Average Joe is a faith-based film about a Marine who becomes a high school coach and takes a legal stand to defend freedom and religious liberty. The project was directed by Harold Cronk and and stars Eric Close, Paul Rae and Austin Woods. It was released theatrically on October 11th.
Andrew Morgan Smith served as composer on the feature, which is based on the true story of Joe Kennedy. He wanted to avoid the typical stylistic choices of religious dramas, as the film itself offers more than just socio-political themes. Here, he shares insight into his creative process.
Andrew, can you share some details about the overall vision for the music in Average Joe and how you approached it?
“Average Joe is a bit of an unconventional film. It combines elements of a football movie, courtroom drama and Christian film, but, at its core, it’s a love story that follows the journey of the two main characters. We watch them navigate various stages of life and see how those experiences shape their relationship.
“Given these themes, we wanted to avoid a preachy tone. Our aim was to provide audiences with a genuine glimpse into Joe's life and struggles. To achieve this, we were intentional about the score's impact. We reserved big musical moments for scenes that truly called for them, aligning with major emotions or decisions on-screen, while often choosing a more restrained score to support the film's intimate moments.”
What were the specific musical needs of the film, and how did you ensure they aligned with the narrative?
“Joe and Denise’s life is marked by some deeply challenging moments, including abuse, heartbreak, marital struggles, personal transformation and victories. We needed a score that could support these moments without being heavy-handed, which became a central directive. We were highly selective about when we wanted to let the score swell. If a simple synth pad and piano could convey the mood, we kept it minimal. We reserved the larger, more intense musical moments for scenes of profound emotional weight – like when Joe stands up for his beliefs or faces deep emotional turmoil.”
How did you collaborate with the director and other team members to develop the film’s score?
“As we developed the score, we knew we didn’t want a conventional Christian or football sound. We wanted to touch on these genres without being fully immersed in them. To refine the score's tone, I created sketches and tested different musical ideas against the picture. Director Harold Cronk provided feedback on each approach, helping us arrive at the tone we have now. The score features a blend of guitar and orchestra, a combination often found in Christian and football films, but I introduced modular and pad synths to bring fresh texture and vitality to the genre. The result is a sound that feels both familiar and new.”
What themes or motifs would you point to as highlights?
“Joe and Denise’s love theme is one of the most essential motifs in the score. The film centers on their love story and how it's impacted by various events. This theme is introduced clearly in the violins at the beginning of ‘Sent Away’ on the soundtrack. It’s a simple motif that occasionally appears as an ostinato, as in the opening of the track ‘Average Joe.’ In the cue ‘Making a Change,’ it emerges poignantly at 3:08, underscoring Joe’s decision to change in an effort to save their marriage. This motif threads through many cues, adapting in different settings to reflect how events shape their relationship.”
What was the timeframe for composing the score, and how did that affect your creative process?
“Every movie is different, but the Average Joe score took about eight weeks from start to finish. I spent roughly six weeks composing, recorded in the seventh week, and mixed and edited the music in the eighth week. Prior to that eight-week period, I also spent about a week sketching themes and ideas. With a relatively tight turnaround, time management becomes crucial. As a creative, it’s easy to get caught up in perfecting a cue before sharing it, but in this kind of timeline, making decisions and getting feedback is often more valuable than aiming for perfection. Sending ideas for team feedback early on helps steer the collaboration in a productive direction.”
What challenges were unique to this film? Anything you can share?
“Every movie presents its own unique challenges. Average Joe was my first time collaborating with most of this team, and naturally, there were some growing pains as we learned each other’s shorthand and artistic sensibilities. That’s where the sketch phase at the beginning of the project was especially valuable. Communication is essential to building trust with any team, and that trust is key in situations like this. Ensuring that the creatives feel heard and that the work is serving the project’s vision is critical.”
Let’s talk a bit about instrumentations and your recording process.
“A unique aspect of this score is the use of modular synths. Over the past year, I’ve been experimenting with modular synthesis and integrating it into my workflow. For this project, I used Moog’s Subharmonicon extensively for creating pads and textures. Its modular interface allows for mixing and matching textures, enabling a lot of creative flexibility. Sometimes, I’d start a cue by setting up a pad with the Subharmonicon and then layering more traditional elements on top. If the sound was effective, that pad might be all I needed for the moment. Other times, I’d add further layers and use the Lyra-8 to bring unique, interesting textures that complemented the orchestra.”
How do you feel the music enhances the storytelling in Average Joe?
“The score and soundtrack play a crucial role in Average Joe. In a film that spans a long period of time and could easily drift into overly-sentimental territory, it was essential to create a score that supports the story without being overly dramatic. Another important aspect was the licensed music in the movie. Music supervisors Jonathan McHugh and Sydney Lane did an outstanding job selecting songs that evoke the time periods we journey through. Their choices not only enhance the era-specific feel, but also complement the score, allowing me the freedom to be selective in where music is used to convey emotional depth.”