In each “Behind the Scenes” segment, Village Media's Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our local journalists to talk about the story behind the story.
These interviews are designed to help you better understand how our community-based reporters gather the information that lands in your local news feed. You can find more Behind the Scenes from reporter across Ontario here.
Today's spotlight is on SooToday's Alex Flood, whose story — "‘Pretty special’: Sault-born composer nominated for two Emmys" — was published on Aug. 17.
Below is the full story, in case you missed it.
There must be something in the water, because another man from Sault Ste. Marie has received a nod from the Emmys — two, in fact.
Jeff Toyne, a Los Angeles-based freelance composer and Sir James Dunn graduate, wrote the colourful music for the Apple TV+ series Palm Royale — a 1960s comedy-drama starring Kristen Wiig, Ricky Martin and Carol Burnett.
His work for the show has been nominated for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music and Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) at the 76th Emmy Awards, which will announce the winners next month.
Toyne joins a growing list of Saultites who have received attention from the Emmys in all sorts of departments in the last year, from post production and animation to the creative arts.
While he’s played supportive roles in the music department for more than 100 movies and dozens of television shows, Toyne said this is the first time he’s received this level of recognition as the department’s lead.
“This is a real highlight for me,” he told SooToday. “It represents a collaboration I’ve had with the showrunner of Palm Royale, Abe Sylvia, that spans back nearly 20 years. We’ve been working on projects over the years together, and this is the pinnacle of our collaborating relationship that we’ve built, so that’s pretty special.”
Born and raised in the Sault, Toyne was playing piano from pretty much the time he could reach the keys. Taking both private lessons and conservatory lessons, his hunger for the craft wasn’t just limited to one instrument.
As a student at Anna McCrea Public School, Toyne was involved with the band program where he played the trombone before he picked up the guitar as a high school student at the Dunn.
Perhaps not the most popular of instrumental choices, the trombone actually came in handy later when the Saultite found himself playing in the 15th Field Regiment Band in Vancouver for two years.
The University of British Columbia is where he obtained his Master’s degree before he moved down to the University of Southern California for post-graduate studies at the turn of the century.
Toyne’s transition between these two schools was unknowingly the beginning of a full circle moment 25 years in the making.
“Through one of the instructors at UBC, I became aware of a program down in Los Angeles called the Henry Mancini Institute,” he explained. “It was designed to provide a bridge between the formal education and practical skills you need in order to thrive as a working musician, and it was started by Mancini.”
“It was a very exciting summer to spend down there and to work and perform with an 80-piece orchestra that had been assembled from around the world,” he continued. “But the full circle aspect is the main inspiration for the score of Palm Royale is based on 1960s Henry Mancini.”
The score of the show, which has been nominated for eleven Emmys in total, aligns with the location and timeline the series is based upon: Palm Beach, Florida in 1969.
Because the characters are all members of the elite, socialite class, Toyne determined the music had to match their lavish personalities.
“Everything about the show was expensive — it was about wealth, extravagance and luxury,” he explained. “So, the music is sort of jazzy, bright and thematic with characters who have themes you can recognize.”
“The nature of the main title was a little bit of a kitchen sink piece of music,” he added. “It had quite a bit going on — a couple mood changes and themes even though it’s only a minute long. That piece of music was recorded with a 50-piece orchestra, as well as a bunch of soloists that were being recorded on top of that as well — lots of different colours.”
Up against some familiar names in the Dramatic Score category like The Crown, Shogun, and Only Murders in the Building, among others, it’s no secret that Toyne has some tough competition in September.
Regardless of whether he wins or not, the Emmy-nominated composer knows he and his team have achieved something special.
“This happened to be a show the filmmakers and the studio believed in the power of music — in particular, live music,” he said. “The investment in recording musicians — real people — for the score of the show really paid off.”
“Because the score was so thematic, the actors really enjoyed the fact they could point to a track on the soundtrack and say: ‘That’s the theme for my character!’ That doesn’t happen very often. It’s been really fun to share that with them,” he added.
Happily married to his wife and film composer Aiko and a proud father to their 12-year-old daughter Lina, Toyne still enjoys making regular visits to the Sault every year to catch up with his parents.
The two musical categories he is nominated for will be announced Sept. 7-8 before the Primetime Emmys air live on national television the following weekend.
If he were to win one — or potentially both — where would Toyne display the hardware?
“I wouldn’t set it down, I’d just walk around with it in my hand all the time,” he laughed. “I actually have to get a speech planned. Somehow it seems ‘jinxy’ to plan for the possibility of the win, but I guess I should.”