AND OVER AGAIN comes from the short film bearing the same name since the director, Alex Jarmon, was a fan of the title of my piece. It’s about a young couple going to college, where they must learn to live apart. They start nervously excited, then long for each other, accept this new normal, start struggling with communication, have a falling-out, and isolate themselves. They hit rock bottom; this is the loneliest moment until the boyfriend appears, embracing her in his arms as the film concludes.

This film is five-and-a-half minutes of no dialogue, which utterly scared me when Alex first approached me to score his project. This turned out to be my favorite film score to date. The music follows the couple's journey as they navigate a long-distance relationship. Alex was very flexible; he knew what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to tell me if I wasn’t going in the right direction. He challenged me to write more ambient music than I was used to, to not be afraid to let notes suspend in the air. That being said, I still managed to sneak in a motive and melodies, which is most noticeable towards the middle of the score. 

Although the title implies a circular story, deep down, I felt the two characters would be forever changed after what they went through. I musically took note of this at the end of the score. Yes, they are back together, but they wouldn’t forget the ordeal they experienced.

From Thomas’s Program Note