John Kusiak

{{short description|American composer}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2017}} __NOTOC__

{{Infobox person | name = John Kusiak |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|07|20}} | occupation = Composer }}

'''John Kusiak''' (born July 20, 1948) is an American composer best known for his work with documentary filmmaker [[Errol Morris]]. He won the 2012 [[Cinema Eye Honors]] Award for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Score for Morris' ''[[Tabloid (film)|Tabloid]]''.<ref>[https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2012/01/18/arlington-musician-wins-cinema-eye-award-for-best-score/7m7tyBEgkK6WMAJ8uX9JKI/story.html Shanahan, Mark and Goldstein, Meredith (Jan 18, 2012). "Arlington Musician Wins Cinema Eye Award For Best Score" The Boston Globe]</ref> Kusiak has composed music for live performance, commercials, and museum installations as well as film and television. He began scoring films for Boston-based [[Northern Light Productions]] in the 1980s while he was a touring rock and roll guitarist, and founded the studio Kusiak Music in 1992. He lives in Arlington, Massachusetts.<ref name="wickedlocal">[http://www.wickedlocal.com/arlington/features/x723444767/From-performing-to-producing-The-music-of-John-Kusiak Laskowski, Nicole (Mar 04, 2010). ''From Performing to Producing: The Music of John Kusiak'' The Arlington Advocate]</ref>

== Work Process ==

Although his first instrument is guitar, he primarily composes film scores on piano.<ref name="wickedlocal" /> In an essay about scoring [[The Singing Revolution]] (a documentary about Estonian resistance during World War II), Kusiak writes that his "empathetic response to the events depicted" provided the foundation for his work process.<ref>[http://www.singingrevolution.com/cgi-local/content.cgi?pg=2&p=22 Kusiak, John. Scoring ''The Singing Revolution.'' Retrieved 21 November 2013.]</ref> Kusiak had minimal knowledge of Estonia's history before this project. Immersing himself in the footage and story, he developed a deep respect for the Estonian people's non-violent struggle for freedom from the Soviet Union. In order to convey chaos during the coup attempt, he utilized unconventional metrical units . The next theme, "The Hope theme" is supposed to mirror the emotional release of the Estonian people after the attempt.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Music - The Singing Revolution |url=https://singingrevolution.com/about/music/ |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=Singing Revolution |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Selected credits == * ''[[American Experience|The American Experience]] (TV Series)'' (16 episodes, 2003–2019) * ''[[Team Foxcatcher]]'' (2016) * ''[[The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst]]'' (miniseries) (2 episodes, 2015) * ''After the Wall: A World United'' (2011) * ''[[Independent Lens]]'' (2 episodes) (2009–2011) * ''[[Tabloid (film)|Tabloid]]'' (2010) * ''The Wall: A World Divided'' (2010) * ''Yellowstone: Land to Life'' (2009) * ''[[Secrecy (film)|Secrecy]]'' (2008) * ''[[Have You Seen Andy?]]'' (2007) * ''Aquarium'' (2007) * ''[[The Singing Revolution]]'' (2006) * ''[[The Fog of War|The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara]]'' (2003) ''Additional music (primary composer [[Philip Glass]])'' * ''[[First Person (2000 TV series)|First Person]]'' (12 episodes, 2000) * ''[[World War III (1998 film)|WW III: World War III]]'' (1998)

== Discography ==

* ''Monhegan Suite and Other Musical Journeys'' (2013) * ''Tabloid'' (2011) * ''Errol Morris' First Person (Music from Season Two)'' (2005) * ''Errol Morris' First Person (Music from Season One)'' (2005) * ''Apokalypsis'' (2003)

== References ==

== External links ==

* [http://www.kusiakmusic.com Official site] * {{IMDb name|0476322}} * [http://www.soundtrack.net/composers/database/?id=1019 John Kusiak] at [[soundtrack.net]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kusiak, John}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1948 births]] [[Category:American film score composers]] [[Category:American male film score composers]]