A Vocalist-Composer’s Approach to Short Film Scoring: Adapting Industry Practices for Female Voice in the Score for Soulsinger

How can the practices of professional screen-score vocalists, composers and vocalist-composers,
inform my own creative practice as a screen-score vocalist-composer? This paper is derived from PhD artistic research investigating the creative practice of female vocal composition for film, television, and game scores. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 16 professional screen-score vocalists, composers and vocalist-composers across the globe, focused on investigating, identifying and discussing composition, performance, recording and production techniques for female voice. These analysed interview findings work as an informative guide, influencing creative practice scoring for my short film Soulsinger. Multiple creative roles including the film’s vocalist-composer, writer and director were undertaken for this project. This creative control meant the film could be tailored to best serve its research purpose of exploring the use of female voice in a screen score and allow the music and sound design to become the storyteller, rather than dialogue. On a larger scale, this research highlights female experience and creative voice while working in a traditionally male-dominated screen music industry and acknowledges their significant and diverse contributions to screen music composition, while considering ethical adaptation, vocalist-composer collaboration and vocal identity.

Chelsea Stutchbury is a vocalist and composer undertaking a PhD at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, where she researches the female voice as a narrative force in screen scoring through scholarly and practice-led approaches. She holds First Class Honours from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Her debut single “Vincristine” reached the Australian iTunes Top 100, and her voice features in the trailer for Deadhouse Dark (Screen Australia/Shudder) and various festivals and film projects. Her film Soulsinger, supported by Griffith Film School, is in post-production, with Chelsea as writer, director, composer, and vocalist.