magical event and week. 🎸🎵
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#fbf #choralmusic #electricguitar #itworks #concertphotography #concerts #oc #fender #stratocaster #madeinjapan #1989

Friday. Guitar. Delay. Cascade.
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#friday #guitar #delay #echo #cascade #fender #stratocaster #mij #1989

INCREDIBLE 4 days & nights in Irvine last week at the @choralartsoc PREMIERE|Project Festival. The program was vibrant, insightful, informative, grounded in reality and creatively embracing. HUGE thanks to CAI Artistic Director @belliott_music, Assistant Conductor @whathodges, 2024 CAI Faculty Dale Trumbore, @lyonhazzard & @iderrickskye and ALL the Choral Artists.

It was a privilege to rehearse and premiere a new work alongside selected CAI Fellows Clark Lawlor, Ayo Awosika, Nathan Scalise, Kelly Wang, Albert de la Fuente, Peter Walters, Lorna Katz, Austin Scott, Grace Coberly, Brandon DiNoto and Adán Fernández. REMEMBER THESE NAMES if you like new choral music!
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#choralartsinitiative #premiereprojectfestival #ppf24 #ppf #cai #choirsofinstagram #choirsinger #choirkids #choir #choirchoirchoir #choirmemes #choirlife #choirmusic #choirdirector #composer #composersofinstagram #composerlife #orangecounty #orangecountymusic #ocmusic #ocmusicscene #losangeles #losangelesmusic #losangelesmusicscene #losangelesmusicians #irvine #newportbeach #costamesa #missionviejo #choirconcert

First rehearsal of my “Song of The Sea” (Part 1) for Choir & Electric Guitar with me joining the most excellent @choralartsoc on 🎸. One of 12 premieres THIS FRIDAY at Zhang Concert Hall, Irvine, 7pm. TICKETS LINK IN BIO. 🎶
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#newmusic #choirmusic #choralmusic #electricguitar #thesea #song #choralsinging #composers #premiere #thisfriday #irvine

Final clip from NIGHT TEMPLE last weekend, hosted by @nighttongue. Ending of “Alone” for String Quartet & Electric Guitar.
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#newmusic #quartet #electricguitar #bminor #fender #strings #concertmusic #composers

Another snippet from Saturday’s NIGHT TEMPLE chamber concert, conceived and hosted by @nighttongue. Debut performance of my String Quartet + 🎸 version of “Alone” - premiered the original Choir + 🎸work with @lachorallab last year. I’d wondered if this would work - I think it did! What do you think, IG denizens?
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#newmusic #quartet #strings #electricguitar #debut #concertmusic #different

“Zephyrs of Summer” for String Quartet & Electric Guitar - freshly minted and a debut at @nighttongue’s NIGHT TEMPLE event last night. Huge thanks again to @andrew_dalziell (cello), Heather (viola), @andybaldwin77 (violin) & @thee.k.wolf (violin) for a glowing performance with very minimal prep. 👌🏻🎻
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#newmusic #quartet #composers #zephyr #summer #livemusic #saturday #premiere

TONIGHT - SATURDAY - June 15 - 6:00pm. Composers and a String Quartet. Me on 🎸w/quartet. Limited space - DM @carisa_bianca_mellado from @nighttongue for the address if you wanna come along. Also LIVE STREAMING HERE: https://www.youtube.com/@nighttongue/streams
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#composers #quartet #electricguitar #saturday #livemusic #artmusic

NEWS! Earlier this year I was selected for the @choralartsoc PREMIERE|Project Festival 2024. Nationally known as an incubator and accelerator program for composers, Composer Fellows join Choral Arts Initiative for an intensive week of seminars, workshops, and a culminating premiere of their work alongside the Choral Artists and world-renowned faculty. The festival will take place June 25 - 28, 2024, with world premieres of each work in Irvine, CA on June 28. Mine will be for Choir and Electric Guitar. PRESS RELEASE IN BIO. 🎸🎵
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#composer #composerslife #composerlife #composersofinstagram #composerforfilm #musiccomposer #composition #conductor #choir #choirchoirchoir #choirmemes #choirlife #choirmusic #choirs #choirdirector #choirconcert #director #choirdirector #musiced #musiceducation #orangecounty #losangeles #lacounty #lamusic #lamusicians #lamusicscene #orangecountymusic #ocmusicscene #ocmusic

#fbf to my first @official_gdc last week! Happy reunions with @worldsoundtrackawards alumni @adiescar & @maclainediemermusic + fellow antipodean @angelalittlemusic; watched @gordyhaab & @a.wintory win a swathe of @gameaudionetworkguild awards, rode the carousel with @csunmusic colleague @kyle_simpson_composer, celebrated @marieisaking & @brunetteinc being awesome at the G.A.N.G Town Hall, connected with developers from MANY countries (notably @noxnoctisgames who share a choir & 🎸 piece name with me) and explored the coffee, streets and record stores of San Francisco. 😀🇰🇬🇮🇪🇨🇦🇫🇷🇧🇷🇨🇱🇨🇳🇧🇪🇨🇭🇺🇾🇰🇷🇪🇸
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#gdc2024 #gamemusic #gamedev #gameaudio #awesome #sanfrancisco

@_the_scl Oscar Reception 2024 - music, merriment and the maestro.
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#oscars2024 #music #nominees #academyawards #composers #songwriters #community

Monday musical musings.
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#music #piano #monday #night #musiccomposer

@_the_scl Awards 2024: An exuberant night replete with awesome people. Congratulations to all winners, including Carlos the Dude. Kudos to @marieisaking for flawlessly managing her first SCL Awards as COO. 👌🏻🏆🎵
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#awards #composers #fun

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