biography
A little bit about Woody
As a composer I have had the privilege of working on a wide variety of projects throughout my career. Particular highlights are Sundance award winning film Miss Monday, with director Benson Lee, and the recent and quirky documentary The Grace Lee Project, with director Grace Lee. With both films the director-composer relationship was dynamic and collaborative, serving the story and enhancing the film. Two documentaries that have had a big personal impact on me were Grassroots Rising by Robert Winn, a moving portrait of exploited Asian immigrants in Los Angeles, and In The Tall Grass by J. Coll Metcalfe, the sobering look at post-genocide Rwanda and how survivors of the massacre are gaining closure through the process of gacaca, tribal judges and juries meting out long awaited justice to the participants of the brutal campaign.
Other notable films that I have had the pleasure working on are Mark Neale’s motorcycle documentary featuring Ewan MacGregor Faster; Wonsuk Chin’s e-Dreams, the fascinating look at the rise and fall of Kozmo.com; award winning documentary (Best Score: Brooklyn International Film Festival) Black Picket Fence by Sergio Goes; The Chinatown Files by Amy Chen, a keen look at racial profiling of Chinese American political activists students during the 50’s and 60’s; Brett Levner’s southern dramatic gem Crystal River; Kwak Kyungtaek’s quirky Oksutang; and Mike A. Nickles’ horror film Slaughter Cove.
With all my work I strive to bring something fresh and new to help realize the vision of whomever I’m working with. All music inspires and influences me. World music, rock, classical music and even hip-hop in have infused themselves into my work often creating interesting amalgams into what I like to think of as pan-genre music, music without restrictions.
Other quick facts:
I currently reside in the Los Angeles area with my lovely wife Gloria and two crazy kids Noah & Jojo. I’m always expanding my repertoire and currently working on a forthcoming solo project and children’s CD.