LET'S MAKE SOMETHING ICONIC.
- Jesse Dantzler, Composer for Films and Games
WHAT I'M WORKING ON
Delve into a curated selection of soundtracks that highlight cinematic moments. Each piece is written to resonate with storytelling and evoke emotions.
THE STORYTELLER'S APPROACH
TO MUSIC
Ever since a young age, Jesse Dantzler has poured much of his heart and soul into storytelling, whether he was the storyteller or the audience.
Growing up in Athens, Georgia, he spent most of his childhood learning about the rich culture and history of Athens. He observed firsthand the impacts of Athenian culture and history on the arts and music scene in the town, from which came world-renowned bands and musicians like REM, Widespread Panic, and the B-52s. The rest of his childhood, he spent immersing himself in some of the greatest stories of all of fiction. From Lord of the Rings, to The Count of Monte Cristo, to BioShock, Hollow Knight, Dark Souls, and OMORI, he got to experience not just some of the best stories, but some of the best soundtracks.
Why were they the best soundtracks? He didn't know. All he knew, was that he would end up spending a lot of his time blasting his ears with them, and losing himself in the fictional, iconic worlds and stories that were captured so timelessly through them. And that is what makes a soundtrack good. It tells a story, and conveys an experience, while relying on nothing but the cultural associations of sounds to ideas.
Eventually, in 2018, Jesse Dantzler picked up a viola for the first time. And that middle school viola took him on a pilgrimage across time to become the musician, composer, and storyteller that he is today, almost a decade later. He is nationally recognized as a storyteller for his work as a student journalist, and he is an award-winning composer.
All because he is committed to making something iconic.