Kyle simpson
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“The music keeps unfolding, like a magic carpet: its function is always to support the narrated text.”
Kyle Simpson
Kyle Simpson is a Los Angeles-based composer, trumpet player, and bandleader, is a graduate from Lawrence Conservatory of Music in Appleton, WI and The University of Montana in Missoula (MM), MT and West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (DMA).
Film & Media Composer
For the past 10 years, Kyle Simpson has been focusing on his career in film music and education.
He was awarded a Film Music Scholarship in New York City at the NYU/ASCAP Film Scoring workshop, where he worked one-on-one with film composers Mark Snow, Ron Sadoff, and Ira Newborn. He was also invited to participate in a Film Music Workshop in Southwest California (Palomar Film Music Workshop) working with composers Roger Neil and Larry Groupé in refining his craft of film & media composition.
Simpson is working with directors and producers regionally, nationally, and internationally. Collaborations include filmmakers such as Thomas Zoeschg, John Rice, Bruce Spiegel, John Cantine, Taran Singh Brar, and Tom Kurlander. He’s scoring movies, documentaries, videos, video games, ads, and short films (see Media and Film Scoring). Recent work includes a feature-length film from director Thomas Zoeschg and Black Deer Pictures entitled Every Night and Every Day. Simpson also finished short film projects with Slow Drift Productions (Zoe Xandra, director) with the films Green Hat Diner (2020) and Yearbook (2021).
One of his newest projects was the film score he completed in Thessaloniki, Greece as a part of the Fusion Film Scoring Workshop led by Mihali Paleologou. From his work at the workshop, Simpson was invited back to the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
Contemporary Music and Jazz
His composition teachers include: Fred Sturm (Lawrence), Charles Nichols(UofM), and Sarana Chou and Joseph Dangerfield (WVU).
Simpson has written many works for large jazz groups, chamber jazz groups, solo trumpet, synthesized electronic music, Orchestra, and Wind Ensemble. His compositions have been featured at the Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival in Missoula, where he also performed with Lew Soloff and Paquito D'Rivera.
Other compositions have been featured at the HyperCube Composition Lab, the Chamber Music Festival in Île d'Yeu, France(2011), Atlantic Music Festival, Maine (2017), Alba Music Festival, Italy (2016), Uzmah Upbeat Croatia (2014), Charlotte New Music Festival (2013), Ostrava Days Czech Republic (2011), and The Henry Mancini Institute(2006), Los Angeles.
Simpson’s music has been described as, “lively with rhythmic vitality” and also, “lyrical with a brooding elegance.”
Before arriving in Los Angeles, Simpson held teaching positions at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, PA and West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV.
Currently Simpson is an Assistant Professor of Commercial Media Composition at California State University, Northridge in Los Angeles.CA.
Film scoring
“Every Night and Every Day”
Black Deer Pictures
Directed by Thomas Zoeschg
Written by Stephen Howard
Original score by Kyle Simpson
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“Martyn’s Theme” from Every Night and Every Day
Violin solo by Fung Chern Hwei
In this short video, you can enjoy a unique behind-the-scenes look at world-renowned violinist Fung Chern Hwei from the Sirius String Quartet. He’s performing one of the violin solos in the film score.
“Memento Mori”
Kyle Simpson Score
This is a very fascinating scene! The score was created for this intricate and subtle short film from Westwood Instruments. It is a promo for the Lost Piano Library, which is used in this scoring example (additional libraries by Spitfire-Albion Tundra). You can also hear some wind sound effects because the scene could use just slight foley. Thanks for checking it out!
The scoring and sound design for a thriller short film. See one of the climactic scenes here:
The scoring for the trailer, sound design and original score by Kyle Simpsonfor a thriller/horror short film.
Trailer
Scene from Zoe Xandra's Green Hat Diner
One of the most dramatic scenes
"Monstrous Molecules"
video game/interactive app
Game developer: Digital Dream Labs
Ed-Tech Products and Games
Inspired by a love of science, Monstrous Molecules combines gameplay elements from classic dungeon-crawler games with elementary chemistry. Players combine various elements to create the tools that our heroes will need to stop the destructive monsters lurking in each chamber.
“Puzzlets” Campaign Video
Digital Dream Labs
Game developer: Digital Dream Labs
Ed-Tech Products and Games
Directed by Tom Kurlander
Music by Kyle Simpson
Scene from HBO’s “Westworld”
SPitfire Film Scoring Competition
Thank you to Spitfire and HBO for making this clip available to composers. In this scene, you can hear these samples: Spitfire Symphonic Brass and Chamber Strings 8dio Rhythmic Aura, Supercluster, Frame Drum Ensemble Cinesamples Drums of War 2 Omnisphere synth patches
“Metropolis Arc” trailer
Film Scoring Competition
“Constellations”
8dio Scoring Competition
Interpretation of 8dio’s Constellations
Using only 8dio sample libraries, this music illuminates the magic and sense of wonder we have always had about space and the infinite beyond.
Klavon's Ice Cream Parlor: Commercial
Directed by Tom Kurlander
Produced by JumpStart Films
Music by Kyle Simpson and Tom Kurlander
“All of the suddens”
Exhibition at Pittsburgh Glass Center
Directed by Tom Kurlander
Original score by Kyle Simpson
A Short film entitled “All of the Suddens” is now screening at the Pittsburgh Glass Center as a part of master glass artist Kelly O’Dell’s exhibition. The film was made in collaboration with JumpStart Films.
“City of Steel” Documentary
Directed by Bruce Spiegel
Music by Kyle Simpson
Live premiere of newly composed piece for inclusion in Bruce Spiegel's upcoming documentary about the steel industry in Pittsburgh “City of Steel.”
Performed live at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall by Kyle Simpson Chamber Orchestra
Van Gogh in Motion
scored by Kyle Simpson
This video art is so beautiful, I decided try my own score to this already beautiful work. The original music in the video is incredible, gorgeous, and very fitting. In no way was this attempt to outdo the original, but I was so moved by the images, I wanted to write some music for it.
“Aftermath”
Short film by John Cantine
A short film score for director John Cantine's film Aftermath. Featuring performances by the Freya Quartet.
“Reference Point” webseries
Directed by John Cantine
Reference Point is a web series created by Pittsburgh Filmmakers Director John Cantine, Samantha Rayward, and Erin Sanderson.
Check out Season 1, Season 2 is also now available as well.
Synopsis of Season 1:
When Zannie West (Alex April) is hired as librarian at a small arts school, she finds herself surrounded by a whole workplace of wacky neighbors, including her boss Bill Dailey (Frank D. Wilson). With the help of her new friend Tori (Cassidy Adkins) can she bring order to the library, or is there more going on than meets the eye?
This has been really fun and exciting to score. Season 1 presents lots of different challenges than Season 2, you'll have to watch it to see all the different aspects between the two seasons.
“Science News and Questions (SNAQ)”
Podcast
Carnegie Science Center Production
Hosted by Charissa Sedor and Ralph Crewe
Music by Kyle Simpson
AScap Film Scoring
June 2011 / NYU-New York
Projects & Collaboration
Ionized Air-Glow
Hypercube Ensemble
CubeLab 2021
Performed during a 2021 virtual workshop by Erin Rogers (saxophones), Jay Sorce (guitar), Andrea Lodge (piano & accordion), Chris Graham (percussion)
Programmatic piece about the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Disaster. Shortly after the core explosion, both firemen and station workers observed a “beautiful blue light” emanating from the exploded roof of the power plant. This turned out to be what scientists called an “Ionized Air-Glow.” While beautiful, the people looking at this "air- glow" did not fully understand about the dangers of radiation poisoning. This concert piece, written for Hypercube plus electronic accompaniment, attempts to evoke this idea and to underscore this haunting yet beautiful quality.
There are also moments that reference specific radiation exposure elements, such as the use of a dosimeter— which measures amounts of radiation in an area (and was very problematic at the outset of the disaster—because none of the instruments could read the real radiation levels). The dosimeter has a kind of clicking noise and this clicking is manipulated in various ways across the instruments in the ensemble. I wanted to write music that might underscore the emotions of the people during this time, such as confusion, nervousness, panic, and ultimately sacrifice. The piece comes to a sonic climax that then unfolds in a section that resembles a moment for reflection about the people who risked their lives and exposure to radiation poisoning to try and ensure that more people would not be hurt or impacted by this fateful event.
2019-2020
Award-winning Pittsburgh composer Kyle Simpson D.M.A., whose works have been performed internationally, has thoughtfully put together a chamber orchestra to marry contemporary classical music with the art of the silent film. On November 22nd 2019 at 8 p.m.,The DiMenna Center for Classical Music Mary Flagler Cary Hall, will host a film screening with Simpson’s original score dedicated to the celebration of Georges Méliès’ most famous French silent films A Trip to The Moon (1902) and The Kingdom of the Fairies (1903). Drawing inspiration from Méliès’ enchanted worlds of wonder, exploration, and magic, the music best blends the eclectic styles of Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky, fused with the cinematic sounds of John Williams, and Alexandre Desplat, which has become a trademark of Kyle Simpson compositions. The live performance will also feature Pittsburgh’s very own Redline String Quartet to pair both silent films with contemporary music.
Tickets sold at the door 30 minutes before the concert.
Albums
Release of New Film Scores
This newest album highlights the scoring work on numerous short films from 2020-2021. Many of the films were somewhat dark in nature. The album takes a kind of musical progression from lightness to darkness. You can stream the album on all major digital streaming platforms.
Something In between jazz album
Kyle Simpson releases his first jazz album.
The album began forming during Kyle’s undergraduate studies at Lawrence Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wis. Some years later, the album embodies Kyle’s artistic journey, and it shows his love for classical, contemporary, and jazz music.
Albums
by Kyle Simpson Jazz Collective
Newest Release featuring original composition with big band and chamber groups.
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Kyle Simpson Jazz Collective
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Kyle Simpson Jazz Collective
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Kyle Simpson Jazz Collective
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Kyle Simpson Jazz Collective