Meet Juan Dussán | Composer for Film and Media

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

Hi Juan, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I would say that there’s nothing more important to me than having great communication and chemistry skills with my collaborators – filmmakers, composers, musicians, etc. That’s so essential in order to make an effective piece of music that can speak to an audience both emotionally and narratively, but it’s also key to keep things organized within my own workflow. To find success as a composer for film and media, I needed to learn how to communicate with people in very different contexts that complement each other: on one hand, the film world, which requires me to use a very broad and descriptive vocabulary that refers to the story, the characters, and the film’s edit – nothing to do with music. On the other hand, the music world, which requires me to completely master the technical aspects of the art form (music theory, orchestration, composition, production), so that the final product is as good as possible. And in addition to all this, being able to think outside of the artistic zone and more in the business realm is as important for me to keep my own work balanced and make sure that I am constantly expanding, and reinventing the way I approach prospective collaborators and projects. It all comes down to being an outstanding communicator!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My job is to compose and produce original music scores for films and media productions such as commercials, tv and web series, and sometimes more obscure mediums like podcasts, art installations, and even social media. I like to keep my work focused on film and its specific art form because that’s the medium I enjoy and understand the most. I’m obsessed about telling stories through music and that’s what I spend most of my time doing.

One of my many professional trademarks is to be reliable and represent peace of mind. I’m constantly working with people who are trusting my expertise in music. Whenever I deliver, I usually aim to exceed expectations and pay close attention to detail, which usually makes a monumental difference. The way I present everything I do, from the music, to the scores, is aesthetically very stylized and intentional, and creative people seem to like that.

Something that sets me apart from others in my industry would have to be my very own compositional voice and style. My music DNA is a strange and unique combination of a multitude of genres: prog rock, classical, impressionism, jazz, synthwave, film music, tango and latin music, to name a few. It is truly humbling when I hear comments from pople who tell me “I can recognize your music when I hear it, it’s so distinctively yours” or filmmakers saying “your score added so many more emotional layers to my film” – those are just the best kind of compliments I can think of, and a monumentally kind reassurance that I’m doing something right.

Something I am very proud of is to be able to work in this field professionally. It’s not easy and not for everyone – it can be very solitary and uncertain at times, and also technically daunting, but I feel this is something I was meant to be doing in my life – it’s always been natural for me to create. Making music out of thin air and then leading the rest of the process until the recording session happens and I listen to humans bringing life into my music is such a satisfying and rewarding experience. Seeing how a film completely changes after I score it is very exciting. I am as passionate about film as I am about music, so I’m usually just having a great time.

I feel lucky to be part of a new generation of film composers that is bringing a fresh approach to the music, and to the professional work habits, inclusiveness, and diversity that this industry needs.

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 usually enjoy trying out good food and drinks, so that would probably be the main activity. I am always looking to explore new places and try new things, I love exploring nature and hiking. I would say the most fun I have with people is when we’re able to have an interesting everlasting conversation about all kinds of things, so as long as there’s that, I’m sure it would be great!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Definitely my parents. They have been there since the first spark of music in my life, supporting my crazy ideas and goals, and they’re still sharing all the successes with me. Thanks to their support I’ve had the opportunity to learn most of the things I know today, from classical piano performance with some of the greatest Colombian pianists, to film scoring which I studied at NYU in their master’s program with absolute genius mentors – all people I’m very grateful for.

Website: https://www.jpdussan.com

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe45hWAdqS7Cbw8wqNhMffg

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6NR8XVAbbZNesqp0FMQMkU?si=i7RnjI5VSZ6Zq8MbygI5dA https://soundcloud.com/jpdussan

Image Credits
Juan Dussán, Maclaine Diemer, Joel Henderson.