Montverde Academy students (L-R) Molly Smith, award-winning screen writer and director; and Allison Fitzgerald, music composer

Montverde – Montverde Academy is proud to announce that student Allison Fitzgerald has had her original score for the short film, “I Don’t Know,” accepted in the Los Angeles Cinefest as a Finalist in the Original Score category. CineFest is an online and live international film festival that accepts local, national and international films and scripts.

Allison, a senior, is a member of the Montverde Academy Music Conservatory program studying music composition and has been playing stringed instruments since the fourth grade. She composed the original score for a short film written and filmed by Molly Smith, a junior at Montverde Academy. This is quite an accomplishment as her score was competing with all films in the Original Score category, not just student productions. She has also composed music with Molly for another film called, “Finding Home.”

“I am passionate and fascinated in how music can evoke any emotion in a person,” said Allison. “Music is what I use to lift my mood from any emotion on the spectrum. The music alone can bring out emotion, but when paired with the screen and being able to watch the music and characters’ actions intertwine into one piece, that is truly magical. Being able to put a smile on someone’s face or help them achieve goals through a series of melodies, as composers have done for me, is something I’ll achieve one day.”

“Allison is a talented violist and composer who has an innate ability to create music that affects the audience,” said Mr. Hanrich Claassen, String Orchestra teacher at the Montverde Academy Music Conservatory. “Montverde Academy provides a wonderful environment where students can stretch their imagination to create amazing work. We are proud of Allison’s accomplishment and look forward to watching her artistry grow as she pursues her passion.”