Interview With Tyler Strickland, Composer For Peacock Series ‘John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise’

Recently, Peacock gave us the serial killer documentary John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise. In a deep dive into the John Wayne Gacy story, we are reminded that unsettling crimes can happen anywhere. Of course, a 6-hour documentary requires music, and Tyler Strickland offers just the right sounds to cushion our fall into a nightmare. Tyler Strickland has also composed music for Castle Rock for Hulu, and the George Clooney-produced true-crime series, Trial By Media, among many other projects and documentaries. In addition to discussing music, we talk about the odd task of matching music to a documentary about a serial killer and his victims.

Here’s the music for John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise on Spotify.

The Interview of Tyler Strickland

PopHorror: How much insight does scoring a film or TV series offer into how it’s directed, produced, and edited?

Tyler Strickland: A ton! I work very closely with the editors and director of a film. Most often, the director and I will have a conversation while the film is still being shot about direction and vision for the score. We come up with theme ideas, concepts on how to connect different characters, etc. I typically get started writing music before the editing process, and this allows me an opportunity to talk with the editors as they start their work. I usually work the closest with editors on a film.

PopHorror: As a general question: To what extent do you write for the soundtrack of each episode vs. writing for the overall series?

Tyler Strickland: I score each episode from scratch unless we repurpose themes throughout the series. Typically, each episode has its own score that progresses with the story. The soundtrack album is usually a culmination of a lot of my favorite moments from the series, major themes, and sometimes even things I wrote that never made it into the show!

PopHorror: The music to John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise often has a timeless, ethereal quality. What’s the best way to capture that essence?

Tyler Strickland: I used a handful of instruments in the score that might feel appropriate for the 1980s; some vintage synths, vibraphone, some woodwinds. I think the combination of these elements really helped capture that timeless feel. I also really like making scores that don’t say too much, melodically. Sometimes it’s just all about the texture of the instruments and how they’re performed that gives so much more life to the music than any melody could. So, as a result, I think a lot of the score does feel pretty ethereal!

PopHorror: Looking at your IMDb page, it looks like you’re always doing something different. Is it ever a challenge jumping from one project to another?

Tyler Strickland: Yes! I’m always mixing it up, and honestly sometimes working on three completely different projects at once. It is actually always a challenge. Although it’s really nice when sometimes I hit a roadblock and can’t seem to write anything I like, I’ll jump to another project that may have a very different vibe, and it really helps keep my mind fresh.

A Typical Day For a Composer

PopHorror: What’s a typical day for a score composer?

Tyler Strickland: It’s funny because it can change so dramatically based on if we have deadlines. A normal day I’d say looks a little like wake up, copious amounts of coffee, write/tinker in the studio on some ideas, spend about an hour responding to emails, write about 5 minutes of music (on a good day), eat sleep repeat. And to be honest, some days it’s go into the studio, staring into blank space for 8 hours, realize you got absolutely nothing done and being okay with that. Those days happen, and sometimes it’s a good thing.

PopHorror: John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise deals with some heavy themes. In addition to the morbid nature of serial murder, you have ideas like lives cut short and innocence lost. It’s certainly not a story of grace and glamour, but the darker side of human nature. What was your approach to dealing with this sometimes graphic examination of a dark and violent time in American history?

Tyler Strickland: Great question. I think Gacy’s sister is a great example of how this can be complicated. Of course they’re related, but he’s the only one that turned out to be a monster. Yet, she still loves him. It’s very complex, but often I treat those characters with a light-handed approach and let the audience make the decision on whether or not to feel sympathetic. On the other hand, we have the families of the victims, and we were much more empathetic to those stories. I typically like to use piano and some light strings, like solo cello, for those moments.

Serial Killer-Obsessed?

PopHorror: Do you think people have an obsession with serial killers?

Tyler Strickland: One hundred percent. I’m one of those people, but it sure is a strange thing that’s it’s so fascinating to so many people. I wonder about this a lot.

PopHorror: Music can seem like the most inviting thing in the world, but some people give up if they can’t master music right away. What is your advice to these people?

Tyler Strickland: Well, I’m a self-taught musician, and I firmly believe anyone can write beautiful music if they spend time building a relationship with an instrument. It does take time, but on the other end of that, I can say I know some incredible musicians who really don’t write their own music. They spend so much time trying to master an instrument, they almost forget why they love it. It’s also really important to share what you’re creating with people you trust. Just to get past that fear of sharing it and welcome feedback.

PopHorror: What are your favorite horror movies or TV shows?

Tyler Strickland: I’m a big fan of classic Hollywood horrors. As far as newer stuff, I’ve really been loving Ari Aster’s take on horror in Hereditary and Midsommar. Amazing films.

PopHorror: What projects do you have in the works?

Tyler Strickland: I have a handful of projects coming out soon: Changing The Game, an original Hulu Documentary, and PRIDE, an original FX docuseries. They’re both coming out in early June!

We’d like to thank Tyler Strickland for taking the time to answer these questions!