Composer Roberto Garza Gamez is clearly enthusiastic about the accolades the film Daisy and his musical contributions to it have been receiving. Seven nominations thus far, including a nomination from TMFF for “Best Original Score” have been heaped upon Daisy. Director and writer Nicholas Joseph Cunha gave Garza Gamez a great deal of latitude in creating the musical compositions which accompanied the action of the film; a result of Roberto’s previous work as well as his excitable demeanor towards the Sci-Fi genre. The composer recalls, “My name was being passed around by a lot of New York filmmakers and that’s when Nicholas Joseph Cunha reached out to me to discuss the music he wanted for Daisy. The film was sci-fi inspired and had many elements that I was interested in. From the start, it was a smooth conversation and we both understood how the music was supposed to play out in this type of film. I am a big fan of Sci-Fi films so for me it was going to be a very fun time composing music that I enjoyed. Since we understood each other, the process of deciding the music was swift. Nicholas gave me clear instructions of what kind of mood he was looking for on each scene and from there I started composing. It was a pretty straight forward film with a clear plot and me being a fan of the sci-fi genre really helped in coming up with quick ideas that fit the story.”
On the surface, Daisy is a film about the extreme lengths we would go to in order to protect those most precious to us, but the deeper message is one of discovering our own true nature in trying times. The main character Danny is a young man who participates in an underground game of Russian Roulette to gain the funds needed to pay for his mother’s potentially terminal illness. As he repeatedly defies the odds to persevere and dominate this game, his relationship to his mother alters, as does his demeanor. This evolution is intensified by a pensive and anxious score. The dark ominous Spartan tones that begin during the first scene of the film bloom into repetitive melodic themes which subconsciously signal danger to the audience. There are subtle rhythmic elements that linger to create a sci-fi atmosphere throughout the sequence during Danny’s initial participation in the deadly game. The percussion is unpredictable, infusing chaos into these moments. Garza Gamez seems to be a master of the unintuitive in the most surprisingly delightful manner. In the same way that Alfred Hitchcock manifested the unknown anxieties of an audience, Roberto appears to wield this ability through music. The composer stipulates that he has no pre-established methodology for film scoring, preferring to correlate his creations to the performances of the actors. In contrast to the sparse instrumentation found in much of Daisy, Roberto sculpted a grand spectacle for the emotional apex of the story. He confides, “The music starts with choir and subtle piano, creating an angelical, serene mood that juxtaposes the danger of the participants dying to the game. The music evolves and strings are added, bringing more weight as the melody is established as a theme. Danny’s words monologue over and make his message sound more serious and important. We witness Danny and Brook facing each other on the final round and the hostess is about to count down from 10. The music starts shifting into a more decisive, rhythmic groove that feels like something is about to happen and there is a twist to the story. When Danny declines Brooke’s switching of places, the music becomes more intense and determined as he continues to monologue with a voiceover telling the audience that being a daisy in a garden of roses is a mistake, and mistakes are to be eradicated as he faces Brooke with a smile on his face. The music feels climactic and epic as the countdown starts and builds up into a big crescendo before the hostess reaches zero and she looks to one side before facing the camera.” What occurs next is the most shocking moment of the entire film, and one which you will have to discover by viewing Daisy for yourself. Experiencing this film provides a thrilling understanding of how Roberto’s score steered the film into being categorized as a Sci-Fi story rather than a suspenseful drama. The power of music, and of a composer as talented as Roberto, is more potent than one might suspect; Daisy is more compelling for it.
Sharon Howe is a creative person with diverse talents. She writes engaging articles for WonderWorldSpace.com, where she works as a content writer. Writing allows Sharon to inform and captivate readers. Additionally, Sharon pursues music as a hobby, which allows her to showcase her artistic abilities in another creative area.