Intellimusica

A soft collision of breath One of my favorite composers is Max Richter. To me, he is the father of post-classical music (sometimes referred to as post-minimalism or neo-classical). The magic of his work—take “On the Nature of Daylight,” for example—is that it’s simple enough […]

Your hand, a map of oceans This piece is about the uncertain, sometimes turbulent path of a new beginning. We often forget that personal progress is fueled by the very growth that only change can deliver. Sometimes, that means stepping out of your comfort zone […]

Coventry Carol One of my all-time favorite Christmas albums is Loreena McKennitt’s A Winter Garden, released in 1995—the very year I graduated high school. At that time, I was working part-time mornings at Natural Wonders (while teaching guitar late afternoons and evenings). Natural Wonders was […]

Rain I wrote “Rain” in 2019 for the short film, Broken Noons, by Guillermo L. Vázquez. The film went on to receive the official selection of several international, independent film festivals. In Barcelona, actress Josi Lage was nominated for ‘Best Actress,’ and I was nominated […]

The Polar Express Released in 2004, The Polar Express tells the story of a young boy who doubts the existence of Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, he embarks on a magical journey to the North Pole aboard a train called the Polar Express, learning about […]

See Things That Others Don’t The historical drama Hamnet chronicles the fractured marriage between William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes Hathaway, following the devastating loss of their only son, Hamnet. The film ultimately explores how William channels his unbearable anguish, transforming the boy’s name and […]

Amores Perros The 2000 Mexican film Amores Perros, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, is a powerful and gritty triptych of interconnected stories set against the backdrop of Mexico City. Its emotional intensity is significantly heightened by the masterful score by Argentine composer, Gustavo Santaolalla. Santaolalla’s […]

Midsummers (Acoustic) This song has a great, accidental backstory. For years, fans of the Netflix series Outer Banks believed the pivotal guitar motif from Season 1, Episode 5 was my arrangement of “Lion” by Dustin O’Halloran. It was a case of mistaken identity—the motif was […]

Hermano, by Tom Farrell “Hermano,” is a beautiful and lesser-known Spanish guitar piece featured in the 2012 Will Ferrell comedy, Casa de mi Padre. It’s a fantastic fingerstyle piece that sounds complex but is surprisingly accessible for intermediate guitarists. The original composition was performed by […]

Frankenstein Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein on Netflix is a masterful, and visually exquisite adaptation. As you’d expect from the director, the set pieces are breathtaking, and the casting—Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth—are delightfully weird, as they should be in a Guillermo del Toro […]

Chosen Family I love that director, Dan Trachtenberg, has basically become “the James Gunn” of the Predator franchise. His 3 films: Prey, Killer of Killers, and Badlands are so good — that I’m curious to see what else he can do? Honestly, if he decides […]

Of the undiscovered country “Hamnet” is a historical drama based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling 2020 novel. The film tells the profound story of love and loss between William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes Hathaway (historically known as Anne Hathaway, but not the modern actress). The […]