“I really feel successful writing score music when any musical complexities cease to be notable on their own, and they just blend into the picture”
In 2011, Andy Gabrys has enjoyed a number of film successes. On November 15, 2011, the feature documentary “Liberia ‘77” will have its television premiere on the Knowledge Network (Canada). Andy composed and performed the music for this film, achieving a blend of afro-beat, and western folk styles. www.liberia77.com
“I found Liberia ’77 to be a really engaging story, and compelled me to want my music to be part of the film … it’s a then and now tale of a war-torn nation through amazing photos”
Liberia ‘77 had its World Festival Premiere at the 2011 Houston International Film Festival, where it won the Platinum Remi award and the Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Feature Documentary. It then received the audience award for Best Film at “Possible Worlds” – the 6th Syndney Canadian Film Festival and two prestigious Golden Sheaf awards at the 2011 Yorkton Film Festival, winning for Best POV Documentary and Best Director (Non-Fiction)
The most recent score that Andy has worked on is an orchestral effort produced for the tongue-in-cheek action short “MvW”, by Albuquerque’s Ultimatum Pictures. http://vimeo.com/30556459
Earlier in 2011, Gabrys completed music for “Jackie Gallegos”, “QuirkyView”, “spOILed” and Galbani “American”
“Jackie Gallegos” is a short film produced by Albuquerque’s Matt Page of RiffRaffNM. The subject was a college athlete, and it was entered in the ZOOPPA Buick / NCAA Human Highlight contest. It won the third place prize.
“QuirkyView” is a pilot for a documentary series to be jointly produced by filmmakers in Newfoundland and New Meixco, directed by Anne Stirling. It’s a spotlight on whatever slightly strange events and people are living in the area.
For the film “spOILed”, Gabrys was enlisted to provide addition score music for the feature documentary by Director Mark Mathis. The film is currently playing at festivals and theatres on a tour across the country. http://www.spoiledthemovie.com/
“spOILed is a story of our relationship and dependence on oil, from a different position than the current mainstream media holds”
Galbani “American” is a national television advertisement for the Italian makers of fresh mozzarella products.
Andy Gabrys has also been active in pure music production, recently mixing and mastering the album “Approach” by New York City Jazz guitarist Josh Maxey. This fantastic album will be released on 11/11/2011. http://joshmaxey.com/
At the end of 2010, Andy Gabrys scored 5 episodes of the web series “Chief Household Officer”, produced by NYC’s Howcast Media and sponsored by HP – http://www.youtube.com/user/cho
In addition to this type of work on the web, Gabrys has placed music in the following TV programs: Sesame Street, American Pickers, Inside, Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?, Wreck Chasers, Flipping Out, Howe and Howe Tech, MTV Live, Sex News and Rock N Roll
Gabrys has scored a number of short films including “Plots” and “Leather Kittens Gone Bad” with director Holly Adams, and the 2010 Notable New Mexican documentary on Astronaut Sidney Gutierrez: “The Sky’s Not the Limit” with director Tara Walch.
While living in New York City Gabrys studied Orchestration with Scott Smalley, and film scoring with Rick Baitz, while performing / self-recording the guitar parts for several short films and composing/ / performing extra music for the movie “Barrio Thief”.
“Barrio Thief depicts a mother and son facing the grim realties of a highly contagious disease – a resistant strain of TB”
In 2007 Gabrys again employed these skills and recorded an album of original jazz compositions – “Constant”, featuring his own guitar work backed by NYC musicians Dan Loomis on Acoustic Bass and Brian Adler on drum set. http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/constant/id272414879
“I loved the process of making Constant – writing, rehearsing, recording, and finally mixing and mastering the album myself. Putting together this music felt like painting”
Before getting involved in film scoring, Gabrys grew up in western Canada, and worked as an engineer in the mining industry. Desiring a change, he then decided to pursue music instead of engineering, and in 2002 he was awarded a scholarship to the renowned Berklee College of Music, graduating Summa Cum Laude in Jazz Composition in December 2004.
Gabrys subsequently moved to New York City, and played in the vibrant jazz music scene while developing his composition and production skills. This lead to an internship at JSM Music, a commercial music house in Manhattan. This helped calibrate his ears to the high level of performance and production skill required to make it in the “A” class of commercial production.
In addition to his composing interests, Gabrys frequently performs with various groups in the Santa Fe area playing guitar in many styles, and has performed with jazz greats Rufus Reid and Hugh Fraser, and worked aboard cruise lines backing up entertainers such as Tony Tillman, Richie Sachs and Herb Reed and the Platters.
In the future, Gabrys looks toward many great film productions, collaborating with international storytellers and with local New Mexico filmmakers and musicians.