Carla Patullo Howls and Heals on Grammy-Nominated Ambient Album On So She Howls, the film composer, songwriter, and alum guides listeners through a cycle of healing that chronicles her experience with a life-threatening illness.
By
Bryan Parys
January 18, 2024
Image courtesy of Carla Patullo
When composer and songwriter Carla Patullo B.M. '01, M.M. '13 was young, her grandmother often sang to her. With that singing came a reminder of the cycles of life, of what it gives, takes, and returns to us. She used to tell me, Record this [singing] on a little tape recorder, because when I pass, I want you to have this so you can listen to me and remember me,' Patullo said.
The image of the tape ribbon, winding and rewinding itself around its spool, is a powerful one, and not just because of how it preserved her grandmother's voice. The memory of those tapes would help Patullo rediscover her own voice as she fought through a nearly three-year cancer battle, emerging with So She Howls, which earned a 2024 Grammy nomination for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album.
In the early stages of treatment, Patullos primary focus was survival, with all the ups and downs that entailed-she wasn't thinking about her career or her art at all. As the months went on, however, she found herself needing to vocalize. Its funny how music circles back, she said. I began howling. I call it that because I didnt have any lyrics, and I had no motivation to write lyrics in the beginning. So, I just started like, you know, singing.
During her treatment and recovery, this singing served a primal, deeply personal need. But at some point, she remembered her grandmother's lessons, and thought, I should really just go and press record.
I hope that people can feel . . . me finding my voice again.
- Carla Patullo B.M. 01, M.M. 13
These were the first breaths of what would become So She Howls, an ambient collection of nine songs that feature those original vocal recordings, alongside contributions from the Scorchio Quartet, vocal ensemble Tonality, and violinist Lili Haydn. The album's instrumentation is rich in swelling synth textures and warm string arrangements, while the vocals soar and haunt, calling to mind the more cinematic side of Sigur R s. And much like that Icelandic band's early albums, where vocals eschew the use of lyrics, So She Howls is largely wordless. The first discernible lyrics dont emerge until track six.
That pacing was a conscious choice. She wanted the album's narrative to reflect the experience of finding herself through healing. The last track on the album does have lyrics, and I think thats because I finally got to this place where I could sing and articulate more what Im saying. she said. So I hope that people can feel . . . me finding my voice again.
More Than One Way to Tell a StoryThe way the narrative is felt rather than told speaks to Patullo's skill as a songwriter as well as a film and TV composer. As an undergraduate at Berklee, she studied songwriting, and 12 years later she returned to study film, TV, and video game scoring at Berklee's campus in Valencia, Spain. Now an award-winning composer, she's worked on a range of documentaries, feature films, and shorts that often align with her passion for supporting women, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community. Most recently, her work can be heard in Maxine, a short film from Disney+ starring Margaret Cho.
Each discipline has helped her build a sustainable career both as a multimedia composer and a solo artist, and she views storytelling as the thread that weaves together her dual interests. But while writing her own songs had always come naturally, composing for other collaborators was an interest she first discovered while working with the comedian and musician Sandra Bernhard. Working with her was interesting because it was the first time for me to take someone elses story and see it from a different perspective, Patullo said. That led me to film scoring, because all of a sudden I was just so receptive to these other stories and not just writing about my own personal story.
She enrolled at Berklee Valencia to help her gain the skills she felt she was missing. By the time I got to Berklee Valencia, I felt like an underdog in the class, because I didnt have some of those film scoring skills that some of my classically trained classmates had, she said. But it was so fun. And Ive been loving orchestrating and getting into this cinematic sound, which I really found to be something that resonates deeply with me. Her professor, Laura Karpman, who recently scored the feature film The Marvels, helped her land her first scoring job in Los Angeles, where Patullo now resides and runs her own in-home studio.
Balancing the Professional and the PersonalOne way that Patullo balances her musical passions is to try to give herself at least an hour a day to work on her own art. But as she points out, both practices feed and nourish the other. Her songwriting gives her composition work a more defined sense of voice, and the scoring provides her personal work a wider sonic palette-something that is very much on display on So She Howls.
Patullo's life and career is full of this looping back to help her move forward. She hopes that by sharing her journey, even through howling, people will feel less alone-especially if they're experiencing the isolation that a difficult period can bring.
We go through these cycles of healing, and we go back and we remember things, and then we close down, and then we open up, and its like this circle, she said. And I hope the album from start to finish can help guide people on that.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
15 of the Best Cover Songs (and Why They Work) From Fast Car to Ring of Fire, there's no formula to making a
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
How Chris Bolte Builds the Sound of PlayStation Games Chris Bolte '16 is a technical sound designer at Sucker Punch Productions, where he helps create the...
19/03/2026
Other Voices presents a legendary night of music as Foo Fighters bring their stadium anthems to St James' Church, An Daingean. The surprise performance teas...
19/03/2026
***Issued by RT on behalf of RTS Ireland Awards / Gradaim RTS 2026...
19/03/2026
It's a double feature on GFN Thursday. This week, GeForce NOW offers smoother sights in virtual reality (VR) and a sprawling new land to conquer.
Streaming...
18/03/2026
Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4.
Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...
18/03/2026
SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...
18/03/2026
The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...
18/03/2026
(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...
18/03/2026
Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville
Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...
18/03/2026
Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded
Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...
18/03/2026
Mix-reference plug-in overhauled
iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...
18/03/2026
Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives
Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...
18/03/2026
Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture
18 March, 2026
Media releases
New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...
18/03/2026
Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...
18/03/2026
London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...
18/03/2026
SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...
18/03/2026
Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...
18/03/2026
Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability with Suite 7 at NAB Show 2...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched on Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
18/03/2026
X-Rite Pantone Demonstrates Advanced Color Management Solutions to Support Smart...
Carla Patullo Howls and Heals on Grammy-Nominated Ambient Album On So She Howls, the film composer, songwriter, and alum guides listeners through a cycle of healing that chronicles her experience with a life-threatening illness.
