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Foleyculture
(noun) /fōlē kəlCHər/
"The art or practice of performative sound and its cultivation."

 
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Foleyculturalist Extraordinaire in Film, Music, and Theater

Foley Artist: I have enjoyed my career as a Foley artist working on many major motion pictures and television series. Please visit my Foley Artist page to learn more about my career, and how Foley led to my academic work and the subject of my first book, The Foley Grail.

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"Foley Art to Listen to"
(Foleyflora Auditorius)

 

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"Vanessa the Dramatist"
(Vanessia Dramatica)

Musicals: I have written my first musical Holy Foley! based on the experiences of myself and others as Foley artists in Hollywood. I hope you visit my GoFundMe page and support my goal of recording a concept album, and my desire to stage the entire musical soon.

Scholar and Author: I have a PhD in Film Studies from Georgia State University. I was an Endowed Chair at Ball State University, and am now in California as an independent scholar, still writing articles and books, teaching, and sharing my expertise.

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"Learned Film Muse"
(Cinemusa Erudita)

Podcasting: I regularly talk with Foley artists, other sound professional, and scholars from around the world. I really hope you check out my podcast, Whole-y Foley: The Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound.

Speaking and Hosting: I often host events and speaking engagements about film. I hope you check out my Summer Musical series at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, Maverick Film Musicals of the 1960s and 1970s. Contact me if you want to discuss more about my availability.

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"Spirit-Drawing Rose"
(Amenthea Graphirosea)

 

Songs and Songwriting: I started singing and songwriting when I was 17. I am sharing many of my songs that I have recorded on this website. Go to Music, in the Top Nav Bar on this site. I am constantly writing new songs and working on new arrangements.

Performance: I am most at home on a stage singing or acting. On this site I share some of my favorite performances, whether it is demonstrating Foley to David Letterman, speaking on TCM with Ben Mankewicz, or singing songs from my new musical, Holy Foley!

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"Theme's Melody"
(Themenia Cantilena)

 

Workshops: I frequently demonstrate and give workshops on Foley. Please contact me if you would like me to do a Foley workshop for your school or business.

Maverick Musicals 2025 with Vanessa Theme Ament (Palm Springs, CA)

  • Bye Bye Birdie (1963) - Intro by Vanessa Ament
    Bye Bye Birdie (1963) - Intro by Vanessa Ament
    4 days to the event
    Jun 22, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, California, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Jun 22, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, California, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Join Vanessa Theme Ament as she introduces the musical Bye Bye Birdie. Get ready for a vibrant, rollicking musical as a small town goes wild when rock and roll sensation Conrad Birdie comes to give one lucky fan a farewell kiss before heading into the army. Filled with catchy songs, hilarious antics
  • The Boy Friend (Russell, 1971)
    The Boy Friend (Russell, 1971)
    18 days to the event
    Jul 06, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Jul 06, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Step into a dazzling, over-the-top musical where a small-town theater troupe's production of "The Boy Friend" is hilariously disrupted by a Hollywood director scouting new talent. Ken Russell's vibrant homage to classic MGM musicals is a joyous explosion of song, dance, and pure cinematic spectacle
  • Phantom of the Paradise (De Palma, 1974) - Intro by Vanessa Ament
    Phantom of the Paradise (De Palma, 1974) - Intro by Vanessa Ament
    32 days to the event
    Jul 20, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Jul 20, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Prepare for a rock and roll Faustian nightmare as a disfigured composer seeks revenge on a demonic record producer who stole his music and muse. Brian De Palma's cult classic is a dazzling, darkly comedic rock opera brimming with incredible songs by Paul Williams and a truly unique vision
  • Jesus Christ Superstar (Jewison, 1973) - Intro by Vanessa Ament
    Jesus Christ Superstar (Jewison, 1973) - Intro by Vanessa Ament
    46 days to the event
    Aug 03, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Aug 03, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Experience the raw power of Jesus Christ Superstar on the big screen, a daring rock opera that explodes with the iconic music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
  • All That Jazz (Fosse, 1979) - Intro by Vanessa Ament
    All That Jazz (Fosse, 1979) - Intro by Vanessa Ament
    60 days to the event
    Aug 17, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Aug 17, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Step into the chaotic, dazzling mind of a Broadway director on the brink in Bob Fosse's semi-autobiographical masterpiece, All That Jazz. This visually stunning & unflinchingly honest musical plunges you into a world of relentless ambition, self-destruction, & electrifying, morbid beauty of showbiz
  • Hair (Forman, 1979) - Intro by Vanessa Ament
    Hair (Forman, 1979) - Intro by Vanessa Ament
    74 days to the event
    Aug 31, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Aug 31, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Miloš Forman's vibrant adaptation of Hair transports you to 1960s New York, where an innocent Oklahoman draftee encounters a free-spirited tribe of hippies, plunging into a world of love, protest, and revolutionary music. This iconic film remains a powerful and joyous celebration of youth & freedom
  • Lost Horizon (Jarrott, 1973) - Intro by Vanessa Ament
    Lost Horizon (Jarrott, 1973) - Intro by Vanessa Ament
    88 days to the event
    Sep 14, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Sep 14, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
    Palm Springs, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
    Embark on a unique journey to the legendary Shangri-La in Charles Jarrott's 1973 musical remake of Lost Horizon, featuring a star-studded cast & a Burt Bacharach score. Though often maligned, this ambitious film offers a fascinating, colorful escape to a utopian world, filled with memorable melodies
Copyright © 2025 Vanessa Theme Ament
Website Design: Richard L. Edwards
All Rights Reserved
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