About Talmage
Talmage Sell’s earliest memory of music is hearing the Superman score by John Williams. Long before he understood what a film composer was, he knew he wanted to write music that felt like that.
He began piano at five and started composing around nine, inspired by the soundtracks of Nintendo games like Kirby. As a child, he always wanted to create something, whether films, games, or animation. No matter what it was, he wanted to write the music for it.
Today, his writing is shaped by the melodic strength of Alan Silvestri and the orchestral storytelling of composers like John Powell and Joe Hisaishi. He also draws from the folk traditions of Gustav Holst and Aaron Copland. His development as a composer has been deeply influenced by mentors J Scott Rakozy and John Blasucci, whose guidance continues to shape both his craft and artistic voice.
Talmage is currently studying Commercial Music at Brigham Young University and was honored to be named a winner of the Orchestra of Southern Utah 2026 Young Composer’s Competition. He has scored short films, including Credo with Starstreet Studios, and was selected as one of the composers for BYU Animation’s 2026 capstone film. He also works on the Recording Team for the BYU School of Music.
At his core, he is passionate about storytelling. Whether scoring for film or writing for orchestra, he believes music has the power to deepen emotion, strengthen narrative, and create lasting impact.
