MALLORY DUNCAN | Asst. Arts, Etc. Editor
The Collegian sat down with senior composition major John Albert Harris to talk about his upcoming senior recital.
Butler Collegian: Tell us a little bit about your project.
John Albert Harris: Last summer I didn’t want to go home, so I was looking for things to do. I found out about the Butler Summer Institute and decided to do something I’ve always wanted to do. I made a movie out of a graphic novel called “Blankets,” by Craig Thompson. And then I began to write a score to the movie.
BC: What did you do over that summer?
JAH: Over the summer, I worked with Photoshop and the images in the book to really try to figure out how I was going to present it in a movie form. I must have read the book 12 times to figure out what I could cut. At the end of the summer I scored and presented a short scene.
BC: Did you think that this project would turn into your senior recital?
JAH: Yes, I did. I figured it would continue on.
BC: So what do you want the audience to listen to?
JAH: Everything. A good film score is one that isn’t obtrusive but one that people remember. And that’s a fine line to balance. I’m not sure if I’ve achieved that, people will have to tell me when they come.
BC: What have you learned from putting together your senior recital?
JAH: Doing this whole film scoring business for my senior recital has made me realize, ‘Oh, maybe I can do this whole film thing.’ But I’m putting that off to the side right now and focusing on developing my composition skills by going to grad school.
BC: When you thought of a scene in the novel, would you immediately write that part of the score?
JAH: Usually in the mornings I would get ideas and immediately write them down. There are a ton of themes throughout that will be more subconscious for the audience, but very conscious for me.
Part one of “Blankets” will debut in the Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall on Sunday at 5 p.m.