We recently caught up with Audio Engineering & Production Grad, Sam McElroy who, since graduating earlier in 2024, has been steadily making a name for herself in the audio industry. Read on to find out what Sam’s been up to, tips for current students, and her goals for the future!
Scoring The Skies!
Q: What are you doing now?
A: I’m currently writing a score for video footage taken from the recent Comox airshow. This one has been a very ambitious task; it’s a 22-minute video of different planes, all needing music that changes with what’s on-screen and covering a wide range of genres and requests from the videographer. This project has also caught the interest of aviation company Nav Canada,
who is planning on writing a short story on me as well.
In addition, (meaning at the same time, haha) I also recently finished a chip-tune score for a game-jam, an event where a small team and I made a video game in 72 hours. I also work on personal music commissions, some being simple song requests, and some being more elaborate scores for projects. For example, I’ll be doing the music for an indie episodic series later this summer, as well as a handful of student animations and films.
As for my own projects, I work every day to expand my catalogue of music for my Spotify releases, and YouTube channel and just to further practice my craft. Lately I’ve been finding quite a bit of success in recording my writing process and explaining how I go about doing it in the form of YouTube videos. I usually spend some time writing, and then a very long time editing and putting it all together.
And finally, arguably the most important thing I do is networking. Almost every day, I reach out to music figures and studios all over the country for insight and opportunities. I’ve had the pleasure of touring some studios in Vancouver, meeting post-production mixers, and having Zoom calls with real composers throughout Canada. I recently spoke with a producer in Vancouver who is putting me in touch with several more post-production people, which is always a good time.
You certainly have to put the time in!
It’s The Little Things That Matter
Q: Tips for current audio Students?
A: Take it from me: everything you’re learning or will learn takes time. What may seem trivial or boring will come back later and suddenly be the most important thing in your life. Practice
Everything and build a foundation of the basic skills. As with most other things in life, if you have an awesome grasp of the basics, you will soar through the rest. Seriously, trust me on that. Please regularly practice everything you’re given and hone your craft!
As I’m sure everyone knows, music, being part of the arts, is such a niche and can be an unforgiving industry. So that’s why I strongly recommend reaching out to people and making connections whenever you can. I cold-called/cold-emailed over 100 places within a couple months; some never got back to me, some did and made it worth my effort. You have nothing to lose; that’s the mentality I kept.
When I met with some composers over Zoom, one of them explained to me that people in the music industry love to help those who are new because that was them at one point. Everyone who has “made it” knows exactly what you’re going through now, so they are eager to help you if you put the effort in. The same composer told me that eventually, I will pass on the torch, which is a cool concept. Show that you care, don’t be afraid to ask questions and make those connections! Even while you’re still in school, I would encourage you to start seeing what’s out there. It’s all about who you know, and job opportunities often happen through word-of-mouth, I’m learning.
Finally, I wanted to say that music is an artform and meant to be fun. I totally understand how school and getting your career together can be very stressful. I’m still very much in that mode right now. But if you enjoy what you do, it’ll all be worth it, and if the people you meet see that you are passionate, they will care to help out.
Whenever I tell people how I’m able to compose music as fast as I do, I tell them it’s because I’m having fun and I’m not overthinking it. If you need inspiration for your next song, just jump into it for fun. If you’re doubting yourself on a Pro Tools exam, try not to overthink it. Please enjoy the music world. School is intense, trust me, I know, but it can be such a blast if you let yourself enjoy it.
Lessons Learned
Q: What was the most valuable thing you learned in your program?
A: Before CAT, I was a pianist with dreams of composing for film/TV/video games. After CAT, I still have those same dreams, but now I can fluently operate the software I need to make it happen, as well as have all the technical background to further those ambitions.
For me, the most important thing for me to learn was how to use Pro Tools to map out my ideas for writing music to be in time with visuals. Adding markers, understanding timecode and its meters and finding solutions to match your ideas… That’s what film scoring is all about!
Here’s an additional tip that’s a bit more general:
While learning all the software like Ableton, Pro Tools and the like is essential, the most valuable things I learned were in the realm of real-world application. I had a very musical background coming into the program, so the stuff that follows all that was most important for me. Stuff like how to advertise yourself in a resume, the lingo needed to make important connections and studio etiquette, and the fundamentals in all areas of audio. During my time at CAT, I took nearly 250 pages worth of notes, almost a dozen of those pages being dedicated to quick keys for all the programs we learned. I use most of them every day, enhancing my practice.
If it hasn’t been burned into your brain already, practice everything. That was another huge takeaway I learned while at school: Everything is important.
Can You Hear The Future Calling?
Q: What are your long-term goals?
A: For me, it’s always been about writing music, particularly scores for film/TV/games. I’ve been studying music my whole life, and it is my whole life.
Eventually, I would love to score a blockbuster, a triple A movie and make my passion known to the world. Mediums like movies and games have always been my favourite way for music to be expressed, whether I’m writing or listening. I just think it’s all amazing.
In the meantime, in addition to that ambitious goal, I plan to keep releasing music, practicing my skills, meeting more awesome people, taking on projects, and working my way up until I can finally score the picture of my dreams. Just take a step towards it every day!
Thanks for sharing your experiences and insights with us Sam! We’re confident your goal of scoring a blockbuster is on the horizon. To check out some of Sam’s amazing audio work, make sure to check out the links below!
YouTube (Aurora Compositions)
Instagram (@sam_mcelroy_music)
For complete details on our program, please visit our Audio Engineering & Production program page.