Niverville musician Evan St. Cyr is a finalist in the Cue Tube “Score Relief” contest for creating an original musical score for short film.
The annual online contest gives up-and-coming composers and sound designers the opportunity to create music using provided short films that have been specifically created for the contest. Musicians can then use the films to pitch and apply for composing jobs.
“I heard about it by complete fluke,” says St. Cyr, who works full-time installing flooring and does music production on the side. “I have many compositions in my ‘reel’ of work, but not much to an actual film. So I was looking for some video online I could use to compose some music for. I had no luck until I changed my search and scrolled down like ten results. And in a tab of one of them was a Q-and-A on Quora. The answer was just laid out directly to my question: ‘If you want films you can compose to, you should check out Cue Tube.’”
The online platform was exactly what St. Cyr was looking for. It was a particular bonus that the contest is put on in partnership with the Northern Film Orchestra and In Place of War charity for a good cause.
“I was pretty pumped to find a community out there that supports composers without the access to films and, well, Hollywood. The problem was that I was late to enter. I figured I’d download the short and see if it was something I would even want to take on, considering how busy life already was.”
The entry deadline was the end of January—and it was already January 22 when St. Cyr came across it.
Animated film entrants were to work with a short film titled Wing It! At approximately four minutes long, it features a cat who builds a spaceship and a dog who inadvertently launches it before it’s ready. Together the two characters find a way to safely land the craft, despite some hilarious antics.
“I watched it with my wife in silence of music and I thought, ‘There can’t be anything more daunting than potentially ruining this beautiful short animation. What could I possibly offer this amazing cartoon?’ And especially in the three evenings I could potentially spare to do it in. Well, what the hell, I thought? Even if I don’t make the deadline, it’s good practice!”
Knowing how much work it would take to put together music and sound effects for the film, St. Cyr doubted he could put together original music in time, but he started working.
He says that directors or music supervisor use what’s called a “spotting sheet” and “temp score” to create a plan with timings that outline what music to place where in the film. The plan also indicates the emotion, pace, character motif, and vibe, among other things.
“Also in the spotting sheet is some comparisons they’d like it to touch upon,” says St. Cyr. “In this spotting sheet, they wanted the style in the form of a comedic Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry kind of classic vibe. Also because the winner has their compositions recorded by a chamber orchestra, I had to compose in a matter in which they could perform.”
This meant St. Cyr was composing for a 30-piece orchestra with parts including strings, woodwind, and brass.
Even with the complicated orchestra compilation, St. Cyr was determined to put his own spin on the sound.
“I added a lot to it,” laughs St. Cyr. “You’ll notice when the rocket is crashing, there are a lot of hybrid elements to enhance the beckoning sound of descending doom. I think it was bold considering it wasn’t completely organic, but I didn’t care. I wanted a Zimmer moment!”
It was hard work, but he enjoyed being in the creative zone, noting that it often feels like it takes more energy to simply begin the project than finish it.
“Honestly, the hardest part is to start. Once I start on something, I’m gone. Once something is on the page that I like, I’m gone in the zone.”
Given that his work was awarded a finalist place, St. Cyr agrees that the risk may have paid off, but he had no expectations about entering this competition other than having fun.
“If anything, I thought if I made the deadline, maybe I could know at least what they thought or could tell me where I’m at in this avenue of my music,” he says. “I hadn’t scored to anything like this before—and Tom and Jerry cartoons are way out of my style and league, for that matter.”
Since the Cue Tube contest attracts top-level composers from elite schools, St. Cyr expected he might place last. And he says that he might have been able to do an even better job if he’d had more time.
“To wake up and receive the letter that I was shortlisted blew me away,” he says. “I liked what I did with some of the score, but I didn’t have the time to perfect it or let it sit so I could revise it from a seat back, which sometimes we can do to a fault.”
The winners and four runners-up were announced on March 20. Although St. Cyr did not win, he says that he was blessed to be a finalist so that he can potentially build on the opportunity in the future.
St. Cyr has lived in Niverville his entire life. Music is in his blood and previously he ran a professional music production company called Arcade Studios before facing a number of health challenges.
“Unfortunately, we had to shut down that studio, as I became very ill with Lyme disease. It’s been a seven-year battle with it, and four years in I just couldn’t keep the doors open anymore. Every project was becoming too stressful,” says St. Cyr. “Lyme disease sucks. That’s the plainest way I can say it. It’s been a battle every day for all these years and I’m still battling it.”
St. Cyr says he managed to get back to functioning at around 80 percent with the help of God, prayer, the love of family, and adhering to a carnivore diet.
Despite the trials of the illness, St. Cyr isn’t sure he would go back in time and change anything. He says he has learned how to choose love despite suffering, likening the process of healing to the same experience of making music.
“The instrument by which we access the art is the extension or expression of us. If you don’t know who you’re conveying, you don’t know what you’re trying to convey and the audience can’t access it. So in essence, if you get good at knowing you, you’ll be great at your craft to everyone else.”
And so St. Cyr continues to create. He has been working with a few bands to release new music, as well as working on his own solo album, called Hope in the Madness. The first single, “Note to Self,” should be released in early April.
“[It] is literally a note to myself of things not to do and things to maybe start doing,” says St. Cyr. “My hope is that it relates to those who are doubtful of themselves and the future and maybe it can help to elevate them a bit going forward.”
St. Cyr feels he has only reached the milestones he has because of the support of his wife and three daughters, along with the greater community. He says he can’t see himself ever leaving Niverville.
“It’s apparently a hard place to leave. A lot who do come back,” says the artist. “There’s something about it here. We got a good sense of community and we’re not closed off to new ideas either. I like what Niverville was to me growing up and I like what it is to me now. I’d say you can’t ask for much better than that when you describe something as home.”
Thanks to the advancement of online hiring and music distribution, it’s easier than ever for music producers and composers to work away from major entertainment centres, like Nashville or Hollywood.
“Scoring music to picture is the dream. It’s my heart of hearts musically. Nothing calls to me more than hearing a great score,” he says. “Music is no doubt my playground. It’s caused me much pain, but it’s also brought me much joy… As far as the pinnacle goes, though, nothing would bring me more utterly excruciating total panic mode anxiety than working on a feature film. Well, that or playing guitar for a stadium. One of the two!”
