Category: Production music

The second, and final unless he asks nicely, of the songs that I wrote for Bruce Benedict’s production of Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure is called “Evelyn G of Christminster.”

I have to admit right up front that I’m not a huge fan of old English. Don’t get me wrong, I took a Shakespeare class in college, get an almost weekly dose of thees and thous through hymnody, and even went to the Stratford festival on my honeymoon. But poetry with phrases like “your swift remove” is generally something I feel that I’m supposed to like, rather than actually do. But once I got working on the music of Evelyn G I found myself drawn into this beautifully wistful text. I hope I’ve done it justice.

The text was quite hard to set to music because each verse’s rhyme scheme is slightly different. I decided to set a very simple harmonic and melodic pattern that could adapt to each verse. This was good for the song, and a good exercise for me as a composer. I have a tendency to rush to complexity simply because I can. The restraint of sticking with i, iv, V (and a little splash of VI, III and VII) was refreshingly direct. See/hear for yourself.

A few weeks ago, I got an email from Bruce Benedict:

I am helping a theatre in town with a brand new production going up next may. They are creating a two part adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel Jude, the Obscure. They have given me a stipend to help get all of the music together and since it’s probably more than I can handle myself I thought I would put a shout-out. They want all of the songs to be from Thomas Hardy poems.

Bruce, you had me at “stipend.”

After a little more back and forth about the specifics of the instrumentation and style, I got to work on the two poems he sent. The first song I finished is entitled “In a Cathedral City.” Since the actors will be singing the songs and will also make up the small mixed ensemble accompaniment, I wanted to keep things easy. For this poem I decided that a soloist would carry the bulk of the song, with a four-part vocal/instrumental ensemble interjection at the end of every verse. This song will serve as a transition between the first act, set in the country, and the second act in which Jude strikes out for the city. The soloist (presumably Jude) sings in a modal folk style and the chorus interjections are bigger, more confident and frilly.

But enough talk. Listen or look.

Back when I was young (a few months ago) and thought I could make some serious Benjamins composing music for video productions, I always kept an eye out for projects in need of music. The video below was created by John Lyzenga to be used as a confession during a Calvin Worship Symposium service. It originally used a song by Sigur Rós as the soundtrack, and frankly, the sad, sweeping music fit the video beautifully.

But I mess with stuff. That’s what I do. So I decided to retrofit the video with something I composed called “Time Lapse.” Most of the recording is made with Logic Pro’s sampled instruments, but there are a few tracks of real strings too, courtesy of the Allegro String Quartet. Check it out: http://youtu.be/JWgdG_o4Ci4

When the cat’s away, they say, the mice will play. That was certainly the case last weekend when Amy was at a conference in South Carolina, leaving her boys to their own devices. I had just completed music that I had hoped would be chosen for a movie about a scary clown. (Rejected.) “What am I going to do with scary clown music?” I pondered. Then I hatched a plan to cast Theo as “Creepy the Clown,” chasing himself and Simon around our house and yard. Usually it’s hard to get them to cooperate with an elaborate plan like this, but since the grueling filming schedule for this movie included instructions like “play with Legos” and “run around the yard screaming,” they seemed to do okay. The results, in a subjective estimation of my own progeny, are priceless. Click through to YouTube, or watch it below:

Here I go again.

TV Commercial: Our client is looking to license a song that has lyrics based the idea of letting your light shine, or being a star (not in the sense of being a rock star). Looking for a song with a great chorus that conveys this idea. Needs to be something more on the contemporary side. Looking for something that is pop, rock, indie rock etc. It could have some electronic elements but it is not a requirement. No hip hop or country. Needs to feel new, fresh and have a great catchy hook. Genre: Various (Pop / Rock / Indie Rock / Something Unexpected

When I first read this, I did what I always do: I ran through a mental list of my existing songs or recordings that could work, then I started to brainstorm ways of approaching the project. In this case, it led to some free form guitar-playing around the song “This Little Light of Mine.” As I came up with new chords for the old Sunday School classic, it began to morph into something new. Late Friday afternoon I laid down all the tracks in two hours. (Kind of freeing to work that quickly.) Two more hours on Saturday and the tracks were clean and the basic mix was in place. Another hour of critical listening and tweaking early Sunday and then I sent it off between church services before the noon deadline. The life of a musician is so glamorous!

Take a listen to Shine.

Here’s how it works:

1. Theo’s taking a bath. I’m playing the guitar. I happen upon a little lick that I like. I jot it down. Just in case. (bright idea MP3)

2. Read the following opportunity listing:

Just in time for the Holiday season, our client is looking to license music for an upcoming advertising campaign. They are looking for something that lyrically helps tell the story of spreading joy, being out and about, feeling groovy, friendship and smiling. The track can have a modern or an older feel, but should feel original as opposed to Jingly/ Commercial. Should feel positive, simple, honest, happy, and be mid-tempo. They really want a song that is unique! This could be a great way to end your year with a bang and start the new year with some nice cash in your pockets!

3. Did they say “cash in your pockets”? Re-tool “Bright Idea” to fit the opportunity listing. Make it holiday-y without being too Christmas-y. (Joy to the World, draft MP3)

4. Add a bridge. Make “joy to the world” literal by adding a Penny whistle from Ireland, choir from South Africa, Tablas from India. Time it out to 60 seconds. Spend lots of time mixing, polishing, obsessing. (Joy to the World, final MP3)

5. Send it in.

6. Wait.