Frost School of Music faculty member Carlos Rafael Rivera scored big with his first Emmy Award for his main titles theme music from the Netflix limited series Godless. The awards were handed out at Saturday night’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony at the Microsoft Theatre LA LIVE in Los Angeles. Carlos Rafael Rivera is Assistant Professor and Director of the Musicianship, Artistry Development, & Entrepreneurship (MADE) Program at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.
"Creating the music for Godless was an amazing experience," exclaimed a joyful Rivera after his win, “I am ever so grateful to have been nominated by my peers at the television academy - and for the honor of receiving this award. I still can’t believe it.”
Rivera shared some of his process for scoring Godless by releasing two YouTube videos, giving audiences a peak at how he scored the characters and story about a notorious criminal who, while on the run, seeks refuge in an isolated mining town governed mainly by women.
“When it came time to write the main theme for Godless, we tried to find a singable melody, something that we could carry with us and would help encapsulate the story. Having the legendary T Bone Burnett as executive music producer, as well as mix the main theme, influenced and inspired my approach to scoring the story,” said Rivera.
