My vision for the music of The Elephant & Piggie Show! is a warm, handmade world, something familiar, emotionally grounded, and built around a small ensemble. The sound lands somewhere that feels cozy, charming, and immediately inviting.
The score would be playful without tipping into chaos. Character-driven, letting humor, curiosity, frustration, and tenderness coexist naturally, the way they do in Mo Willems' books. Clear melodies and rhythmic charm keep the music present and expressive, while the restraint of the ensemble ensures it never competes with dialogue or performance.
At its heart, the music would be about what Elephant & Piggie has always been about: friendship. Gerald's thoughtful, careful nature and Piggie's unbridled joy call for distinct musical voices that still belong together, and the score would reflect that, blending the two into moments that feel warm, earned, and sincere. A musical identity that is timeless, down to earth, and genuinely full of heart.
A handmade acoustic world
About
Ernesto Aguirre is a drummer, percussionist, and composer whose work fuses storytelling, rhythm, and cultural depth into a distinctive musical voice. A first-generation Mexican-American and graduate of the University of North Texas College of Music, he has performed with the San Antonio Symphony, toured nationally with Drum Corps International, and toured Eastern Europe with the YOSA Philharmonic Orchestra.
His work in film and television includes serving as composer's assistant on Women Wearing Shoulder Pads, the animated series for Adult Swim and HBO Max. His compositional voice has been shaped through mentorships with multi-Emmy and Oscar-nominated composer Bruce Broughton, legendary Hollywood orchestrator Tim Simonec, and Emmy-nominated composer Amanda Jones. He is the founder of Twin Drummer Publishing and a proud member of ASCAP, the Composers Diversity Collective, and the Society of Composers and Lyricists.