"Testing Hope"

It seems that most of my recent posts have been about some big national film or show with lots of exposure, etc.

Ok, ok, I admit to really enjoying the excitement of large projects, but I love working on smaller things as well. I recently finished composing a score for a wonderful independent film called "Testing Hope: Grade 12 in the new South Africa". Produced by first-time filmmaker Molly Blank, the film provides an intimate look into the world of four struggling high-school students in South Africa, and the uncertain future they face in the country's evolving democracy. (You can get more information about the film at: http://www.matricthefilm.com)

Molly didn't want a score that that copied South African musical styles, but was instead looking for a simple rhythmic score that evoked the culture as well as the emotions of the students themselves. Produced on a small budget, I scored the film using minimal instrumentation, including several African flutes, harps, and percussion instruments that I had in the studio. I even figured out how to play a kalimba (African thumb piano) for several of the cues - it's the metallic sound you hear in the second sample below, starting about eight seconds into the cue.

Below are links to four cues from the score. All are shortened versions of the real cues - none are over a minute long. Enjoy!

Opening Theme Excerpt
"First Day" Excerpt
"Exams" Excerpt
"Getting the Results" Excerpt