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Westheimer

Name:
Cody Westheimer
Born:
-

Biography

Cody Westheimer is a noted film and television composer. A magna cum laude graduate of the music composition program at USCs Thornton School of Music, his gift for thematic writing and creative instrument choices has made him a sought after composer for film, television and games.

The Los Angeles resident owns and operates New West Studios, Inc. with his wife, composer Julia Newmann. He has composed compelling scores for over 40 narrative and documentary features, as well as numerous television series and video games.

In 2011 Westheimer penned a Hollywood inspired theme for the Tour de France, which airs every July on NBC. His themes for Major League Soccer, Sports Dash and the National Dog Show can regularly be heard on NBC and NBCSN. Every Sunday morning his theme "Images to Remember" plays alongside John Williams on Meet the Press. Codys music was selected for numerous features which aired in primetime during the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Westheimers first orchestral work was performed by the Santa Barbara Symphony in 1997 when he was a senior in high school. Years later (2009) Westheimer was commissioned by the Santa Barbara Symphony to compose "The Remarkable Farkle McBride" (based on the John Lithgow book.) This piece was premiered by the Santa Barbara Symphony in 2010, with an encore performance in 2011. Upon graduation from the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California in 2002 Westheimer was awarded the ASCAP Morton Gould Award for his orchestral work, "Bamboo Leaves." This piece featured the Japanese shakuhachi (bamboo flute) and orchestra.

With a passion for wildlife and nature, Cody and Julia regularly contribute music to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust - the well-known elephant orphanage in Kenya. Cody has written scores for documentaries including "True Wolf," "The Mono Lake Story," and "Ocean Adventures." "How I Became an Elephant" recently won at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival where Cody has also served as a judge and panelist.

Among his other musical accomplishments and accolades Westheimer was selected as a participant for the prestigious ASCAP Filmscoring Workshop in 2001, and was chosen as a finalist for the Young Film Composers Competition, sponsored by Turner Classic Movies in 2004. Meanwhile, his orchestral score to the 2005 short animated film "SMILE" was awarded Double Gold Medals at the Park City Film Music Festival, and his overture for Segas "The Golden Compass Game" was nominated by the Game Audio Network Guild for "Track of the Year."

In 2008 Westheimer moonlit as a filmmaker with his award-winning documentary short film, "Running for my Father." The documentary followed Westheimer as he trained for the Houston Marathon in honor of his father, Dr. Eric Westheimer who died of a brain tumor in 2007. In 2011 Westheimer completed the Ironman World Championships on October 8, 2011 in Kona, Hawaii. His video account of the day hit the internet by storm, with nearly 20,000 views in the first week. Today he is one of the primary musical voices for the annual Ironman special on NBC and regularly rides with the "Fireflies," a dedicated group of industry professionals who have raised millions of dollars for cancer research.

Cody credits his athletic training sessions for providing inspiration to the scoring process. While Westheimer composes mostly on keyboards, he is also known for incorporating his vast collection of rare and interesting musical instruments. His recent work in independent cinema has also reacquainted him with his love for the guitar, prompting an exploration in eclectic rock sounds and other modern pop styles. Cody can also be heard regularly jamming on the trombone at LA area jam sessions.

Other than writing and playing music Westheimer enjoys nature photography (his recent trip to Africa can be seen here), wood working (he built his own studio, including his desk and monitor speakers among other things) and playing with most dogs.

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