Carla Patullo - Move Me Still (The Soundry) [Neoclassical]

Raised on her grandmother's folk songs Carla Patullo got off to an encouraging musical start, though winning a Grammy in 2024 took serious determination and dedication from this film score composer, solo artist, song writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist. You can also add impressive conviction to her list of personal qualities if you take into account her music writing that supports and advances inclusion for women, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community. Impressive talent and ambition do not always go hand in hand with a strong moral compass, so props all round.

Patullo’s newest track, “Move Me Still” is part of her soundtrack focus and was written about the quiet power of nature, and especially horses, to heal deep wounds, such as PTSD and depression. Composed for a film that follows veterans, prison inmates, and others seeking help as they encounter and engage with beautiful horses on an isolated ranch in Pennsylvania, “Move Me Still” captures the immense presence required when interacting with these majestic animals.

Soundtracking human trauma's interaction with nature is surely a demanding compositional brief, but Patullo rises impressively to the challenge. Enlisting the help of Morgan Byers on cello, the track starts with a vaguely ominous, undulating drone that is dips and surfaces under the sounds of subdued yet graceful bowing and what sounds like string plucked deviance or brushed percussion? It's a suitably cagey introduction that mirrors human and animals' natural suspicion.

Slowly surely the uneasy drone dissipates and the composition develops more familiar classical cello form as carrots are given, strokes felt, scents inhaled, familiarity and trust gained and healing initiated. It's a fine slice of cinematic neoclassical music that unusually stands on its own sonic feet, but I'm sure works wonders during the accompanying film scene.

---

Playlist Companion

Find Patullo in the Slow Neoclassical Playlist.