Film and TV Music

John Sawoski

Welcome to John Sawoski’s Music for the Visual Media demonstration area, featuring excerpts from a variety of projects with music composed and/or arranged and orchestrated by John Sawoski. For more information, or to hire John Sawoski to work on your project, please contact John Sawoski.


Carosello, from the movie Showboy. In this scene from the movie Showboy, the lead character tours the Liberace Museum in Las Vegas and fantasizes about playing a piece that sounds like something Liberace would play (actually composed and performed by John Sawoski).

Winning Ugly – music composed, arranged, and recorded by John Sawoski (with Chris Tedesco on trumpet). 11 videos from the documentary Winning Ugly: 20 Years Later, about the 1983 Chicago White Sox season and twenty year reunion.

“Space to Sea” (Devil Tack Festival) Inspired by a sound on the old DX7 keyboard, this piece could underscore urban action, sports, films, and TV. © and (P) 1996 Million Oaks Music (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Any use or reproduction without owner consent is prohibited.

Home video of John Sawoski conducting his Spaghetti Western / Romance Medley of music by Ennio and Andrea Morricone with the Capistrano Valley Symphony at Mission San Juan Capistrano on September 23, 2007 (5 days after he was hired as emergency substitute conductor, and 2 hours after he and the orchestra were told of the death of musical director Carlo Spiga). Video taken by Sawoski’s wife Perviz, with his daughter Isabella interrupting (causing a few cuts), and some strange audio artifacts (at the beginning of “A Fistful of Dollars”).

Perviz Sawoski, Videography
Conductor / Arranger / Orchestrator: John Sawoski
Orchestra: The Capistrano Valley Symphony

Sweet from the film Day of Atonement (2:28)

by John Sawoski

This piece, from the 1997 film DAY OF ATONEMENT is simply called Cue “#1 – Sweet.” It underscores an interview of Louis Farrakhan’s wife Kadijah, talking about her husband and what would happen if he were assassinated, followed by other scenes of him.

Music © and (P) 1997 Inner Pulse Entertainment, Los Angeles. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Any use or reproduction without owner consent is prohibited.

Included on the CD I Believe in Love – CD CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT


Slave Castle (1:12)
by John Sawoski
Underscore from the film Day of Atonement, for a scene where slaves are taken from Africa.
Music © and (P) 1997 Inner Pulse Entertainment, Los Angeles. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Any use or reproduction without owner consent is prohibited.

What’s Shakin’ Theme (0:30)
by John Sawoski
Theme from the TV Pilot “What’s Shakin’” – 30 second version.
© and (P) 2001 John Sawoski. Published by Million Oaks Music (ASCAP) All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Any use or reproduction without owner consent is prohibited.

Fashion Music – “Here We Go” (1:04)
by John Sawoski
Uptempo fashion show music from “What’s Shakin’” TV Pilot Soundtrack by John Sawoski.
© and (P) 2001 John Sawoski. Published by Million Oaks Music (ASCAP) All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Any use or reproduction without owner consent is prohibited.

Chase in the style of Bartok (1:02)
Chase music similar to Bartok’s “Concerto for Orchestra.” Suitable for extremely busy animated chase scene.
© and (P) 2001 John Sawoski. Published by Million Oaks Music (ASCAP) All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Any use or reproduction without owner consent is prohibited.

5-minute Film-Scoring Demo (5:02)
by John Sawoski
Reaction to a Crime (orchestra); Broken Promises (orchestra); The Morning Light (piano solo); Silly Safari Soirée (brass and percussion); The Puce Panther (synthesizers); Spikey Space (synthesizers).
Pacific Composers Forum Orchestra; Roger Larocque, Drummer; John Sawoski, keyboards.
© and (P) 2001 John Sawoski. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Any use or reproduction without owner consent is prohibited.

Cool Car (0:50)
by John Sawoski
Music suitable for a car commercial. Synths.
© and (P) 2001 John Sawoski. Published by Million Oaks Music (ASCAP) All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Any use or reproduction without owner consent is prohibited.

Power – Full Version (3:23)
by John Sawoski
Original electronic music. 8 versions in various lengths and mixes available. Combines haunting yet hypnotic melody, diatonic harmony, dance rhythm tracks, an assortment of synth patches ranging from computer-like sound effects to rave chords, and an “ad-lib” synth solo over the bridge. Overall it has intimacy, an air of mystery, power, movement, and intensity. The chorus melody is reminiscent of TV detective shows of the 70’s, and the verse melody is reminiscent of Japanese animated cartoons, yet there are also influences of French disco, Beatles vocals, sports videos, and Japanese pop songs. Could very well be useful in a variety of circumstances – sports soundtracks especially.
© and (P) 2001 John Sawoski. Published by Million Oaks Music (ASCAP) All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Any use or reproduction without owner consent is prohibited.

Got Milk? Demo with Dialog (1:05)
by John Sawoski
Music written and produced by John Sawoski for a “Got Milk?” demo (for filmmaker Jeff Einhorn). 30 seconds of fun music that plays under the end title credit sequence. With diddly-boops inspired by the “Monsters, Inc.” title sequences.
© and (P) 2002 John Sawoski. Published by Million Oaks Music (ASCAP) All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Any use or reproduction without owner consent is prohibited.

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