Joel Goffin
Encyclopedia
| Joel Goffin | Background information |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Joel Christian Goffin |
| Born | December 7, 1981 |
| Origin | Houghton, Michigan, USA |
| Occupations | Film Composer, Producer |
| Musical instrument Instruments | Piano, Keyboard |
| Years active | 2003 – present |
| Recording Studio | Bluestone Symphonics |
| Website | www.joelgoffin.com |
Joel Christian Goffin (born December 7, 1981) is an American film composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and music producer. For the last 5 years he has composed music for a number of feature films, documentaries, video games, and commercials including the first African International Film Festival Trailer, two recent feature films Black Gold
Black Gold (2011 film)
Black Gold is an upcoming drama film co-produced and directed by Jeta Amanta. One local Niger Delta community's struggle against their own government and a multi-national oil corporation who has plundered their land and destroyed the environment.- Plot :...
, Inale, and a documentary on Afghanistan, Peace Through Education. Goffin is also an active member of ASCAP.
Early life
Joel Christian Goffin was born in Hancock, MichiganHancock, Michigan
Hancock is a city in Houghton County; the northernmost in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, or, depending on terminology, Copper Island. The population was 4,634 at the 2010 census...
on December 7, 1981. Goffin grew up in an isolated section of God's Country, the northern most territory of the US. After his father, James Frederick Goffin and mother Jo Lynn Goffin relocated their family to Asheville, NC in the winter of 1986, Joel was eventually enrolled in piano lessons by a concert pianist and his wife who held the last name of Delanoy. A prodigy by no means, Goffin often fell asleep during his lessons and only wanted to play, not read. After a recital competition, in 6th grade, that called for Bach's "Präludium und Fuge über das Motiv
Fantasy and Fugue on the Theme B-A-C-H
Fantasie und Fuge über das Thema B-A-C-H Fantasie und Fuge über das Thema B-A-C-H (also in the first version known as Präludium und Fuge über das Motiv B-A-C-H, title in English: Fantasy and Fugue on the Theme B-A-C-H) Fantasie und Fuge über das Thema B-A-C-H (also in the first version known as...
", in order to win back the favor of his peers, he instead played the theme to Top Gun. Infuriated, the Delanoys reprimanded him and the relationship under their guidance. Goffin discontiuned his formal study from that point on and began to focus on simply playing, not reading. As time moved forward he began to take an interest in screen writing and directing films. Using minimal resources, he began writing, producing, and directing small films while in High School. During this time he met a screen writer and producer, Joseph Lyons Gunnels, through a friend.. Gunnels became a huge influence in his life and his career as a mentor and a friend. After directing a number of music videos in Atlanta, Georgia, Goffin met Andrew Suhren and started a electronic group called "The Midnight Foundation".
Early career
The Midnight Foundation, which members included Joel Goffin, Andrew Suhren, and Matt Harder, was a music group that's focus was on creating the heavy sounds of electronic music and mixing them with orchestral elements and live vocals. The group formed in 2003 and was featured on The Crystal MethodThe Crystal Method
The Crystal Method is an American electronic music duo that was created in Los Angeles, California by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. The Crystal Method's music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video games, and advertisements. The most prominent is the US television...
's radio show in California, Indie 103. In 2007, The Midnight Foundation won first place in an online competition by SNOCAP
SNOCAP
BackgroundThe company was founded by Shawn Fanning , Jordan Mendelson, and Ron Conway. Other SNOCAP employees included music lawyer Christian Castle, the company's first General Counsel, and Ali Aydar, the company's Chief Operating Officer, who joined imeem after its acquisition of SNOCAP in April...
and opened up for the first annual Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco, CA., which included other electronic groups such as Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corporation is a Washington, D.C. based recording artist and DJ duo consisting of Rob Garza, Eric Hilton, and their supporting artists, including current drummer Jeff Franca...
, DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
, and Gotan Project
Gotan Project
Gotan Project is a musical group based in Paris, consisting of musicians Philippe Cohen Solal , Eduardo Makaroff , and Christoph H. Müller .-History:...
.
Later in 2007, Goffin decided to step away from the group and begin writing music geared more towards the big screen. In the same year, he crossed paths with the widely acclaimed electronic music producer and artist Justin Scott Dixon, also known as Voyager. The two began working on an extensive music library
Music library
A music library contains music-related materials for patron use. Collections may also include non-print materials, such as digitized music scores or audio recordings. Use of such materials may be limited to specific patron groups, especially in private academic institutions...
entitled, "Extreme Library Volume 1." The focus was to create music for television and film companies in a way that was as far away as possible from the standard music library sound. During this time, Goffin's music was featured on multiple episodes of Beta TV, a promotional film for A Child's Right's Clearwater Challenge, and various extreme outdoor series for companies such as LVM, Penstock Productions, and Kayak Journal.
.
In 2008, Goffin began to further his study deeper into the virtual instrument
Virtual instrument
Virtual instrument may refer to:* A Software synthesizer* A program that implements functions of an instrument by computer, sensors and actuators. This can be a program written in the LabVIEW or in other programming languages ....
world of midi orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
and sound design
Sound design
Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
, while working on various projects.
Film Scoring
A turning point in Goffin's career occurred when he was asked to compose music for the 2010 film Inale. Nigerian director Jeta Amata was impressed by Goffin's work, and hired him to score original material around the musical core of Inale. Immediately following, Amata commissioned Goffin to score his controversial feature film Black GoldBlack Gold (2011 film)
Black Gold is an upcoming drama film co-produced and directed by Jeta Amanta. One local Niger Delta community's struggle against their own government and a multi-national oil corporation who has plundered their land and destroyed the environment.- Plot :...
, a film based on the true story of the Niger Delta Oil Crisis
Niger Delta
The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil...
.
In 2011, Inale was nominated for 5 AMAAs (African Movie Academy Awards), including Best Soundtrack.
Awards
On March 27, 2011, Inale won the Academy Award for "Best Soundtrack" at the 7th African Movie Academy Awards7th African Movie Academy Awards
The 7th African Movie Academy Awards ceremony was held on 27 March 2011 at the Gloryland Cultural Center in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, to honor the best African films of 2010. The nomination ceremony was held at the Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya on 25 February 2011...
ceremony.