Jeffrey Hayat was born and raised in New York City. His affinity of music started at a very early age, and the guitar became his first love at age 10. He went on to play in many local hard rock and heavy metal bands, expanding all the while his appreciation for classical and film score music, and studying orchestral composition and orchestration.
“I have always loved movies. All genres – from action and adventure films to love stories; from horror flicks to comedies. It is a way to escape…I take great enjoyment in submitting myself to entering another world, and to be enraptured by the images, the sound, the emotions…all at the hands of the storyteller – of the filmmaker.
“Music to me is like another language; it is another means of vocalizing one’s thoughts and feelings. The creation of music is my way of communicating to others – others who may not speak my native tongue, but who can feel the sensation and the passion that is music.”
Jeff has written many musical pieces over the past 30 years; writing for moving images is where his heart lies.
“My goal is to bring the on-screen images to a new level…to support the film and help stimulate the viewer. Energize the story, develop a mood, build melodic identification for a character… mold the score to work well within the framework of the film. Also, the composer must work well with the director and producer; it is not a solo mission but a collaborative effort. ‘You don’t like that trumpet line – how about we change it to an oboe?’ ‘You aren’t happy with the rhythm here – we can slow down the tempo, alter the meter a bit, and change some of the percussion instruments.’ There are no boundaries – no limitations. I am always looking for new ways to build, to write, to create this wonderful art we know as music.”