Algonquin College professor’s drumming featured in Oscar-winning movie

Jeff Asselin, a professor and general education electives coordinator at Algonquin College, worked on three songs that were featured in the five-time Oscar-winning movie Anora.

The songs were Kafka Was Here, Monday In Utopia and The Shadow Lounge, which were part of albums that Asselin played on.

Doug Martin, a saxophone player and teacher from Ottawa, published and wrote the songs featured in Anora.

Martin had previously developed an online relationship with the music supervisor working on the Anora film.

Being familiar with Martin’s music, the supervisor reached out to offer those particular tunes to be featured in the film. It was an offer Martin immediately accepted.

“I found out that the movie was nominated after seeing a Facebook post Doug Martin had made,” said Asselin.

Anora premiered on May 21, 2024, at the 77th Cannes Film Festival where it won the Palme d’Or.

At the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025, the film won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing.

“I recorded these songs over eight years ago with Doug Martin. Something this experience has taught me is that music can be viable for new introductions to new markets,” said Asselin.

In 2011, 2016 and 2020, Asselin and Martin recorded three albums together alongside other musicians.

“A bar called Whipping Post is where I met Doug. He played in a band called The Crowd and my brother played at the same bar in another band,” said Asselin.

“I would sometimes go and watch my brother play and I met Doug while there,” he said.

A couple years after Asselin and Martin had met, Martin was in need of a drummer for a couple of albums and thought of Asselin.

“It’s easy to work with someone who just tells you to do your thing. He’s really funny and easy to work with,” said Asselin.

Martin and Asselin both described working together as easy and enjoyable, and they are both open to collaborating again in the future.

“I have no plan at the moment for a project that requires a drummer, but if I did he would be my first call,” said Martin.

Beyond his contribution to Anora, Asselin also teaches at the college and runs his own drum academy. “This is my full-time job, my whole life,” he said.

Asselin has been drumming since the sixth grade. As a child, he discovered his love or drumming when his older cousin, a drummer in a band, recorded an album.

“I thought and still think he’s probably the coolest or one of the coolest guys in my life,” said Asselin.

From that young age, Asselin got into lessons right away and stayed in lessons all through university. He received drumming lessons since he was 15 years old from his drumming Idol, Ian Froman, and he studied in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and New York for seven years.

“After that, I got a degree in music and business at Carleton University,” said Asselin.

With his Anora songs, Asselin described how it feels to be part of something so much bigger.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity, I never thought that something I was involved in would make it into an Oscar-winning film, particularly three tunes,” said Asselin. “It was pretty special.”

Asselin also plays in a band called The Commotions with his twin brother Brian Asselin.

Brian is the musical director of the band and the music industry arts program coordinator at Algonquin College.

“I am very proud of my brother,” said Brian. “He has taken his music to a whole new level with his drumming. He has always been a huge inspiration for me musically.”

Brian described his brother’s best quality as “his commitment to his craft.”

Over the years, Brian says he’s been fortunate enough to have played hundreds of gigs with him.

“My brother is one of the most hardworking individuals I know. He takes every opportunity to better himself,” said Brian. “I think it’s why he is so successful in every adventure of his life.”

Asselin is currently focused on creating more sync tracks — music without words.

He hopes to have his sync tracks featured in more movies and TV shows to help them gain greater popularity.

Asselin also has a book coming out called The Rudimental Blueprint. It’s focused on snare drum pedagogy with a situated learning approach to performing drumline snare drum solos.