Biography – Scott Cameron
Scott is a composer and lyricist whose craft shines from initial concept to final mix. Whether large-scale film, theatre or concert scores, or intimate stand-alone songs and instrumental commissions, Scott approaches every collaboration with exquisite care and sensitivity.
A native of Melbourne Australia, Scott wrote his first musical, THE MARKET at age 18 while working as an actor in film, TV, and theatre. Despite a few good songs and a so-so premise, the story wasn’t very good, but it ignited Scott’s curiosity for story-theory, character and dramatic structure.
Meanwhile, cast as the all-singing, all-dancing Noddy in NODDY GOES TO TOYLAND (Melbourne, Perth and Sydney seasons) Scott was inspired to audition for the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).
While studying acting, singing and dancing, he also honed his skills in composition, vocal arranging and orchestration – writing lyrics and music, and playing piano for TOM, a student production. In hindsight, the show was underdeveloped but it was a perfect opportunity to experiment with developing musical themes and throughlines.
Relocating to Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre, Scott co-founded and performed with the a capella quintet Bite My Chilli: A Comedy; A Cabaret; A Capella! where he divided his energies between creating slick arrangements for corporate performances, and writing audacious original material for their stage shows, THE WORLD TOUR and CELIBATE OR BUST! which both enjoyed national tours and television appearances.
While writing customised entertainment for large-scale corporate clients (including SEGAWORLD SYDNEY and SYDNEY CASINO Grand Openings; TOSHIBA, RANGE-ROVER MURDOCH MAGAZINES product launches; and QANTAS, LEIGHTON CONSTRUCTION and MCDONALD’S celebrations), Scott received a grant from the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to write book, music and lyrics for WET SPOT which saw a workshop at The Wharf Complex – then home of Sydney Theatre Company – and featured a performance by 2011 Tony Award nominee, Tony Sheldon.
On the strength of his work with Bite My Chilli, Scott was invited to compose an a cappella score for the short film, LOVE LIES by Ineke Rapp. This was rapidly followed by another film score, SLIPPER, for award-winning director Glenn Fraser.
Inspired by the story-telling potential of scoring for film, Scott was accepted as one of four composers at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) where he refined his understanding of dramaturgy and digital recording techniques, and put his self-taught orchestration skills to the test with scores performed by Sydney Symphony and Opera and Ballet orchestras, and the string quartet FOURPLAY.
Now with a Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition, Scott’s music was recognised with the Australian Film Critics’ Circle Award for Best Score on 24 FPS – a nostalgic documentary about the dying art of film projection. This was followed by the Johnny Dennis Music Award for Best Movie Theme (THE HIT), and a nomination for Best Song at the APRA/AGSC Screen Music Awards (“Changing” from A SIMPLE SONG).
I am not one of those people who sees entertainment as a dirty word. I must admit I have a soft spot for that big, classic Hollywood sound: I really relish the opportunities to pull out the stops and write lavish music for larger-than-life stories.
Scott Cameron
Returning to his homeland of Melbourne, Scott formed the harp/voice duo Ionian Groove with harpist Frances Thiele, and released his first vocal CD (featuring the original title track LAZY), mixed by friend, mentor and American music industry legend, John Haeny.
In a fortuitous meeting at his CD launch with writer Kathleen McLennan, Kathleen commissioned Scott to write and record a series of songs to her lyrics, and encouraged him to provide music for ART 4 ASHES – a mosaic art installation displayed at Federation Square, Melbourne.
Always tackling new challenges, Scott composed THE BLACK DOG OVERTURE and LYRICAL SUITE for the Grainger Wind Symphony; 10 MINUTES TO CURTAIN, A VAUDEVILLE – for combined orchestra, concert band, choir and soloists (a commission by Carey Baptist Grammar); and new works for harp and string quartet – FLOODPLAIN and CHESS QUINTET.
After collaborating with actress and writer Amanda Bishop on the yet-to-be-produced musical-TV-sitcom GREETINGS FROM DENIAL!, Kathleen McLennan approached Scott once again to compose the musical score to her book and lyrics for the musical, WINTERSONG, culminating in a development workshop in 2017 and a staged production in 2019.
Recognising that, “I have learned a few things over the past 30 years that others might find useful” Scott shares knowledge gleaned from parallel careers in performance and writing, as a mentor to musical theatre practitioners on his upcoming YouTube channel. It will cover topics such as vocal technique; composing and lyric-writing for theatre; character development; audition techniques and more, plus case studies from Scott’s own work as he documents his successes and challenges on new projects.
