Christopher Gordon on His Career as Film Composer and Councillor
From the orchestra pit to city hall
IF, AS EMILY DICKINSON ONCE SUGGESTED, fame is a fickle food upon a shifting plate, then it stands to reason that the entertainment industry is a shifty business. In front of or behind the camera, a person can undergo an entire evolution cycle of job roles and titles across the course of their career.
Cinematographers might decide they want to try their hand at directing (looking at you, Barry Sonnenfeld). Sometimes the director might have a go at screenwriting (hello, Mr. Spielberg) and, in the case of Australian composer Christopher Gordon, the music makers might dip their toes into completely different waters.
Elected to City of Ryde council in September 2017, the former Hollywood composer served as Deputy Mayor for the Northern Sydney suburb after accumulating numerous high-profile credits, such as swashbuckling Russell Crowe vehicle Master and Commander and gory vampire flick Daybreakers.
But Gordon does not see this as an impediment in any way. Quite the contrary, he feels his musical background is an advantage. “It is important that our politicians, collectively, have a wide range of life experience. When the opportunity came to stand for council, I felt that as a composer and without formal…
