Graduation Spotlight: Nashville native discovers passion for film composition at Lipscomb
Kim Chaudoin |
Wesley Butler came to Lipscomb University with a clear goal: to become a recording artist and songwriter. But through a transformative journey of discovery, mentorship and creative community, she found her true calling in an unexpected place — film composition.
This May, Butler graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in commercial music with a concentration in songwriting. A Nashville native, she said she had always been immersed in music and drawn to the stories it tells.
“I love music because it articulates our humanity in a way no other medium can,” said Butler. “To love well you must work to know well, and music makes that a lot easier if you let it.”
Butler’s love for songwriting eventually expanded into the world of film scores, thanks in part to a class project in her sophomore music theory course.
“I was wrapping up a thematic analysis on a piece called Vessel of Joy written by Dr. Ben Blasko,” Butler recalled. “Dr. [Jennifer] Snodgrass suggested I expand the project and presented it at the Student Scholars Symposium. Around the same time, I became friends with Luke Snyder, an alum and composer, who introduced me to film scores I’d never heard before and I fell in love with that kind of music.”
My favorite aspect of being part of Lipscomb’s music program has been the people — 100%. — Wesley Butler
Encouraged by Snyder to connect with Blasko, Butler emailed the Lipscomb faculty composer and asked if he would consider mentoring her in his composition studio.
“He said yes … and that decision changed everything,” Butler said. “I found an incredible community of composers, players and arrangers who encouraged and challenged me in my writing. As an artist, my first priority has always been telling a story. Film music holds all the language of a story without saying a word. The communication between composer, director and audience is one of the things I love most.”
While her passion for film scoring blossomed, Butler also found personal and spiritual growth during her time at Lipscomb.
“The first two years were pretty hard in all honesty, but eventually I found a community that supported and loved me in ways I never could have expected,” she said. “I wouldn’t be half the musician I am today without the guidance and grace of my mentors, and I would likely be a very different person.”
Outside the classroom, Butler stayed busy performing at live shows around Nashville both as a solo artist and in support of fellow musicians. She also found that Lipscomb’s tight-knit creative community fostered a unique sense of collaboration and encouragement.
“Lipscomb is really unique in the way that everyone is largely very supportive of one another and always willing to offer a hand in a project,” she said.
Butler credits her professors, especially Blasko, with helping her believe in what’s next. She’ll begin a Master of Fine Arts in film composition at the Film Scoring Academy of Europe in Sofia, Bulgaria this fall.
“I walked into Dr. Blasko’s office for our first lesson last semester and asked him if it would be crazy for me to apply to grad school. I was shocked when he encouraged me to go for it,” she said. “Dr. Blasko tells all of his students, ‘You can do hard things.’ As simple as that may sound, it’s a piece of advice I’ve come to hold very close.”
As Butler looks to the future, she takes with her a deep appreciation for the people who helped shape her journey and the stories she hopes to tell through music.
“My favorite aspect of being part of Lipscomb’s music program has been the people—100%,” she said. “Both my peers and my mentors. It’s about the music, yes. But it’s also about the people.”