Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lina Breining. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I’m currently wrapping up scoring my first feature film as the lead composer with independent filmmakers based in Los Angeles. Collaborating on an inspiring film with such a talented team of filmmakers has been a meaningful experience. This being my first feature film, I was very excited and ready to take on the challenge. Many people have poured an immense amount of time and energy into the project, and I wanted to be certain that I did the film justice with the musical score. I’ve loved working on this project, and am grateful to the director and producers for trusting me with their film!

I appreciated the flexibility I was given from the start. The director encouraged me to try out new musical ideas and sound palettes for the film. I’ve learned that film scoring is much more than just the music. It’s about the collaborative process and the creative conversations that are taking place between the composer and director, building trust, tweaking, revising, and everything in between. Music is just one piece of the film’s whole, not the entire focus. Understanding that music comes second to the story is an important lesson for a film composer. Overall, I’m proud of my work on this film and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes!

The themes of the film resonated deeply with me. Taking chances in life, living in the moment, and the power of human connection. Composing means that you’re often spending many hours on end alone in a room, so this film has been a great reminder to enjoy the little things in life! Reach out to a friend, get outside, try something new. You never know what life might have in store for you just around the corner.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Lina Breining, a composer for film and media, based in New York City. I have a background in classical piano, strings and percussion, and I love the process of collaboration and using music to help convey a story. I am able to write for a wide variety of genres, I especially enjoy writing orchestral scores and writing for live musicians. I recently graduated from NYU with my Masters in Screen Scoring (‘24) and I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve since received. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to work as an orchestra production assistant for the Tony Awards, and now, I’m scoring my first feature film, Purple. In addition to film composing, I wish to explore writing music for other mediums such as advertisements and musical theatre.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

A rewarding experience of being a film composer is getting to hear my music performed by live musicians. I wrote an orchestral piece that was performed and recorded by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. It was an insightful learning experience, and hearing the musicians playing my music is a feeling unlike any other.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Some advice I received during my time at NYU was to ask myself these three questions before deciding to take on a new project.

1. You’re learning something new.
2. You’re getting paid.
3. You’re doing it because you love it.

I feel lucky that all three of these goals align with the film Purple, and am grateful to have worked with such a remarkable team of artists on the film!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.linabreiningmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linabreiningmusic/
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12560822/

Image Credits

Chandra Xu
Katherine Beggs