photo by R. Huling
Erica Nielsen is an award-winning composer, sound designer and music producer for film, live concert works, video games and interactive media. Fascinated by the art of storytelling, Erica uses the latest digital creative tools, recording, and mixing techniques to produce and deliver custom music for your production.
Erica has created Novel Effect soundscapes of music and sound effects for books like Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal featuring interpretations of popular Peruvian musical styles, Love Is by Diane Adams, and, currently in production, The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin which features voice, Native American flute and frame drum. Much of the music is recorded with live performances and mixed in Erica’s remodeled project studio.
Erica is a composer for a transmedia graphic novel series featuring the World Of Chaldea created by Peter Adkison and Steve Conard (Peter is founder of Wizards of the Coast, makers of the popular card game Magic: The Gathering, and both are key developers of the World Of Chaldea mythos and storyline). Season One episodes have been released starting December 20, 2020. Released in winter of 2020 is Keep On, a music video featuring Sheila Houlahan, about connection and belonging with the self. Erica also completed the score for The Long Haul (2019), a feature documentary by director Amy Enser that premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) in Spring 2019 and other film festivals around the world. They are also the composer for America’s Fighting Dinosaur, a faux-documentary that is currently in production.
During the spring of 2014, Erica scored the short film Hannah & Otto with live string orchestra and piano, which premiered at SIFF in 2014. Their orchestral work Africa Dances, Africa Dreams premiered at Benaroya Hall in 2013 as part of the Celebrate World Music concert. Released on CD, Celebrate World Music is the Contemporary Classical Vox Pop Winner of the 13th Annual Independent Music Awards.
Erica was also one of the principal creators and producers for The Sounds Of Silents with a Side of Schtick, a collaboration with SIFF featuring live ensemble performances of custom written scores for silent films at the SIFF Uptown Cinema in Seattle in 2012 and 2013.
Erica studied composition of dramatic music for motion picture at the two-year Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program with Emmy award-winning Hummie Mann, PhD. They have also studied with Tim Huling, composing and orchestrating for small chamber ensembles and full orchestras for live performance. Earlier in their career they studied with jazz bassist Doug Miller and songwriter Sue Ennis, a co-songwriter for Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. With a B.A. from The Evergreen State College, they focused primarily on multitrack analog recording (1970′s API consoles!) and electronic music (old-school analog!), and also wrote and performed live music for theater.
Erica served as a board member of the Seattle Composers’ Alliance from 2010 to 2014, including two years as President. They also served as a board member of Philharmonia Northwest, a Seattle-based chamber orchestra from 2011 through 2013. Along with their extensive experience organizing and hosting many special events with the SCA, Erica most enjoyed co-hosting Ravel Study in Seattle inspired by Ron Jones’ Ravel Study in Los Angeles. Registered with BMI, they are also a member of The Society of Composers and Lyricists.