As the lights dim inside the recording studio, the conductor steps to the podium, hands steady at center. Dozens of young musicians lean forward; instruments primed for their entrance. When his hands fall, the room erupts in sound, bringing a film score to life.
The annual short film collaboration among Kent State University, Cuyahoga Community College and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra gives young musicians the rare chance to record original music for films alongside faculty and professional mentors.
Now in its fifth year, the project – led by School of Media and Journalism Associate Professor Scott Hallgren – brought together 30 musicians and crew to score "Photography," a short film set in 1964 Manhattan, about a traveling female photographer tasked with mentoring a new, younger photographer. Kent State was well represented by seven students and three professors in the studio.
“It was my first time playing with an orchestra in a recording session,” Kent State sophomore music major and drummer Ben Jackson told Kent State Today. “In a setting like that, where my playing was so important, I really needed to be detail-oriented.”
Alongside Hallgren were School of Music Professor Bobby Selvaggio and alumnus and part-time faculty member Bryan Thomas, '92, as well as music education alumnus Mark Russo, '02.
These professionals served as mentors for Jackson and his classmates: senior music education major Mia Vela, senior mathematics major Matthew Cotter, senior music major Zach Ritzenberg, senior animation game design major Colin Fairfield, junior jazz major Natalie Almaraz, and senior digital media production major Colin Lamb.
Like Jackson, other students experienced both a creative outlet and a powerful teaching tool, exposing music, design and digital media production majors to new professional pathways and career opportunities.
“It pays to be well-rounded these days,” Hallgren said. “Understanding how to work and create in a studio environment is valuable and adds another facet to their understanding and skills.”
Since the collaboration began in 2021, Hallgren has composed and conducted scores performed by students and professionals from Northeast Ohio.
“It’s a unique opportunity because many musicians in this area have never worked in a recording studio before, much less on a series of yearly films that have now been seen at dozens of national and international film festivals and even won a few awards for best music score,” Hallgren said.
For many students, this experience is their first time recording in a professional studio, generating a special energy as the musicians focus on listening to one another, blending their sound and capturing the emotions of the scene.
“It's fun for us as instructors to see them be able to watch it with the movie after we’re done, it’s very affirming,” Hallgren said.
But even seasoned professionals feel the pressure, making the experience shared by students and teachers even more special.
“There can be a lot of nerves on the day, even for professionals,” Hallgren said. “It’s a very collaborative environment, and I’m so grateful for my colleagues who participated.”
While creating this opportunity is a meticulous process, the payoff is rewarding and joyful for everyone involved.
While this year's recording was a success, Hallgren hopes to outdo the project each year.
“I hope that I’ll continue to connect Kent State music and film students and programs with this project and the greater Northeast Ohio community,” Hallgren said. There is incredible talent and opportunity here, and we all need to do more to make the most of it.”
Screenings of "Photography" will be open to the Kent State public at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 13, in the DI Theater.
Learn more about Kent State’s School of Media and Journalism.