Tsan’s current project navigates the dynamics of mother-daughter relationships, adolescent angst, and the pains and pleasures of transitioning from youth to pre-adulthood. Grieg’s “Arietta, a piece that serves as a recurring theme, was a key source of inspiration for the film’s score.

About the score + inspiration

The music is primarily, but subtly, inspired by Arietta. More than just drawing from the melodic theme, the quiet longing and contrast between wistfulness and wisdom in the piece evoke a conversation between the young and the old. I began by writing piano works, initially exploring Arietta’s restrained temperament. As I am scoring in real-time alongside the progressing edit, the music continues to evolve, capturing the wide range of emotions present in the story.

The compositions shift from minimal and subdued to rich and meandering, from ethereal to weighty, and from envious to peaceful. The score will feature a cappella harmonies sung by a female choir throughout the film. The directors requested music that feels sisterly, heavenly, and moody to reflect the omnipresence and diversity of women’s experiences in the narrative. Orchestral elements, introduced subtly, will give the score a grounding presence as the film unfolds, eventually lifting the finale.

Funding

Support from Reel Change will be used to assemble and fairly compensate a 28-piece orchestra and choir; organize a series of recurring recording sessions through January 2025; hire a mixing and mastering engineer; employ a score producer and supervisor; cover travel for sessions in Chicago, as well as for the final audio mixing in the Bay Area in 2025; create album art and remaster the score for an LP release that will coincide with the film’s expected theatrical release; and ideally, organize a live score performance event in Chicago with the release. A live show and record release will depend on any remaining budget and personal funds.
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Quinn Tsan is a Chicago-based composer, songwriter, performer, and producer. Her genre-spanning work includes classical and experimental film scores, nostalgic folk albums, and elaborate, queer-centered dance productions. Tsan has toured internationally with the world-renowned Manual Cinema, was a decade-long company member of Chicago’s queer performance institution, The Fly Honeys, and served as the founding director of the political awareness non-profit State Matters.

Tsan’s compositions, described as “gorgeously vivid” and “pure nostalgia,” evoke themes of grief, loss, longing, and playfulness—blending melodic songwriting with piano- and classical-centered arrangements. Her latest feature film score, Ghostlight, premiered to critical acclaim at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and her previous work has garnered numerous awards, including SXSW’s Grand Jury & Audience Awards, as well as recognition from both the Gotham and Independent Spirit Awards.