LAUREN FINCH
COMPOSER
FILM TV MORE
IN MOTION APPLICATION: EXAMPLE WORK
Please find below two examples of my work. I have also included a supporting description of each track, which outlines their specific relevance to my application.
Please also feel free to go to the WORKS section for a wider range of music, which also includes my media projects and credits.
EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 1 - AN OPENING
"An Opening" is an example of my writing for orchestral instruments. This was a commission for the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Though this is traditional orchestral composing, it relates to my goals outlined in my application - as I have identified that experimentation with orchestral instruments is something that I’d like to explore.
(It is not a professional recording and is missing the first few seconds, but I have also attached the score to my application)
EXAMPLE 2 - LIGHTS
“Lights” is an example of orchestral/classically inspired music that incorporates some examples of digital manipulation (such as some simple echo and delay effects) - which is an area I would like to explore and experiment with.
Short on time? Skip to 1:20 onwards.
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
Biography
I am a media composer whose achievements include winning a PMA Composer Spotlight award, FMF Krakow Young Talent Award Scholarship, and being a Music+Sound nominee. My music has been performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the London Soundtrack Festival, alongside renowned composers Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings), Natalie Holt (Loki), and Harry Gregson-Williams (Narnia). I’ve also assisted on TV, including the BAFTA-nominated BBC Silverback, and my music has been released on Ólafur Arnald’s record label. I’m passionate about music education - presenting ThinkSpace Education and Spitfire Audio’s recent composing course, leading the Film Scoring HyperTribe course, and delivering masterclasses for underrepresented groups.
1. Tell us about your artistic practice - where are you right now?
I’ve established myself as a media composer, but it has meant that my current creative practice is driven by other people’s visions (e.g directors/producers) - not my own. While I’m grateful for these experiences as they have helped me sharpen some of my music skills, they have ultimately limited my ability to pursue the ideas and sounds I’m most passionate about. Indeed, I am unable to explore new compositional areas or to deepen underdeveloped skills, and this makes me feel creatively unfulfilled. For example, I’d like to experiment with music technology and applying effects onto orchestral instruments, and also explore new skills such as creating long-form work that has a narrative concept running throughout (but independent of media). Financial reliance on media work makes this change practically difficult and, on a personal level, I lack confidence in taking such creative risks. Therefore, I’m now seeking the time, mentorship, and supportive environment that would allow me to transform my practice, explore new compositional areas, develop new skills, and discover my own compositional voice so that I can move towards creating self-directed music.
2. What is the step change you want to make on In Motion?
My step change is to transition from being a media composer to establishing myself as an independent artist/composer, through developing new skills and compositional approaches. Indeed, I want to explore the creative areas and ideas that have not been possible for me within media composing. For example, I want to change the creative nature of my practice and improve myself artistically through experimentation with orchestral instruments and technology (exploring how processing, effects, and digital manipulation can uncover new sounds and compositional approaches) and developing my compositional skills by exploring long-form, concept-driven work (rather than short cues tied to visuals). This change will expand my artistic practice, providing me with the necessary opportunities to creatively challenge myself in ways I have not been able to as a media composer. In turn, this will allow me to professionally develop - creating interesting work, independent of media, that I can use to demonstrate myself as a self-releasing artist, and pave the way for an entirely transformed creative practice.
3. How will this step change impact you and your work?
This step change will enable me to move from fulfilling others’ creative visions to expressing my creative identity. Artistically, I’d experiment in new areas to explore my own voice. By the end of the programme, I’d have created a coherent body of work (likely an album) that represents this experimentation and evidences my development as an artist. Professionally, this will serve as a foundation for positioning myself as an independent composer, opening opportunities for performances, collaborations, and further releases. Personally, it will build my confidence and transform my overall practice. In Motion’s combination of mentoring, peer support, and dedicated creative time is precisely what I need to make this transition tangible and sustainable. Please note that though I’ve previously taken part in programmes, they were only for film composing - a path that I’m actively trying to move away from. This is why I’m specifically applying to In Motion as its structure offers the unique balance of support and freedom to nurture this transition. I’m particularly drawn to the combination of 1:1 and group sessions, and discovery and activity phases - pairing flexibility to explore, with the clear purpose of development.
