Joe Chris considers himself a filmmaker before a musician. Where most composers start with sound, he starts with story - with character, with theme, with the question every great film is quietly asking: what does it mean to be alive right now? That question drives every creative decision he makes, across every genre, and it's what gives his work a consistent emotional voice regardless of whether the palette is orchestral, electronic, or something in between. He studied under Emmy-nominated composers Mason Daring and Sheldon Mirowitz and Grammy-winning composer Claudio Ragazzi at Berklee College of Music, and has assisted and learned from composers such Trevor Morris (Vikings: Valhalla), Trey Toy (Castlevania: Nocturne), and Andrew Morgan Smith (Average Joe).

 

His artistic philosophy, which he dubs "The New Optimism", holds that music's job is to make audiences feel the full weight of being alive: the wonder, the dread, the beauty inside darkness, the extraordinary hidden in ordinary moments. He treats the audience's emotional experience as the real deliverable, not the score itself. That philosophy extends beyond the work: Joe actively champions other artists & composers, believing that a rising tide lifts all ships and that generosity is its own creative act. His passion projects include live scores for silent films and Taste the Music, a multisensory series exploring the relationship between sound and flavor.

 

He is based in Nanuet, NY.