Rolando Gori
Composer/Producer for Film, TV and media
What Music Means to Me
Let's make some music
It all starts with listening—really listening. Listening to the happiness behind the cheers, or the despair in a wail of sorrow; listening to an opposing view and gaining a new perspective, or being lifted by a friend's kindness; listening to the fear evoked by a crack of thunder, or the trance-like calm after its rumble fades.
When we listen to anything with care and attention, we inevitably begin a journey towards understanding and compassion, acceptance and connection.
I have traveled all around the world, and I learned that the need to be heard is strong in everyone, and nothing like storytelling helps us get that need met. If your storytelling is done through music, as mine is, you get to speak in an abstract language and go beyond words; you get to paint images by suggesting colors through space and time; you get to elicit emotional connections through vibrations in the air.
Thank you for visiting and taking time to hear to some of my stories. I'm glad you're listening.
About
Journeys
I listen to all styles and genres of music, from early classical to what you might hear on the latest Spotify playlists—and everything in between. From my Italian/western roots to the rich music of the cultures around the world, I try to keep an open mind and listen to as much as I can. I draw from whatever speaks to me, and so much does!
I was born in Italy 🇮🇹, raised in Canada 🇨🇦, spent a decade in the UK 🇬🇧 and now reside in the US 🇺🇸. I used to feel rootless, but I now feel like I am living a unique experience that roots me to my humanity rather than any particular culture.
I think this is why music, more than any other art form, has always spoken through me. It is, in its purest form, rootless and indefinable. It transcends borders and has the potential to connect with anyone. Consider this: If you do not understand Portuguese, you might not be able to follow a conversation between two people in Brazil, but if those same two people play a samba on guitar and flute you have had a shared experience in ways that your disparate languages could never allow.
Everything else is details, and details leave too much room for misinterpretation.
I'm a dreamer and passionate about working on projects that in some way, big or small, advance the idea that compassion is far more powerful than subjugation and division. In 2012 and 2015, I worked with producer Roy T. Anderson on films about the Jamaican Maroons who defeated their English oppressors and fought their way out of slavery.
“It is enough when a single note is beautifully played.”
Arvo Pärt
Listen
A short selection of my music below.
For a fuller list of my releases—and where to stream them—please visit my link tree.
