Call & Response: Andrea Giordani

(5 min)

Stories come from many sources. Whether that be personal life experience, imagination, history, or the stories of others, they all add to the pool of possibility. And when one’s background intertwines with performative art that includes acting and puppetry, the options add even more depth to explore when telling a story.

Media composer, actor, puppeteer, director, voice-over artist, and overall creative polymath Andrea Giordani brings all of that experience to her music, crafting scores for a variety of mediums that utilize a story-driven approach. In this interview, we chat with Andrea about the influence of acting on her music, her thoughts on storytelling, and the process of composing for different mediums.

And of course, we couldn’t help but ask about the puppets.

Lab Notes (LN): If you had to boil your artistic journey into one sentence, what would it be? (Run-on sentences accepted and encouraged.)

Andrea Girodani (AG): A persistent exploration of emotions, people and stories through drama and sound. Never give up!

LN: It’s not everyday that you see “puppeteer” appear on a resume. How did you get into puppeteering and what is your favorite part about the process?

AG: I basically grew up in the theatre. From a very young age, I constantly attended plays. We have a brilliant children's theatre in my hometown of Osijek, and I was thrilled when a new Academy opened there offering a BA course in both Acting and Puppetry. Puppetry is a very powerful storytelling tool, both for children and adults.

LN: Partner that unique set of skills with your acting, does the ability to embody different roles with voice, movement, and puppets inform your composing or vice versa?

AG: Absolutely! I'm really lucky to have that side of me as a composer. I think my education, interest (read: nerdism, lol), and experience in this field help me understand the dramaturgy of the story and the characters very easily. So, when I'm composing, I think like an actor or a director as well.

LN: You’ve composed for a variety of mediums including plays, opening credits, production music, and scoring the short film One Minute of Silence.

With most production music, it often starts with a clear mood/tone and is created for stories that have yet to be told. Composing custom scores is almost the inverse, whereas the intricacies, characters, and layers of a story arc dictate how the music will sound.

Does your process change from custom scores to production music?

AG: Not much, actually. I think storytelling is built into my instincts, haha, so I always have some sort of vision, image, or feeling that I follow while composing. Yes, sometimes I start writing without a specific story in mind, but a story quickly emerges after playing a few notes and experimenting with different sounds.

LN: You’ve contributed albums like Underway (UND-64) to our UNDERscore label, which features single mood tracks with a consistent rise without shifts in tone or tempo.

Can you walk us through your mindset the first time you sit down to write for a new creative brief? How do you find a unique sound or melody and build a compelling piece of music within these parameters?

AG: My approach varies. Sometimes I explore sound textures first, which might inspire an idea. Other times, I focus on finding the right chords or melodies. Often, I mix the two. For me, a melody or chord progression works perfectly when paired with the right sound. Everything has to have its right sonic environment.

I think storytelling is built into my instincts… so I always have some sort of vision, image, or feeling that I follow while composing.

LN: Though you’re certainly a multi-hyphenate creative, storytelling seems to be at the heart of your art. What kind of stories do you gravitate towards? What kind of stories would you like to see more of and be a part of sharing?

AG: I have always been fascinated by Greek mythology. In fact, any mythology captivates me. I believe that humans wouldn't survive without stories and storytelling, and myth is the origin of it all. Myth is also closely connected to tradition and folk culture. I love hearing the stories and sounds of different cultures and their traditions. There is something profoundly moving and inspiring in it all.

LN: What inspires you, what gives you hope?

AG: Love love love.

LN: What do you do when you’re not creating music?

AG: Teaching, creating or listening audiobooks, DJing, listening to some good jazz on vinyl, swimming in the Sea, enjoying with my friends, chilling with my cat Missy.

LN: What are three things about you that wouldn’t want left out of your Wikipedia page?

AG: This is so tough haha!

Played my first chord when I was 3.

I'm a passionate Chekhov fan!

Double Cancer, triple Leo.