BEAU

CHIASSON

MUSIC & FILM

COMPOSER • PRODUCER • AUDIO ENGINEER • MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST

SCREENWRITER • EDITOR • PRODUCER

FAST FAVES

City: Los Angeles

Smell: Homemade Food

Music: Charles Mingus

Dessert: Tiramisu

Book: Another Country by James Baldwin

Weather: 72 degrees & sunny with little humidity

Souvenir: anything related to a memory from the place

Item of Clothing: a good jacket

Beau In This Moment

How would you describe this moment in your life right now?

I am in the middle of a profound period in my life of love and loss. My older brother just left for college, many of my closest collaborators, too, have left or will leave before I do. At the same time, I've never felt closer to the people in my life who I love and care about deeply. This dichotomic moment is heavily influencing the art that I create and the motivations behind my creation, as I have come to realize that memory and the memorialization of our love for one another means that even when someone's gone, they've never truly left, and our connection will only have room to grow.

What phase of life are you in, & how do you think your age affects your thoughts, your feelings, your decisions?

I am in the second half of high school, meaning I have to start forming my narrative of who I am as I look to apply to college programs and conservatories. I don't mean to say that I have figured it out, but I have been tasked with representing who I am in this moment, and reflecting that in my extracurriculars, my classes, and, as a result, many of my hobbies. I think this reflection of who I am has helped me feel more concrete in my living definition of myself and my work because every day that definition gets tested and every day it gets defended.

What’s the last thing you thought of before you went to bed last night?

Could I make my own fretless bass?

The first thing you thought of upon waking this morning?

I need to clean my room.

What have you been working on / playing with / scheming this last week?

I have been thinking about a plan to write a script and an accompanying composition which represents the moment of my life that I am in right now, of Love and Loss. I have been writing down images and ideas that come to mind as I prepare to create this work.

If you were to use only three words to describe your current creations, what would they be?

Conversational, reflective, energetic

What early experience or influence on you is still very much alive for you today in your way of living or in your work?

My curiosity and love for what I make has always been present. I dive headfirst into disciplines and ideas that interest me and always have.

What is something you’re trying to let go of right now, & how is that going?

Letting the negativity of others influence my abilities as a creator, collaborator, and just as a person with goals that they want to achieve. I've been more meditative and spent more time clearing my head so as to not let other people's deconstructive influence take over me.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I am almost entirely self taught.

Who in your life has been a great support to you in championing your creative work, wellbeing, or growth? You can take a moment to describe, thank, or mention them here.

My parents have been the most supportive people of my creative process and journey as I have grown in my interests, tastes, and, as a result, the complexity of my art. They have always found the best way to get as many resources as were available for me to feel free to explore and create and I am forever grateful for that.

What kind of mentor would you most like to have? What new skill or knowledge are you most wanting to learn & practice right now? What kind of hands-on experience are you hungry for? What have you not learned in school that you think you really need right now to help make you successful & fulfilled?*

I think my ideal mentor is someone that challenges me while allowing an open dialogue about the choices I am making. I am incredibly excited to begin my composer fellowship with the LA Phil because I have never officially had a composition teacher and I believe that this is the perfect opportunity to grow as much as possible from the best mentors I could ask for.

COLLABORATIONS

OCTOBER
SMALL DORMS PRODUCTIONS
LA PHILHARMONIC COMPOSER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Class of 2025
NINA SHEKHAR

Mentor

BIO

Beau Chiasson, a junior at Geffen Academy at UCLA, is a composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist whose work ranges from classical to jazz to hip-hop. He is a member of the La Phil's Composer Fellowship Program class of 2025, beginning in October of 2024. His bossa nova piece, “Family Dinner,” composed under the mentorship of Nina Shekhar, was premiered by the Brightwork newmusic ensemble at Boston Court Pasadena. Beau has scored nine student films, written music performed by his school jazz band, and regularly performs original songs around Los Angeles with his band, October.

Beau is an honors student with an interest in genetics, an avid screenwriter and filmmaker, and a competitive track athlete. Additionally, he works as a student election worker and a counselor at Special Camp.

His biggest musical influences come from some of the great American composers: Duke Ellington and George Gershwin, both of whom he admires for their use of culturally diverse rhythms and romantic orchestrations, influencing much of the music he listens to and composes.