https://blackgirlnerds.com/music-composer-marcus-norris-jazzy-sounds-sizzle-in-lady-in-the-lake/

In an exclusive one-on-one interview with music composer Marcus Norris, the creator behind the sound composition for the new Apple TV+ series The Lady In The Lake, the musician opened up about his process, working with Beyonce and how it transitioned from producing beats to scoring for film and TV.

Your first foray into music was producing beats off of pirated software.  Can you share with us your journey into what that whole experience was about?

We didn’t have a lot of money, but we always had creativity and curiosity. When I first started composing and I got to college, I thought I had a deficit that I was trying to make up for. But I now realize, it was like a superpower, because I didn’t have these traditional backgrounds. I always approached music through “How does it feel to me?” And now that I also worked in film and TV, it’s all about, “How does this feel?” instead of intellectualizing your way into it. I started with making beats and had to build a computer from scrap parts, which is crazy to think about now because they’ve gotten so small.  I didn’t think I was gonna go to college after high school. I found that some of my friends were going to college and thought I better figure this out. I ended up getting a two-year community college. I found a music recording program, but while I was there, they introduced me to basic materials and music theory and some music history. And I was just bit by the bug of composition. It was a new way of thinking. And I’ve just been doing it ever since and just kind of adding more things into that R&B Hip Hop background that I have.

You’ve had the opportunity to work with Beyonce, which is a huge flex in the music industry.  What was it like working with her and what were you able to glean from her as an artist yourself?

That’s a great question. She’s amazing. I’ve been working with Miss Tina for some years. They have a theater in North Hollywood called the Waco theater. And they’ve been huge supporters of mine. We did the very first Southside Symphony concert there. I scored several plays that they put on as they’re written music before I was even working in  Film/TV or anything like that. Then I got the call about helping with some of the orchestrations with the Dubai pop-up concert that Beyonce did. It was the first time she was performing in like five years. This is the Renaissance tour. RFight before that, I was music director for Ms. Tina’s, the big Wearable Art gala. So I had a relationship with them. This opportunity came up and I’m like, of course. As far as what I learned from Beyonce, it was just so refreshing because, sometimes you hear about people who are working at the highest level to be rude or short or not personable, and Beyonce was the opposite. She was so kind and gracious, but also enjoyed making art at the highest possible level. Beyonce and Miss Tina both do things like investing in black art and they really do not have to do that.

When working on a project like Lady in the Lake, which is from a different time period, what are you looking for in terms of cadence and tone of scoring the theme of a song?

It takes place in late 60s Black Baltimore. And for me, my face lit up when I heard about that because that’s so jazzy and R&B. It’s so near and dear to my heart. There’s like jazz influences in there. I always describe it as kind of like Quincy Jones was born in the 90s and came up on like R& and Hip Hop. And so when they wanted this, they knew they didn’t want to have just purely jazz or just purely R&B. Or when we’re dealing with Natalie Portman’s character, just purely classical or any of these things. We wanted something that was a fusion. And so much of my work is about fusion and how we experiment with genre.

What was the one thing that surprised you while working on Lady In The Lake?

I will just say the scope of it. This is my first TV series. So it was the journey that you’re able to go on I think was a really, really cool surprise for me. I’ve scored a couple films and you have 30 minutes of music in it or something like that by the end maybe 45, but just how far we were able to go with the music, I don’t know that that’s going to be like that with every director. Alma is a visionary. She likes to push things. She kept reminding me I’m giving you the green light to have fun to go as far as you can. If we have to dial it back later we do. So I was surprised how much they let me get away with.

Did you do any deep dives into reading the source material from Laura Lippman’s book, or did Alma coach you through the script when crafting together the music for the series?

I bought the book and I read the first bit of it. I didn’t get to read the whole thing because you know how TV works. We need that music in two days. I actually got to watch the rough draft of the whole series before I jumped in. That helped me as a composer because I knew this is where the music has to go. This is how it all relates to each other later. 

What’s next for you?

We’re doing more concerts with the Southside symphony, which I’m happy about. I have the Chicago youth symphony orchestra piece I’m writing and I’m hoping to do more TV and film.

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity

Lady In The Lake is currently streaming on Apple TV+