After being awarded NYU Scholarship, Atif Afzal decides to balance studies and music career

Music Composer Atif Afzal was awarded a scholarship by the esteemed New York University (NYU) this month. This was a gesture by the University for his spectacular work done on their thesis film, The Alternative and other impressive body of work Atif exhibits in his decade long career.

The Alternative is a story of  Valentina Moreno, a single mother who works as a housekeeper for a wealthy Manhattan family, takes decisive action when something from her past threatens to ruin her personal and professional relationships. Following the theme of the film, Atif kept the music treatment very rustic and used a mix of South American music along with an orchestral score. The main theme is played on just a Ukulele while he also recorded live saxophones, violin and string sections for this. NYU provided Atif with their studio facility to record the music on Tape, just like how it was done 50 years back to get a warm retro feel to the sound. It totally elevated the entire sonic of the music for the film.

This scholarship came as a surprise to Atif as well. He exclaims, “Studying music and composing for a thesis film at NYU is an experience of a lifetime. While recording, the university furnished us with the best facility which would otherwise cost thousands of dollars. They made sure we have access to not only the best facility and sound engineers, but also the best session musicians. I am really excited to begin my music schooling.“

Atif always wanted to pursue his study in music but due to work commitments, he was unable to give time but with this scholarship, he has decided to balance both.

Trailer : https://imdb.to/3gHsNXc

2020 has been a great year for Atif Afzal as all his major work has been released which includes ‘NCIS : Los Angeles‘, ‘The Twilight Zone – Season 2‘, BBC UK Project, Marvel approaching him for a film, his recent tracks getting released by BMG Music Label and now NYU Scholarship.