Early life and education
Teicher grew up in a household steeped in music: his father kept classical records playing regularly at home. He gravitated toward rock guitar but was determined to master his instrument comprehensively, telling an interviewer that he decided he "would need all of the tools in the tool belt" and took a music theory class in high school as a result. He describes himself as "the rock kid in the classical music class" throughout his formal studies.3
He earned a degree in composition from Brown University, followed by a master's degree from NYU.4
His family connection to New York City goes back generations. His great-grandparents emigrated from Eastern Europe and settled on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, a history that later inspired the name of his band. As Teicher explained: "It's a little bit about reclaiming your history and putting your roots in context."3
Career
Composing for film and advertising
Teicher built a career as a composer for film, television, and commercials. His scores have premiered at the Sundance and Tribeca film festivals, and his work earned an Emmy nomination.1 He has collaborated with Academy Award-winning directors Fernando Meirelles and Darren Aronofsky (through Aronofsky's production company Protozoa Pictures), as well as with Grammy-winning recording artists.1
His advertising work spans international campaigns for Adidas, GE, Land Rover, Google, Microsoft, Estee Lauder, Toyota, Motorola, The New York Times, HBO, and Fox.1 He maintains a library of over four thousand original compositions across genres for commercial licensing.1
Notable scoring credits include:
- Lazy Teenage Superheroes (2010)
- Interview with a Hitman (2012)
- Mildred and the Dying Parlor (2016)
- Rodman: For Better or Worse (2019)
- The Complex: Lockdown (2020)5
He also received a music department credit on Justice League (2017).5
The Ludlow Thieves
Teicher founded The Ludlow Thieves as a solo project, initially recording material himself before concluding the vocals were not the right fit.3 He subsequently put out a call for a voice "that sounded like Rod Stewart on two packs of smokes," which led him to vocalist Danny Musengo.3 The band expanded to a six-piece ensemble, with Teicher's wife Laura on vocals alongside Musengo.1 Teicher handles the majority of the songwriting, home recording, and production for the group, while the full band shapes the arrangements collaboratively.3
The Ludlow Thieves' music has appeared in a Hulu series (Deadbeat), an Adidas World Cup commercial, and a Boston Red Sox tribute video.4
Technology ventures
Teicher founded New Amsterdam Sound Technologies, a company developing technology for immersive audio experiences.1 He is also co-founder of Immersive Music and Sound, a venture focused on next-generation music and audio for virtual and augmented reality environments.1
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)
In Ghostbusters: Answer the Call, Teicher portrayed the Rock Guitarist with long hair, one of the members of the Beasts of Mayhem, the heavy metal band performing at Rock Revenge Fest XIV at the Stonebrook Theatre.2 The band is on stage when the ghost Mayhem erupts during the concert. Teicher appears in Chapters 08 and 09 of the film.6
In the climactic stage sequence, Jillian Holtzmann grabs the short-haired guitarist's guitar and smashes it on the floor following the Ghostbusters' capture of Mayhem, then tosses it back and tells him she cannot pay for it.6
The other members of the Beasts of Mayhem were portrayed by Adam Ray (Lead Singer, who also provided the voice of Slimer), Eugene Cordero (Bass Guitarist), Davey Jones (Drummer), Ryan Levine (Rock Guitarist), and Theodore Shapiro (Keyboardist).2 Shapiro, who composed both "Beasts of Mayhem" songs on the soundtrack with Levine, also served as the composer of the full Ghostbusters score.6
Teicher and the Beasts of Mayhem also appear in two deleted scenes included with home video releases: "The Beasts of Mayhem" and "The Singer Gets High."6
