As a youth, Bacon learned to play piano and saxophone, and from an early age he knew he wanted to be a film composer. He has said, "From the point that I could start thinking about what I wanted to do when I grew up... it was always to write movie music."[4]
Bacon received a Bachelor's Degree in music composition from Brigham Young University and completed the Scoring For Motion Pictures and Television program at University of Southern California.[5][6] He interned under film composer James Newton Howard. Bacon cites his internship with Howard as his most valuable musical training,
"While I learned a ton from school, my real-world education came under James. It felt like I was on scholarship because I was being paid to learn what it means to be a film composer at the pinnacle of the industry. James gave me my first opportunities on projects that he couldn't fully take on for a variety of reasons, and his endorsement was very comforting to producers who appreciated the work still being performed under his 'umbrella'."[7]
Career
Bacon worked under Howard on several of his scores between 2005 and 2011. His solo debut as a film composer came with the 2007 Lifetime film Angels Fall, for which he composed the main theme. Bacon's first solo feature film score was the thriller Source Code.[8][better source needed]
