Sean James Boyer Releases New Music

Despite being a fan of film and television music, I’ve never reviewed this sort of material before. Sean James Boyer is one of the gifted composers working in this field and the bulk of his reputation rests on creating gripping scores for series television and animated programming. His credits are impressive. He’s written scores for shows on multiple networks and covering myriad topics always focusing on matching the music to the content rather than merely entertaining himself. The Toronto based composer’s recent work for Netflix’s My Little Pony: Make Your Mark, “Dark Horse Dominion” from his production music album Codename Assassin, and the theme song for television sitcom Amelia Parker are among his finest work yet.

“Sunny Saves the Day” from My Little Pony: Make Your Mark held me in thrall for its entirety. Boyer loves working with orchestras and has ongoing creative partnerships with ensembles in New York, Macedonia, and Toronto. His flair for utilizes such configurations is apparent throughout “Sunny Saves the Day”. It soars, rattles the sternum, and moves with exhilarating urgency. It avoids any heavy-handedness, however. The mix of orchestral instruments and synthesizers radiates warmth and life in a brief piece that, despite its brevity, conjures another world.

Codename Assassin’s “Dark Horse Dominion” expands his instrumental range. It incorporates quasi-industrial sounding guitar into the mix and the six string’s presence accentuates the arrangement’s inherent moodiness. A lack of warmth never undercuts his continuing use of synthesizers. I hear his use of electronic instruments, instead, as assertive, and full of color. It’s the longest of the three songs discussed in this review and provides ample evidence of his ability to sustain longer compositions.  

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His theme song for the sitcom Amelia Parker is the lightest and most pop-oriented performance. It’s also the only one of the three that isn’t an instrumental. His skillful way of layering a vibrant vocal arrangement into his musical vision supplies evidence, as well, of his elastic creativity. There’s nothing Boyer cannot do. He’s capable of thinking outside the box, as well, evidenced by the theme song’s unorthodox percussion. It’s an infinitely likable track despite its short duration and works as a near perfect theme song for the sitcom format.

His musical journey has no perceptible end. We’re witnessing and hearing the earliest years of a career destined to enhance television viewing for years to come. He’s an ideal candidate in my mind, as well, for tackling more ambitious fare such as major movie productions. Sean James Boyer’s path into public consciousness hasn’t encountered any unexpected detours, more offers for work are coming in all the time, and he’s scaling higher up the ladder of achievement with each new composition.

It’s a product of innate gifts and lessons learned. His earliest years humming or singing the scores for Superman and Indiana Jones films birthed his love for music, learning to play guitar expanded his frame of reference, and his college years further grounded and polished his burgeoning talents. We’ll be hearing his work for many more years to come. 

Nicole Killian