Biography

     Film composer David Tobocman is an avid and talented musician, but more importantly, he’s interested in the art of making great movies. “I think of music in film much the way that I think of light or color; music is one of many elements that fuse together to form the context that allows the characters to communicate emotion and purpose. My role as composer is to provide the subtext that allows the director and the characters to communicate a world of meaning with a limited amount of images and dialog.”

     David’s most recent release is the independent film Los Jornaleros, which is currently appearing in major film festivals worldwide. The story of three Mexican immigrant brothers who struggle to survive in the modern jungle of Los Angeles, the score ranges in style from intimate traditional guitar melodies to suspenseful contemporary synthesizer and orchestral textures. “As the brothers become more and more acclimated to life in America, the simple guitar-based textures give way to more complex orchestration and modernistic shadings; it’s a subtle but effective device that underpins the characters’ growing sophistication and complexity.”

     Previous to Los Jornaleros, David was the composer for the CBS dramatic series Family Law. Additionally, he has been a contributing composer for numerous other popular TV shows including 3rd Rock from the Sun, That 70s Show, and The Larry Sanders Show. In all, he has participated in the scores for over 20 films and 10 TV series.

     David has composed scores for VH-1 Films’ They Shoot Divas Don’t They and Charles Busch’s Hitchcock-meets-Gigdet spoof Psycho Beach Party, both of which are heavily influenced by suspense Film Music pioneer Bernard Hermann, an idol of the composer. “His willingness to commit to extremes in texture, harmony, and rhythm is what makes Bernard Hermann so compelling. His films are overflowing with such urgency and personality that the audience is immediately invested in a high stakes game whether it is an intimate, personal story or a broad tale of international intrigue.”

     In addition to scoring, David Tobocman has played on, written for and produced albums for such a diverse range of artists as LL Cool J, Adam Sandler, Cher, Liza Minnelli, Donna Summer, and a Grammy-nominated all-Gershwin album for Michael Feinstein. “Diversity is my thing. I have a music degree in Jazz Arranging, I’m a pianist, I play Heavy Rock guitar, I have written two string quartets and a symphony, I know the ins and outs of Country Music and Folk, and I also specialize in Hip Hop and Funk. What I enjoy about writing Film Music is how it necessitates fluency in so many styles simultaneously. Where styles and genres begin to blend is where things start to get interesting.”