Composer, Pianist, and Conductor

Kara Ford is a rising eclectic composer, conductor, and pianist who pushes the boundaries of contemporary writing with a rich blend of orchestral and unconventional sounds. Kara’s work ranges from arranging music for the 2023-2024 Oscars and Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter LeAnn Rimes to music production on popular TV shows such as NBC's "The Good Place", Netflix’s “Untold” series, and Amazon's "Homecoming". Her imaginative pieces have been performed across the world in such high-esteemed venues as Dublin’s National Concert Hall by Ireland’s National Symphony Orchestra, the historic San Francisco Mint by Mercury Soul, Utah’s Deer Valley Music Festival by LeAnn Rimes and the Utah Symphony, Warner Brothers Scoring Stage, Capitol Records, and Disneyland by the big band Swing Town.

Kara’s versatile sound stems from piano and trumpet studies in classical and jazz fused with the modern technology of film scoring. Kara holds a Master's of Music in Screen Scoring from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in Film Scoring from Boston’s Berklee College of Music. In addition to composition, Kara assistant-conducts the Huntington Beach Concert Band, plays piano on cruise ships, and is also the music director for St. Polycarp Catholic Church. She currently lives in Southern California where she enjoys wake boarding and reading a good fiction novel.

Credits

Music

Oscars Arrangements

For the 2023 and 2024 seasons of the Oscars, Kara was hired by lead arranger Chris Walden (founder of the Pacific Jazz Orchestra) and music director Rickey Minor to arrange music for several nominated films. If a film wins, they play a recording of a new arrangement of their music as the producers walk on stage.

Kara’s arrangement of “Godzilla Minus One” is played live at the 2024 Oscars

Conducting

Kara conducting at the Huntington Beach Concert Band’s 50th Anniversary concert in 2023.

Book Release

My book release!

Click here to purchase a paperback or Kindle copy.

Soundtrack available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify, Amazon, and iTunes.

* * *

Breathe. Just breathe. Sometimes that’s all it takes to wipe away the bad memories. Other times, the swallowing darkness lurches Dani awake in a cold sweat, the bloodcurdling screams still echoing in her ears…

But this year will be different—it has to be. This year Dani will lead her college lacrosse team to a championship and get into med school—and what’s wrong with having a little fun to keep her grounded?

Except it’s not so simple when the painful memories keep threatening to destroy everything she has worked so hard for…

Dustin, Dani’s student mentor, is in his final year of medical school. He has enough weight on his shoulders with family concerns and the pressure of his upcoming graduation—the last thing he needs is a rambunctious mentee who doesn’t take her studies seriously. Is she even worth his time?

Dani and Dustin are determined to conquer their own trials; however, nobody sees the tumultuous, cataclysmic storm of events brewing on the horizon.

And amid such an unprecedented storm with no clear skies in sight, not even the strongest walls can stand for long.

The Serpent Bearer Soundtrack

Soundtrack also available on all streaming platforms (Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, etc.)

Anthem (song) – An introduction to Dani.
Flashback (score) – Dani’s struggle to suppress haunting memories that she’s tried to keep locked away for three years.
Dustin (score) – An introduction to Dustin.
Wanting (score) – Dani succumbing to the feelings of wanting something that is always just out of reach; something that she can never have.
Three Years Ago (score) – Dani’s haunting, heartbreaking memory of the dark night that changed her life forever.
Brighter Beginnings (score) – A flicker of light in Dani’s impeding darkness.
Smile Now, Child (song) – A lullaby sung from brother to little sister, evoking a swarm of nostalgic memories within Dani.
The Kiss (score) – An unexpected kiss, bringing with it familiar feelings of self-doubt and shame.
Before I Fall (song) – Dani sings a ballad about the consequences of breaking her own heart for the greater good.
Reflections (score) – Dani reflecting on the light in her own life throughout the years.