FILM COMPOSER CATHERINE GREALISH KNOWS THE SCORE >>>

In plenty of Buzzes I've given due attention to mainly the writers and directors (and sometimes writer-directors) of local films. Yet so many more contributors to a movie's production go largely unacknowledged. Composers, for one, go unsung (sorry) possibly because of their rarity in the indie sphere - a zero-budget production can barely afford food for its crew, let alone a professional score. But I think another reason has to do with the nature of film music itself: like its creator, an effective piece of music works on its listener "quietly" or invisibly, on a barely conscious level. (And as I write this, as if on cue, Henry Mancini's Pink Panther theme begins purring from my radio.)

Ask Catherine Grealish about her favorite movie soundtrack and the answer may surprise you. "The score to Starship Troopers...is exquisite," she says. She cites that particular music as "one of those quintessential scores that bridges the history of film scoring," because it "honors the music that came before it, but also has a real modern flavor."

Grealish certainly knows this topic, since at this point she's scored a total of seven films. With mom as a concert pianist, the Tasmania-born composer grew up surrounded by music. At age 18 she left Australia for the States with hopes to advance her career. "If you break into the American scene, you break into the global scene, but if you stay in Australia you'll be lucky to break into the UK-European scene," she says.  

For the past decade Grealish has called Seattle home, and this year has already brought success. Ego Boost won Grand Prize in the 2011 Seattle Times Three-Minute Masterpiece Contest; listen to how Grealish's arrangement enhances the comedy:

Her current work has ties to Tacoma. Among her various projects Grealish is assembling a soundtrack for the crime feature The Dead Men with local actor Mick Flaaen, and soon she begins on director Rick Walters's newest short, The Resolution. Her talents have apparently found a home in the world of film.

"I knew I was supposed to do music, but I didn't know where I fit," she says. "But I found this [film scoring], and it's been such an exciting time." I can't wait to hear more. You can find her growing portfolio at www.catherinegrealish.com.