Amanda Jones (composer)

Last updated
Amanda Jones
Born (1988-10-26) October 26, 1988 (age 35)
Columbia, Maryland
Genres Indie rock, cinematic music
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
Instrument(s)Acoustic and electric guitar, piano and voice
Years active2009 to present
Website www.amandacomposer.com

Amanda Jones is an American composer and musician who has composed scores for films, commercials, and television series. She is a member of the indie rock band The Anti-Job [1] and has earned the distinction of becoming the first African American woman nominated in a score category at the Emmys [2] for her work on the Apple TV+ series Home . [3]

Contents

Life

Jones was born on October 26, 1988, in Columbia, Maryland and began playing piano at the age of three and guitar around the age of fourteen. [4] Jones attended Vassar College intending to study chemistry but subsequently changed her major to music. [4] Jones studied music composition, production, and classical guitar under Terry Champlin. She earned a BA in music from Vassar and received certificates in film scoring and orchestration from the Berklee College of Music.[ citation needed ]

After graduating from Vassar, Jones moved to Los Angeles in 2010 to record with her indie rock band, The Anti-Job, and started to consider a parallel career composing music for television and films.[ citation needed ]

Career

In 2014 through 2016, Jones worked as a music production assistant for Hans Zimmer, Henry Jackson, John Powell, and Michael Levine. [5] Her work during that time included the films How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Kingsman: The Secret Service . [5]

In 2016, Jones landed a job as a senior music coordinator for Lionsgate. [1] During that time she worked on several television series including Nashville (CMT), Dear White People (Netflix), and Greenleaf (OWN). [6] In 2018, Jones got an opportunity to score her first feature film, One Angry Black Man. [7] Jones has since scored numerous short and feature films, including Andre Hormann's documentary feature Ringside; Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan’s Oscar-nominated documentary St. Louis Superman ; and Sujata Day’s feature film Definition Please . [8]

Jones television credits include OWN’s anthology series Cherish the Day , produced by Ava DuVernay; BET’s Twenties produced by Lena Waithe;[ citation needed ] HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show produced by Robin Thede and Issa Rae; the comedy series Shitty Boyfriends produced by Lisa Kudrow; [9] Love in the Time of Corona on Freeform; and the Apple TV+ series Home . [10]

Jones scored the “Maine” episode of Home, for which she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score), [11] becoming the first African American woman nominated in a scores category at the Emmys. [2]

Discography

YearTitleLabel
2020Home: Season 1 Episode V,

"Maine" (Apple TV+ Original S

Series Soundtrack)

Lakeshore
2020Twenties (Original Series

Soundtrack)

Lakeshore

Films

YearTitleDirectorNotes
2018One Angry Black ManMenelek Lumumba
2019RingsideAndre Hormann
2019 St. Louis Superman Sami Kahn
2020Definition PleaseSujata Day
2020On the 12th Date of ChristmasGary Yates
2021 Burros Jefferson Stein
2023 The Perfect Find Numa Perrier

Television

YearTitleEpisodesNotes
2015Shitty Boyfriends8
2019 A Black Lady Sketch Show 6
2020 Twenties 8
2020Home"Maine"TV docuseries
Nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special
2020 Love in the Time of Corona 4
2020 Cherish the Day 8
2020 Adventure Time: Distant Lands 2
2021–24 Good Trouble 57seasons 3–5
2022 Naomi 13
2023 Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake 10season 1
2023 Young Love 12

Awards and nominations

Initiatives

Co-founder of Composers Diversity Collective [12] whose mission is to increase the visibility of composers of diverse backgrounds and facilitates mentoring. [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "To Make it Happen, Band Together". read.nxtbook.com. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  2. 1 2 3 Beachum, Chris (2020-08-11). "Amanda Jones Interview: 'Home' composer". GoldDerby. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  3. 1 2 "Emmy Music Nominations Include Dual Score/Song Nods for Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Labrinth; Nathan Barr Earns Three (See Complete List)". www.yahoo.com. 28 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  4. 1 2 "INTERVIEW: Composer Amanda Jones Goes From The Anti-Job To Scoring Many Jobs". Popaxiom. 2020-06-19. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  5. 1 2 3 "'Twenties' Composer Amanda Jones On Making Music For Ava DuVernay, Lena Waithe And Robin Thede [Interview]". shadowandact.com. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  6. ↑ "The Company She Keeps". Television Academy. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  7. ↑ Lumumba, Menelek (2018-08-02), 1 Angry Black Man (Drama), Keith Stone Griffith, Daphne Danielle, Miguel A. Núñez Jr, Ramon Nuñez, Align Pictures, retrieved 2020-09-24
  8. ↑ Day, Sujata, Definition Please (Comedy, Drama), Katrina Bowden, LeVar Burton, Eugene Byrd, Lalaine, Atajus Productions, Datari Turner Productions, June Street Productions, retrieved 2020-09-24
  9. ↑ Shitty Boyfriends (Comedy), Melissa Hunter, Emily Arlook, Bernard David Jones, Sandra Oh, New Form Digital, 2015-10-19, retrieved 2020-09-24{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. ↑ "Amanda Jones on Her Groundbreaking Emmy Nomination! | ExtraTV.com". Extra. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  11. ↑ Soundtracks; Scores; Staff, More (2020-07-31). "EMMYS 2020: Lakeshore Soundtrack Partners Earn 50 Nominations!". Soundtracks, Scores and More!. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  12. ↑ "Amanda Jones on Scoring Comedy Sketch Shows & Documentary Series". composer.spitfireaudio.com. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
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