Composer

Composition Portfolio (Selected)

I have been writing and composing music since 2011 and have written and arranged music for video games, short films, TV shows, theatre productions and bespoke events. My primary instrument used for composition is piano and I play bassoon, clarinet, guitar in addition. I have particular experience in arranging for vocals and wind sections. My interests are in story-telling through music: I believe music in theatre is best used as a narrative tool instead of an aesthetic wash. My favourite projects allow me opportunities to create a cohesive soundworld for a project; work with strong thematic material; and reinforce existing structures of the story. I also enjoy working on projects where I can take some kind of creative lead - either as the primary musician or lead composer. If you are interested in working together please get in touch.

book-gazing

The supporting soundtrack album for my first book, Not Quite White. The book was originally envisioned as an EP (later released as ‘descendancy’) and while writing for the book I spent an inordinate amount of time curating playlists that helped me write. Several evoked different moods, places, and times - which I hoped would influence the distinct tone I wanted to capture in each part of the book. The natural next step was to compose music of my own to fit with each chapter. It’s my hope that readers of the book will listen to the music the way it was intended: reading the book alongside.

Heather and Harry

In addition to performing in the show, I created an original score for the scenes, rearranged and expanded existing songs and contributed four entirely new songs to effectively turn the show into a musical. The story drew on 1940s melodrama, and playful childhood innocence - satirised in a knowing, contemporary way. This was highlighted by the main characters belonging to different time periods. I sought to capture all of this in my score while also making the songs and narrative cohesive throughout. I drew on incidental music from 1940s animated shorts, Gershwin, and classic Disney soundtracks to create the primary soundworld of the show, while songs were further influenced by Flight Of The Conchords, Pet Shop Boys and Mariah Carey to add a more contemporary edge (where required!).

For Heather and Harry:

"an exceptionally talented live musician" - Three Weeks

"Laila Woozeer's melodic and inventive score" - The List

"an inventive and engaging soundtrack, complete with piano accompaniment and vocal sound effects, including the occasional spoken aside" - Broadway Baby

“entertaining and hilarious soundtrack” - Edinburgh Review

A Strange Wild Song

This show with Rhum & Clay went on three separate regional tours between 2012 and 2015 and received support from Arts Council England. It was featured as Hot Show in The Herald during its original sell-out Edinburgh Fringe run in 2012, amid a slew of five star reviews. I was involved in the project from conception and wrote the full score. I played the score live during each performance using 8 instruments and a loop pedal. You can hear some of the score here.

This was my first professional engagement out of University and I incorporated a lot of disparate ideas into the score!

"haunting, dysphoric live music” – Broadway Baby

“her music is strange, wild and affecting” – The Herald

“multi-talented… beautiful and effective” - Fringe Guru

“one very talented multi-instrumentalist... the score is stunning” – Festival Journal

“with its effects and unconventional arcing, (the) looping, live soundtrack is a triumph” – Edinburgh Guide

"a moving and delicate performer" - The Upcoming

“an amazingly talented musician who was able to improvise and mimic any sound you can and cannot imagine” – ThreeWeeks

"haunting sound-scape, performed live and composed by the accomplished Laila Woozeer... deftly manipulates a range of effects pedals to create a spectrum of music and other-worldly sounds" - The Echo

“Laila Woozeer is playing a bassoon as the audience enters (and on accordion, keyboard and singing too she makes a big contribution to this production)” - British Theatre Guide