We were lucky to catch up with Karyn Krupsaw recently and have shared our conversation below.
Karyn, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I didn’t originally go to school for film scoring. I actually got an education degree with a minor in music, but realized fairly soon that teaching was no longer my passion. I always loved film music and had been a musician since I was 6 years old, but never seriously considered music as a profession. I started my education (or re-education) with a couple film and music technology courses at a community college, and then connected with a local organization that was in the process of producing a film and was looking for a composer. They offered me the gig, knowing I had no experience scoring films, and I hit the ground running. I purchased all new equipment and essentially taught myself how to use Logic and an overly complicated MIDI keyboard to compose for this first feature, while at the same time continuing my community college courses. Soon after, I moved to Los Angeles to attend the UCLA Extension Film Scoring Certificate Program, which I pushed through in a year. Recently, feeling I still had some weaknesses that were putting me at a disadvantage for some gigs, I took an Orchestral Mockups course via Berklee Online. Had I pushed aside my insecurities and allowed myself to recognize my passion before I got my undergraduate degree, I would have instead pursued a degree in film scoring from the start. However, given that I decided to change directions several years after graduating, I believe I took the most efficient and effective path I could have towards my goal. I am extremely grateful for the education I received through UCLAX and Berklee and for the guidance of all my instructors. While I have put in a great amount of effort teaching myself to use multiple pieces of software and hardware necessary for this business, I know I would not be at this point in my career without some kind of formal education. Additionally, one of the most essential skills I learned through taking courses both in person and online was how to connect with others in this industry. The entertainment industry, including the sphere of film scoring, relies heavily on “who you know.” Being around so many instructors who are actively working in the industry, musicians and engineers at recording sessions, and even my peers in my courses allowed me to start making those connections and learn how to maintain relationships that have led to work down the line.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I have been a musician since I started taking piano lessons at the age of 6, but when I was young I didn’t really think of music as a career choice. I loved film music though, requesting score soundtrack CDs from my parents as holiday and birthday gifts. Scores were the music that seemed to seep into my soul, the melodies staying in my head for weeks. I knew someone had to write them, but I always considered myself a performer, not a writer. When I started college, I joined the school’s a cappella choir, and was soon arranging nearly all of the songs for the group’s performances. It was through these arranging experiences that I began to feel my way through how the different parts of a musical group could be put together like a perfect puzzle, how simple parts could be made more interesting, how soloists could shine. I also discovered how passionate I was about music, and I realized that I would not be happy in any other type of career. I kept trying, however, taking several jobs over the next couple years that had nothing to do with music, but never felt satisfied. In 2017 I decided to lean into the passion and pursue film scoring. I moved to LA, got a formal education in the techniques and technology I would need, and sought out gigs. I have been composing fairly steadily since then for short films and features of various genres, PSAs, and additional music for other composers. I have also branched out to do freelance work in other very necessary areas of this business, such as orchestration, arranging, conducting, music preparation for recording sessions, and assistant work. I work well under pressure, and my fellow composers know they can turn to me in a time crunch to help them prep for a session or finish a score with tight deadline. For instance, most recently I worked with David Boman on his score for the new Meg Ryan feature “What Happens Later” doing additional orchestrations and the sheet music preparation for his recording sessions, all within about the last month of the process. It was tight but we got it done with some excellent teamwork, and are both very proud of how the score turned out. That kind of teamwork is something I pride myself on as well. Composing for film can be a fairly lonely job, as we’re often in our studio spaces alone for much of the process. I make an effort with every project to make sure that the process is collaborative between myself and the filmmakers, other composers, music team, and anyone else with whom I might be working. Films are shared visions, and I want to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard so that vision can be achieved.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Right now, the biggest thing that society can do to best support artists and creatives is to keep hiring us and not begin to rely on AI. From what I have gathered by talking to friends and peers from all over the entertainment industry, there is hardly anyone who does not feel as though their job is about to be threatened by AI. We are even hearing talk due to the WGA and SAG strikes about the use of AI to write scripts and even to replicate the faces of background actors. As a composer, I am well aware of how AI music generators can make passable pieces for visual media. However, a piece of AI music will never have the same heart, passion, and feeling behind it that a piece written by a real human being does. Film composers pour their souls into their art and we make the filmmakers’ visions come to life with every cue we write. I think that this passion applies to every artist in this industry and others. Hire artists and creatives, not machines.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding part of composing for film is seeing the whole project come together. Most of the time, when a film gets to me the filmmaker has a vision of what they want, or maybe even just some vague ideas of how music will be used, but it is up to me to bring that to life. It is amazing what music can do to bring a film’s potential to fruition. I remember an impactful experience I had several years ago when I first moved to Los Angeles. I went to the Maestro of the Movies: John Williams concert at the Hollywood Bowl, and there was a special appearance by Steven Spielberg. Spielberg spoke of the importance of Williams’s music in giving his films life. He played a clip from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” without music first, and the entire audience was in awe of how the scene seemed to drag on and on. With music, however, it was an exciting and dynamic chase scene with tension and thrills every second. I’m no John Williams, but I love being able to bring a similar experience to the filmmakers I work with, when they can see what they had in their heads the whole time really blossoming as soon as my music is placed. Knowing I was an integral part of bringing a film together, along with the multitudes of other creatives who work on each and every project, is incredibly rewarding and one of the biggest reasons why I continue to do what I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.karynkrupsaw.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karynkrupsawmusic/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karyn-krupsaw-0883169b
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGld4FKlsOhfsEO1F4XUkcA?app=desktop
- Other: Reel: https://play.reelcrafter.com/KarynKrupsaw/2023 IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9207539/
Image Credits
Jane Azzinaro, Kristina James, Sarah Krasnianski