Electronic music is only one shade on ill-esha’s (real name Elysha Zaide) palette. With a lifetime of deep appreciation for classical, world, jazz and anything cinematic, it was natural that the art of scoring would catch her interest. As a child, she completed Royal Conservatory piano training to nearly its highest level; sang soprano for a stint in the Vancouver Bach Children’s choir; performed musical stage productions with VYT and Carousel Theatre companies and studied flute in the school band (but did not go to band camp with it).
In 2007, Elysha’s songwriting efforts were recognized when she placed in the top 3 finalists for Best Electronic in the John Lennon International Songwriting Contest. A year later, she was granted the Screen Composers Guild of Canada apprenticeship award for Vancouver, which sponsored her training and subsequently led to work with renowed composers Daniel Ingram (Martha Speaks, My Little Pony), Graeme Coleman (BeastMaster) and Brian Carson (Hot Wheels, ChopShop). After several years of working as assistant music editor on series such as Martha Speaks, Combat School, and The Week the Women Went, Elysha’s electronic music career began to demand her full attention and she relocated to the United States. Although quite busy with gigs, she continued to explore scoring for many forms of media including the quickly growing mobile app market, and was nominated for Best Score in the Canadian Videogame Awards for her work on the iOS game, “Big Top Ballet”. Most recently, she has completed two scores for the National Film Board of Canada (“Beauty” and “Sandra Oh: Inspiration”), and is currently accepting projects.
Below are highlights of her diverse composition range. Feel free to contact her with your project for review!
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MOST RECENT: Sandra Oh – Inspiration (NFB Short)
Skills
Pro Tools/OMF Session delivery for Television Specifications, Logic 9, Ableton 8, also competent in Cubase SX and Nuendo
Piano, bass guitar, flute, voice
Digital replication of complete classical orchestra
All styles of music including classical, folk and musical/big band
Specialized in hip hop, electronic and R&B
Accolades & Education
2013 – Best Original Music (Nominee) – Canadian Videogame Awards
2008 – Apprentice Award – Screen Composers Guild of Canada
2007 – Top 3 Finalist Best Electronic – John Lennon International Songwriting Competition
2007 – Best New Producer – Northwest Drum & Bass Website Awards
2003 – Diploma of Recording Arts – CDIS/Art Institute Burnaby
1993 – Royal Conservatory Piano Training, Grade 10
CV
2017 – Beauty (Composer) – Documentary, National Film Board of Canada
2015 – The Shambhala Experience (Music Supervisor/Editor) – Documentary, Director: Kevan McGovern
2015 – Hack Run (Composer) – Mobile Game for iPhone/Android/Facebook
2011 – Big Top Ballet (Composer) – Mobile Game for iPhone/Android/Facebook
2011 – Cold & Sunny (Composer) Short Film, Director: Jennifer Halley
2010 – Hunter/Gatherer (Composer) Short Film, Director: Jonathan David Henning
2010 – The Education of Wendy Wisconsin (Composer) – Short Film, Director: Dwight Hartnett
2009 – Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 (Music Editor) – TV Series by Mattel, Composer: Brian Carson
2009 – Martha Speaks 2nd Season (Music Editor) – TV Series by Studio B, Composer: Daniel Ingram
2009 – Disappearing Act (Composer) – Short Film, Director: Red Albert
2009 – The Week the Women Went (Assistant Music Editor) – TV Series by CBC, Composer: Graeme Coleman
2009 – Combat School (Assistant Music Editor) – TV Series by Discovery Channel, Composer: Graeme Coleman
2009 – Importance of Goodbyes (Composer) – Short Film, Director: Jonathan Fung
2008 – The Illuminated (SFX Designer) – Web Series, Dreamberry Studios
2007 – The Disillusionment of Anglesea Briggs (SFX Designer) – Short Film, Director: Danielle Bayliss
2004 – The Stevc Nash Story (Theme Co-Composer) – Television, Sports Network
2003 – Zed (Guest Composer, 5 Episodes) TV Series, CBC Television