Troupe Gammage's bedroom could be that of almost any teenager. Bunk beds hug a wall, school supplies litter the floor, and books and "Star Wars" memorabilia line shelves.

But this isn't just a bedroom. It's a recording studio, complete with synthesizers, microphones and computers running digital recording software.

The LBJ High School senior is a budding composer, having stumbled upon the electronic music scene six years ago when he and an artist friend decided to create a video game.

Using samples he downloaded from the Internet, Troupe, then 11, taught himself how to use ModPlug Tracker, a basic digital recording software program, and began composing music using his computer.

"At first, I thought I'd write some music for video games or something like that," Troupe said of his early music, which featured computerized sounds like something out of a Nintendo game. "Eventually, I really liked making music that sounded real or professional."

His compositions, which to the untrained ear sounds as though they were recorded live, have caught the attention of industry professionals.

Earlier this month, Troupe, 17, was one of eight teens selected nationwide to learn about television and film scoring at Grammy Camp, a workshop where teens learn from Grammy Award winners and others in Los Angeles.

More than 100 students applied for 47 spots at the inaugural Grammy Camp, which featured five different tracks: performance, songwriting, audio engineering, music business, and television and film scoring and arranging. Television and film scoring students composed music for a one-minute movie clip, which was then recorded by 20th Century Fox studio's 18-piece orchestra.

The final product played on the big screen during a presentation on the last day of the camp.

Troupe, who received a full scholarship to attend the $1,800 camp, chose to write music for a 1-minute clip of the movie "Napoleon Dynamite."

"It was humorous and really propelled the scene along," said Patrick Bolek, Grammy Camp director. "It's more challenging to write for comedy or that type of film than it is for a blockbuster type. . . . I thought Troupe nailed it."

The son of Austin musicians Christine Albert and Ernie Gammage, Troupe said he knew from an early age that he was music-business bound. He grew up surrounded by all different types of music, and remembers being teased about which instrument he would play.

But rather than learning one instrument well — he plays piano, drums and guitar — Troupe began to focus on composing, teaching himself digital recording along the way.

"It took a long time to get to the point where if I had an idea in my head, I could throw it right away into the computer," Troupe said, estimating that he spends three to five hours composing each of his songs.

So far, he has written more than 100.

Film scoring caught his interest because of the variety of writing for different genres, said Troupe, who also wrote some tension-filled tracks for a independent film about zombies that is being produced locally.

"What has amazed me is that he can choose a certain type of style, like East Indian or islandy, and he creates these pieces that really do have those elements," his mother said, recalling that Troupe would pick out instrumental parts while listening to music even as a toddler.

For Troupe, who has a 4.0 grade point average, college is the next step. He plans to go to school in California to study film scoring. Then he wants to break into the industry.

His father is certain he will succeed.

"I personally love everything that he has done," Ernie Gammage said. "I can't wait for him to give me a CD when he has cranked out a few new tunes."

MORE ON THIS STORY

• Music clips on troupe.actionsketch.com
• Troupe Gammage IV on ctgmusic.com