“Jana is a talented musician, great collaborator..their beautiful score weaved together and amplified the story, adding a layer to the final film that is both haunting and inspirational.
Tara Johnson-Medinger, Director/Producer ‘My Summer As A Goth”
Jana Cushman is a versatile composer, music supervisor, and frontperson of the dream pop/post-punk band Darkswoon. Known for blending organic instrumentation with electronic production, Cushman creates evocative, cinematic soundscapes that elevate storytelling across genres. With early roots in classical guitar and voice, Cushman honed their craft in the Pacific Northwest’s underground music scene, fusing goth, shoegaze, and electronic music. This sonic identity led to scoring their first feature film and ignited a passion for creating music to picture.
A graduate of Berklee College of Music with a degree in Music Composition for Film, TV, and Games, Cushman has composed original music for feature films, short films, video games, and television. Their award-winning score for My Summer As A Goth earned critical acclaim, and they are currently scoring several new projects, including the upcoming television series This Is Fine. Some of Jana’s favorite things include: cats, horror, riding bikes and Thai food.
FILM COMPOSING
MUSIC SUPERVISION
CUSTOM COMPOSITION FOR FILM, MEDIA, TV & VIDEO GAMES
LISTEN
Cinematic Soundscapes: Transform your visual narrative with a soundtrack that captures the essence your story. Whether it’s a hybrid orchestral score, fast paced, engaging trailer music or a minimalist ambient track, I craft pieces that will resonate with audiences, elevating the emotional impact.
Tailored Compositions: Every project is unique, and so is the music that drives it. I collaborate closely with filmmakers to create custom scores that perfectly align with their vision, ensuring that every note enhances the storytelling.
I am passionate about putting sound to picture whether through composing original score, exploring sound design or finding the perfect song placement to fit the scene. I’ve spent my life pursuing music and learning how to sew a deeper connective thread to my craft. It’s an intuitive process for me that can be almost compulsive in efforts to achieve the greatest possible sonic outcome. I am grateful for every opportunity to do this thing that I love.
RECENT PROJECTS
ORIGINAL SCORE and MUSIC SUPERVISION
My Summer as a Goth
Motion Picture Soundtrack
My Summer as a Goth is a coming-of-age story about the sometimes painful—often entertaining—search for identity and love in adolescence.
After the sudden death of her father, 16-year-old, Joey Javitts is sent to stay with her eccentric grandparents while her author mother promotes her latest novel. Joey promptly falls for the beguiling Goth boy next door, Victor, and is transformed by him and his merry band of misfits in black.
Set in present-day Portland, My Summer as a Goth navigates Joey’s relationships with her new friends, her family and herself, and will resonate with anyone who survived the social alienation of adolescence—and that first summer heartbreak.
Directed & Produced by Tara Johnson-Medinger
***Winner Best Score at the 2019 DTLA Film Festival***
credits
released May 22, 2020
Music Supervisor - Jana Cushman
Producer - Tara Johnson-Medinger
Producer - Ana Ammann
Master By- Jeremy Wilkins at underwater research and design
Album Cover Art Design - Noah Denker & Lucas Bartley (FLUX)
Ghost Town Podcast, Original Music
‘Death’s Door’ Short Film, Original Score and Music Supervision
‘This is Fine’ TV Series, Original Score and Music Supervision