for your consideration

When director Jensen Chambers hired me to score his whimsical and imaginative short film, he already had a vivid sense of the sound he wanted.

By the time I joined the project, Jensen had been working on the film for years; interrupted by the pandemic, and only able to complete photography long after. For the music, he envisioned a blend of modern elements with the unmistakable charm of classic Disney animated films from the 1940s and 1950s. The references he shared were full of vibrant orchestration, elegant part-writing and the whimsical harmonic colors that defined those films. Translating that language into a contemporary voice was a challenge, but one that felt like assembling a musical puzzle built from decades of cinematic tradition.

Even though the film is short, the writing process was detailed and intentional. With no dialogue to guide the story, the music becomes the film’s heartbeat, shaping pacing, emotion and movement moment by moment. Like those mid-century animated masterpieces, this score follows every gesture on screen. That meant carefully designing tempo shifts, time changes and transitions that hit precise frames and actions, while weaving recurring themes and harmonic colors that evolve with the story.

My hope is that the score feels familiar yet fresh, evoking the spirit of those iconic films while adding a modern twist, inviting the listener to join the whimsical journey Jensen and his team created on screen.

About the score to Nowhere:

The film opens with a simple piano melody for our protagonist. Cheerful and gentle, it reflects her innocence—and her unawareness of the larger, stranger world she’s about to discover. This theme follows her through the story, transforming in shape and color as she grows.

A second idea, a small musical “call” played by the piccolo, represents the mysterious Hand that keeps appearing, guiding her toward new places and unexpected characters.

As she explores every corner of New York City, the score reshapes itself with her journey: magical brides, dancing clowns, eerie mimes, and that elusive Hand that ties them all together. The small string ensemble and woodwind-forward orchestration bring intimacy, playfulness, and a touch of vintage charm while maintaining a modern, personal voice.