We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Miranda Fontana a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Miranda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I knew I wanted to pursue a career in film and music since I was 8 years old. Since the moment I found my dad’s old electric keyboard in the attic one day and I asked if he could fix it for me so that I could learn how to play. I have been playing piano from that moment on. My dad was also the one who introduced me to the world of film. I remember we would chose a different movie to watch every Sunday and we would analyze it at the end. We would talk about how the story made us feel and the things that we liked the most about it. That became a weekly activity that we shared and to this day, even though we live very far away from each other, we still watch films and then call each other to talk about them.

Miranda, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up in the city of Buenos Aires, in Argentina, surrounded by artists. My mom and my dad are both in the arts and creative industries, my mom is a visual artist and a chef and my dad is a film producer. They both influenced and encouraged my decision to follow a career in music and film and I couldn’t be more grateful about that.

My musical journey began at the age of 8 when I started my training as a pianist and singer in genres such as jazz, blues, tango, and Argentine folklore. I grew up in a very artistic environment, with my mom being a visual artist and chef, and my dad being a film producer, so I was surrounded by art, music, colors and films. At home we would listen to music pretty much all day and my parents would play folklore, tango, classical music, jazz, blues and soul and I remember I would dance along to Frank Sinatra and Macy Gray with my dad.

These genres have influenced and keep influencing my work nowadays. That’s why I am also extremely grateful to have grown up surrounded by so many talented musicians and beautiful musical scenery.

At 19, I was accepted into Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, with a scholarship, where I started my journey in Film, TV & Video Game Scoring. There, I had the enormous honor and pleasure to have studied with incredible artists, composers and musicians such as Sean McMahon, Claudio Ragazzi, Victor Wooten, amongst others. I have also met wonderful musicians along the way, who I have the amazing experience to share classes and collaborate in projects with.

While being in school, I have also worked as a composer for television commercials for Argentinian companies, collaborating with companies like Coca Cola, LG Electronics, and renowned production companies such as Warner Bros Pictures and HBO Max. I am extremely proud to have worked with these brands and with the amazing teams that were involved in these projects as well. These experiences allowed me to explore different facets of composition and learn from other incredibly talented professionals from the industry.

With a career that spans jazz, Argentine folklore, orchestral music, and electronic music, I try to create soundtracks true to my roots and that can fully express the range of emotions and feeling that the movie wants to communicate to the audience. What I value most about my work is the ability of music, film, and art in general, to create emotions and that ability to touch people and transcend without them realizing it. When you manage to capture the soul of the film, you manage to help the film tell the story through music as well and with total honesty, purely from the heart. I find this to be an extremely beautiful art form. I focus on creating melodies that not only accompany images but also tell stories, evoke emotions, and connect with the audience on a deep level.

I also like to remind myself about the importance of teamwork and collaboration with other artists. The music and film industries are a very collective work, and that’s why I learned a lot about working in a team and collaborating with other extremely talented artists. I think it’s one of the most valuable things that I’ve experienced in my career, and that I will continue to prioritize doing.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative to me is the ability to bring a deeper understanding of some aspect of the world to someone through my music. The ability to touch and connect with the audience on a deeper level and to be able to inspire and leave their hearts and souls full in a way. Film is such a powerful art form and along with the music, you can create impactful and meaningful stories that will reach millions of people around the world and will allow them to connect and relate. I think it’s such a magical and beautiful world and I am so grateful to be able to be a part of it.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think that prioritizing cultural education and focusing on the importance and the value of art could enrich not only the creatives and artists out there but also the society itself. Music and art in general are, in my opinion, the most important and most universal form of expression. So I think that educating communities about the value and significance of art is essential to best support artists.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mirandafontana.wixsite.com/mysite/projects
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miranda.fontana/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miranda-fontana-99737a1a2/

Image Credits

Personal Photo by: Faolán Twomey

Additional Photos by: Luiza Girardello (except for one of them, that was taken by Faolán Twomey. I sent a note via email on which one)