Meet Alexa L. Borden and Connor Cook | Composers for Film and TV

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexa L. Borden and Connor Cook and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexa and Connor, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
We both knew early on that we wanted to be film composers, and that has been a guiding light for our practices. We’ve both made countless steps both big and small towards our dream of scoring films, and honestly, having a dream and making any sort of progress to it can be just the thing to keep momentum going. It also helps having each other for not only work support but for moral support too. In this industry, it can be really isolating and lonely, but having a co-composer/friend you can count on makes a huge difference. We’ve been through a lot together career-wise, and personally, and that has really strengthened our bond. It’s hard to believe us ever giving up… we are so passionate about our work and about film and music, and every day we get to make music for film is a gift. Is it always easy? Certainly not. But do we believe we can continue on in this industry and make quality work? Absolutely. We make a big point of having fun outside of work together too- girls’ nights, movie screenings, wine tastings, D&D campaigns… it only helps our work grow.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
One thing that sets us apart is that we work together as a collaborative composition team. We’ve been working on film scores together since 2015, and over the years we’ve found all the best ways to combine our individual strengths to create even more impactful music. This industry is tough and can be pretty punishing, so it’s great to have a friend and partner–it makes the rough times a little easier and the good times even better. In a practical sense as well, it can really help to have two sets of eyes/ears/minds on things. Like in sports, it can help to toss a piece of music back and forth to each other. It seems like it’s never easy to chase a passion or a dream, but we love the lives we lead, and every small step in the direction of scoring picture feels like a good one. We’ve learned a lot about pushing forward, when to hold back, how to build a life around a dream, and how to survive. Our music is very earnest, and we absolutely love working with fellow passionate creatives.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Is a week enough time in a city with infinite possibilities? Some of our personal favorite haunts are the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, Salazar in Frogtown, the Zebulon for dancing, Moonlight Rollerway, hiking through Griffith Park, and dinner and a movie at Tacos 1986 and The New Bev. A day trip out to the Salton Sea and Salvation Mountain. A day trip up to the Vasquez Rocks. And a day on the beach with a bonfire, frisbee, and watching the sunset. You can’t go wrong with a quick jaunt in the swan boats at Echo Park! If possible, a concert at the Hollywood Bowl is in order for the true LA experience. Really, LA is an amazing city full of amazing people. One can almost feel the dreams in the air.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We would love to shout out two sources who mean a lot to us- the first is Andrew Edwards, a fellow composer and former instructor of ours. Drew always believed in us and helped us get some of our very first projects. He always treated us like equals and colleagues. This has always meant a lot to us. He is also just a lovely human who we feel lucky to call a friend. Secondly, we want to shout out the AWFC (Alliance for Women Film Composers). We are both very active in the Alliance, Alexa just recently was promoted to Director of Communications on the Administration Team, and Connor serves on the Spotlight Interview Committee as well as the Administration Team. The AWFC supports women in film music, and we have met so many amazing people through the group, who have encouraged us in our careers, become friends, and have provided much needed community. Thank you both!

Website: https://www.alexabordenmusic.com https://www.connorgcookmusic.com

Instagram: @alexabordenmusic @connorgcookmusic and @lexacon_music