Singer songwriter Grace VanderWaal wrote an original song for the Disney Movie "Stargirl" which was released back in March. She was only 14 yo at the time.
Does anyone know if she is the youngest person ever to write original music for a movie soundtrack? I don't mean an entire score necessarily - she only contributed this one song. BTW, she also starred in the movie as well and sang 6 other songs which were covers.
Who else under the age of 21 has written for film? Either an entire score or partial. Thx
Andre Previn wrote his first credited Hollywood film score at age 19, for a Lassie picture (The Sun Comes Up). It’s superb, but sadly only survives as a music and effects track. Here’s the main title: http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/store/MP3/1320/4-01_Main_Title.mp3
Richard Rodney Bennett (1936 - 2012) must have started writing for British productions when still age 20, as his Pickup Alley (1957) was released about 1 month after Bennett's 21st birthday.
Basil Poledouris’s daughter Zoe was very young (about 5?) when she composed music for Conan, she is now established with film scores of her own now. Michael Giacchino has two young sons who have contributed to his scores including Jurassic World. The older son scored a movie for a Jim Henson production a few years ago, he’d be only about 18, not sure I don’t have my CDs to hand
Shostakovich’s first film score (New Babylon) was written when he was quite old at 23 but at 17 he was playing the piano in cinemas accompanying silent films which help to hone his improvisational skills.
Basil Poledouris’s daughter Zoe was very young (about 5?) when she composed music for Conan, she is now established with film scores of her own now. Michael Giacchino has two young sons who have contributed to his scores including Jurassic World. The older son scored a movie for a Jim Henson production a few years ago, he’d be only about 18, not sure I don’t have my CDs to hand
I checked Wikipedia and Zoe was 9 yo when she improvised a melody over a song written by her dad. For this she got a co-writing credit.
Seems the other example was a family affair also but I haven't checked into that yet.
Grace VanderWaal is a singer songwriter, not a serious composer, but she still is credited for her contribution to the Stargirl soundtrack. Rob Simonsen did most of the scoring. Her song "Today and Tomorrow" was written while on the set (she was 14 yo) and was only included on the soundtrack (over the closing credits) because director Julia Hart happened to like the song enough to do that.
I think lil' Zoe gets the award for this, but again it depends on definition. Humming bits of a melody that her father then incorporates into a score might not be exactly what you were looking for.
I have a hard time thinking of other teens beyond Previn that did actual scoring (or songwriting) for a film. Williams was about 21 when he did YOU ARE WELCOME, but that's ancient in this company. I think Jeremy Soule was 19 when he had his first videogame gig.
I think lil' Zoe gets the award for this, but again it depends on definition. Humming bits of a melody that her father then incorporates into a score might not be exactly what you were looking for.
I have a hard time thinking of other teens beyond Previn that did actual scoring (or songwriting) for a film. Williams was about 21 when he did YOU ARE WELCOME, but that's ancient in this company. I think Jeremy Soule was 19 when he had his first videogame gig.
well I know a co-writing credit can go to anyone for just changing a word in a song. Anyway, I don't care about technicalities, just curious to know who Grace is stacked up against. You guys seem to be on top of things.
Zoe was 8 or 9 and apparently improvised what became the horn countermelody for the "Orgy" cue on recorder or flute while Basil was playing the piano. Hopefully she didn't see the scene at the time! Would be very surprised if there was one younger.
thanks, guys - I appreciate everyone's input. I should spend more time in this forum, and I will try and dig up lil' Zoe's work on Conan. Grace will probably end up giving a co-writing credit to her producer, Ido Zmishlany, but she did the lions share of the work with the song that she wrote for "Stargirl" at 14yo.
but at 17 he was playing the piano in cinemas accompanying silent films which help to hone his improvisational skills. 
