Meet Lindsay Dills | Media Composer & Violinist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lindsay Dills and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lindsay, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking

Risk taking is such an interesting part of the human experience. We wrestle with the anxiety of putting ourselves out there with the potential to fail or playing it safe with the potential for regret. In my own story, I have tried to live my life after some advice my father gave me. He shared with me that it was important to reach for the highest stars (goals) in whatever dreams I wanted to achieve, because even if I jumped and didn’t reach the farthest one- I would be closer to my dream than if I had aimed lower than what I truly desired.

One of my mentors, Catherine Joy, shared another crucial piece of advice with me that has completely changed my perspective on failing. There is an inherent negativity when we think of the word “failure”, but she directed me to a new way of thinking.
If we play it safe, we have no chances at either failure or achievement. Whereas if we try and try again, each failure brings us closer to an opportunity for success. Even if you fail 9 times out of 10, you still succeeded more times than if you had not tried.
This year in particular, I promised myself I would take the risk and try for as many things as I could. I can say in all honesty, doing so has helped me make lasting friendships, work on meaningful and powerful projects, and boosted my confidence in reaching for the stars.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

This is such a great set of questions- I feel like I’m learning more about myself with these too!

My journey ultimately began from a love of stories. The library was my favorite place as a kid, and I never went anywhere without atleast 2-3 books with me (because what if I finished the first while I was gone?).
I loved the way that music could be used to help share a narrative, and I would often try to plunk out tunes on our family’s piano while my sister danced and acted out whatever scene I had devised.

I begged my parents to let me play an instrument, and since I was too small to play any in the woodwind or brass families (my mother was a music teacher, so we had TONS of wind instruments around my house), I started off on a tiny violin at age 5.

From there, I took lessons, played in orchestra and various ensembles, and eventually pursued my Bachelor’s in Violin Performance on scholarship to Western Michigan University. My goal was to be a studio musician in the orchestras that recorded film music. However, after taking a composition class with Dr. Lisa Coons, I realized how much I wanted to be the person who wrote the music behind the score.
Western did not have a formal media scoring program, but I had teachers in my corner who adjusted their curriculum to help me grow as a film scorer. Dr. Coons alongside Dr. Carter Rice and Dr. Christopher Biggs provided independent studies and opportunities for me to advance, and within two years, I compiled a portfolio and applied to New York University’s Screen Scoring program.

The past two years have been a whirlwind of incredible projects and opportunities. From scoring a video game funded by the National Institute of Health to help children in hospitals to writing music that will be choreographed by the dance-director for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast for a ball at the London Museum of Natural History, it has been a blessing to collaborate and contribute music to so many amazing stories.

Recently, I have been pairing my love of stories and my love of composing to write music for some of my favorite books. One of my most treasured collaborations this past month was putting together a virtual choir featuring fans of “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J Maas to record a piece inspired by the beloved series. It was a delight to work with so many passionate artists, and it left me truly inspired.

With graduating approaching in a couple months, it definitely gives me pause to reflect on how I got here. The road was not easy at times. In particular, in my last semester of undergrad, I contracted a severe strain of Covid that affected my body so terribly it caused a heart condition that put me in and out of the hospital.
Trying to persevere through that last semester was one of the most defining moments of my life. I would never have made it through without such a strong support system in my family, my (now) husband, and my teachers. They kept pointing me towards my future and my dreams, they were my north star so to speak through the illness.
It taught me to find joy in whatever unique circumstance I found myself in, and to find the beauty in every story.

My unique brand is to champion and uplift the stories of others. I hope my music can help take people to different times, places, and feelings. When I was stuck in bedrest recovering, listening to music and watching stories helped transport me from my circumstance to new frontiers. My dream is to give that gift to others as well.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

I love this question! I actually have a friend visiting next week so this is perfect practice.

My current home-base while finishing my grad studies is New York City, and let me tell you, it does not disappoint with places to see and travel to.
I’ll definitely be taking my friend next week to SUMMIT One at the Vanderbilt building. There are so many beautiful views of the city, and they have fantastic snacks and drinks when you reach the top.
For food, I’m a huge fan of dessert (what can I say?) so stopping at Anita’s Gelato will likely happen more than once.
I also love Eataly’s near the Flatiron building- they serve the best raspberry panna cotta at Serra by Birreria.
As a girl with a gluten allergy, I also highly recommend Modern Bread and Bagel for your gluten-free bagel cravings. They serve the best gluten-free bagel sandwiches I have ever had!

While New York City is often viewed as the land of concrete and buildings, I was surprised when I moved here to find so many beautiful nature spots. I love Little Island near Chelsea- it has a gorgeous view of the water.
Central Park picnics are also the best with baked treats from By the Way Bakery (also gluten and dairy-free!).
As a bookworm, I would also probably take my friend to some amazing bookstores like The Strand.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

It is hard to put into words and describe the amazing village of mentors, educators, family, and friends that have contributed and beautifully shaped my life. I would never have met this village or been inspired to embark on this path though without the devotion and love shown by my parents and sister. My parents listened to and nurtured every dream I had, and in moments of self-doubt, were pillars of encouragement. It was a powerful thing to know every time I looked out into the audience, my family was there to cheer me on. After long rehearsals, I could always count on them to be there for me at the end to talk to me about how things went. Though there are an endless amount of uplifting moments, one that I hold dear is the memory of my dad taking me to my first audition for the Detroit Symphony Youth Ensembles when I was 12.

It was my first big orchestral audition- they had everything set up as it would be in the professional world with large curtains hiding who I was so all they could hear was my playing.
I remember crying in the car on the way to Orchestra Hall in Detroit. I felt so overwhelmed and doubted my sound.
My dad was driving me to the audition. Upon hearing my sobs, he parked the car, turned around, and smiled.
He told me to remember the passion of the music. To feel the fire, the love, and the emotion within the excerpts I was playing. My dad hugged me fiercely before I went into the audition room, and that love eased my anxieties. To this day, I carry that memory with me into audition rooms and interviews.

Website: https://www.lindsaydills.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaydillsmusic/

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5GRwM815g7ryDdKlXAgqDx?si=p3arNESAQLWfGMT2ivLWfg

Image Credits
Photo Credits: Holland Rainwater