San Joaquin Town Hall features this month’s host, Jeff Atmajian, at the William Saroyan Theatre, Jan. 15. Atmajian speaks on the ins and outs of life as a film composer, orchestrator and arranger. 

As hundreds of people filled the theater seats, Atmajian made his way to center stage. Atmajian began by sharing about how from the moment he sat a piano the melodies already felt like an extension of himself, a language he spoke effortlessly, drawing out a part of him he hadn’t yet known. As he continued with his presentation, each sentence showcases his lively personality. A smile spread across his face the more he unfolds his journey through life and his career. 

Born and raised in Fresno since 1960, Atmajian began piano lessons at the age of 8. By the age of 14, Atmajian began composing, not knowing that his career would start there. In 1984, he moved to Los Angeles after being accepted into Special Studies for the film music program at USC, where he kickstarted his career and met many mentors who helped him grow. Later, Atmajian moved to London and and today splits his time between Los Angeles and London. 

Sophomore Giada Gilmore-Young attended the presentation. As a piano player herself, Gilmore-Young was excited to hear what Atmajian had to share and learn about his career journey.

“He shared about his lessons over the years as well as people who mentored him and inspired him, but he also shared about how he didn’t gain success until after college through connections he had made,” Gilmore-Young said. “This was big for me because I understand as someone who creates music as well as art how much connection can be everything and the importance of mentors.”

Throughout the presentation, Atmajian showcased the evolution of music used in different films. He played clips from different movies to illustrate his points. As each film clip was played, he explained how each piece is intentionally crafted to express the tone of the film while also adding a personal touch. 

“I get the feel for the music. I paint from the lyrics and the emotion of the singing. There’s moments where just things in a voice will inspire something in me,” Atmajian said. “A lot of it goes back to a mix of filtering who I am, yet honoring the music.” 

At the center of the Saroyan’s stage, sat a grand piano that Atmajian used throughout the presentation to show how orchestrating, composing and arranging works with different songs. 

First, he showed the audience a short snippet of a piece that Beethoven created, then after, would explain his thought process behind choosing specific instruments to add to the piece. Then, he showed us a second snippet of the same piece, but this time showcasing the instruments he added. At last, he explained the timing of the instruments coming in and how he added crescendos and decrescendos. 

As he played the final snippet of the piece, the attendees were amazed at the process of adding instruments and seeing how everything came together. 

Atmajian closed out the presentation sharing about all the people that helped get him to where he is now. He hopes to continue persevering in orchestrating, composing and arranging music for films. His work includes Wicked, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Joker: Folie a Deux, to name a few. 

Every town hall, San Joaquin offers a $500 scholarship to any of the student scholars who attend. The speaker gets to pull a name out of the bag to announce who receives the scholarship. While a scholarship for one student is amazing, Atmajian didn’t want it to end there. After drawing the name, Atmajian announced that he wanted each person to receive a scholarship and would be sending a $500 scholarship to each of the scholars. Seniors Julia Castiglione and Owen Gainer both will receive a scholarship.

For more San Joaquin Valley Town Hall lectures, visit San Joaquin Valley Town Hall features Nate Mook or Noah Feldman speaks at San Joaquin Valley Town Hall.

For more from the Feather, visit President Trump takes oath on second Inauguration Day or Valentine concert features student talent and love songs.