JDK Music

A 425 Year-Old Birth...

2011-10-20T16:38:00.003-05:00

I wasn't planning on posting again so soon, but I thought you might like to know that "Birth of A Colony" is premiering this coming Monday on PBS at 9 pm (check your local listings). The 90-minute film takes an amazingly frank look at the interaction between the European colonists and the Native Americans in North Carolina during the earliest days of colonization.

I have to say - this was an incredibly fun film to compose the music for, because (among other things) it gave me a chance to use lots of Indian flutes and drums that we've had in the studio for a while. You can hear three short samples from the score by clicking on the links below..

Indian Dawn
Eve of Battle
Fall Morning

Enjoy the film!

"Eruption of Life"

2011-10-04T11:23:00.002-05:00

I don’t know about you, but I hadn’t thought about the Mt. St. Helens eruption in years. Huge explosion decades ago, lots of wildlife and land destroyed. Bad news. End of story.

Turns out, that wasn't the end at all. A new film, “Eruption of Life”, shows the amazing resurgence in plant and animal life in the area – a pretty phenomenal story.

I was pleased to be able to compose and produce the music score for this fascinating film. You can hear a few samples from the score here (along with a pic of me flapping my arms at the string session):

Closing Theme
Opening Theme
Goofy Gopher Theme

I don't have a clue...

2010-11-19T22:36:00.005-05:00

Ok - I admit it. I don't have a clue why I have so much composing work these days, especially in this economy. I've been scoring films, music for large websites, and even industrial films (let me know if you'd like more details). This probably means that as the economy recovers, I'll start dying on the vine. Ah, well....

Anyway, instead posting samples of music I've been composing recently, I thought I'd post an article about my work that will be out in the December, 2010 Electronic Musician magazine (see below). Enjoy!

Electronic Musician Article

That guy on the ten dollar bill...

2010-09-21T22:33:00.000-05:00

We’ve heard this guy’s name from somewhere – Alexander Hamilton. He’s on the US ten-dollar bill; maybe he was in some famous duel or something…

And that’s pretty much all I knew about him before composing the score for the upcoming PBS special “Alexander Hamilton”. Turns out he was a pretty fascinating figure in history. Hamilton led a major battle, probably saved the US from economic collapse, and had a torrid love affair… all of which gave me an opportunity to write some pretty diverse music for this film.

Below are a few short music samples from the score - from a battle scene (“Whiskey Rebellion”) to the night when Hamilton lost his only love (“Lonely Night”).

Whiskey Rebellion Theme
Lonely Night
Waiting For Her

I hope you’ll watch for this special early in 2011 on PBS. Enjoy

Yikes

2010-06-01T16:48:00.004-05:00

I had an interesting chat last week with a potential client, who told me that because I only posted music samples from “big-time national films” that I’d scored, those must be the only kinds of projects I worked on.

Yikes.

Sure, I enjoy working on bigger films. I also love working on smaller projects. As examples, I recently finished scoring two similar short films that may never be aired nationally. One was a terrific short film about the town of Huntsville, Alabama, and the other was a short promotional film about Biiltmore, an incredible mansion in North Carolina.

Both projects needed (among other things) a similar “full orchestral sound”, but neither had the budget for a full orchestra. Not a problem. It’s pretty amazing what you can do with electronic samples these days. Here’s an excerpt from the end of the Huntsville score (no live musicians were harmed – or used – in the recording of this score):
Huntsville Excerpt

and here are some short excerpts from the Biltmore film, (using only three musicians - guitar, violin, and oboe):
Biltmore Excerpts

So there you have it – full sounding scores without using a full orchestra. Of course there will never be a substitute for a roomful of live musicians, but sometimes when the project doesn’t allow for such a luxury, there are great alternatives - especially for projects that don't have those "big-time" budgets.

Thanks, and enjoy!

One more thing I know almost nothing about...

2010-04-09T14:08:00.004-05:00

This month (check your local listings) PBS premieres “The Adventists”, an in-depth look at the history and culture of Seventh Day Adventists. Ok, I’ll admit it – before I started composing music for this film I knew almost nothing about this religion (I guessed that the “seventh day” thing meant that they worshipped on Saturdays, but that was about it).

Turns out that Adventists are among the healthiest and longest living people on the planet, because of their diet and strong work ethic. In addition, Adventists are pioneers in medical technology and health care exploration, and consider their medical work to be “sacred work”, fully a part of their hope and faith.

If you get a chance, take a look at the show when it airs on PBS. My guess is that you’ll be as surprised as I was. And before I forget, since the main reason I’m writing this email is to “hawk my wares” as a composer, I suppose I should give you a few of the background music cues to listen to - you can hear a few music samples from the film, below.

Adventist Film Music Sample 1
Adventist Film Music Sample 2
Adventist Film Music Sample 3

Enjoy the show!

Music for the Flu?

2010-02-24T23:22:00.004-05:00

There’s no doubt that the earthquake in Haiti is a disaster of epic proportions. Hundreds of thousands may have died. The worst natural disaster in human history? Unfortunately, not even close. In 1918, a worldwide influenza epidemic killed at least 50 million people – about 3% of the earth’s population.

A new PBS Documentary, “We Heard The Bells”, takes a close look at this incredible time in history. The film includes interviews with survivors of this disaster, and reveals how modern-day scientists were able to find a way to study this disease using still frozen specimens found in the artic.

Composing the music for this film was eye-opening, to say the least. It was a challenge to write music that reflected the sadness in various cultures devastated by this disaster. You can hear a few samples from the score, below:

Main Theme
The Jewish Ghetto
Inuit Indians

“We Heard The Bells” premieres on most PBS stations In February – check your listings for times in your area.

New Music for Alan Alda and PBS

2010-01-14T16:46:00.002-05:00

One of the things I love about scoring films is that with every project, I get dropped into a totally different world. Take for instance, “The Human Spark” that I just scored for PBS (premiering tomorrow night). I learned that after countless years of development on our planet, a brand new creature appeared only about 40,000 years ago, different than Neanderthals or anything that had come before. That creature was – us.

Alan Alda and Chedd-Angier-Lewis (Boston) have created this three-hour series - “The Human Spark” – a project that takes fascinating new look at this relatively new species, and the ways it is similar to (and very different from) any previous creature on earth.

The series was a real joy to score, and gave me a chance to create music different from anything I’d done before. You can hear a few short examples from the score here:

Sample 1
Sample 2
Sample 3
Sample 4 (Music for Promo)

The three-hour series airs on PBS – Jan. 6, 13, and 20 at 8 pm (check your local listings). Hope you get a chance to watch this series, and hope you have a great year!

Music for Nausea?

2009-09-10T19:54:00.000-05:00

I don’t know about you, but for me this last year or so had enough economic ups and downs to make me nauseous. Whether you’re 30 days or 30 years away from retirement, these changes have caused most of us to rethink whatever financial “plans” we thought we had.

This coming Tuesday, September 15, at 9 pm (check your local listings), PBS presents a new documentary that addresses many of these issues - “The Retirement Revolution: A New Reality". Hosted by ABC’s Paula Zahn, the film takes an in-depth look at changes that are affecting all of us.

I had the privilege of composing and producing the music score for this special. Creating music that reflected the real tragedy of Alzheimer’s, the potential hope of an “encore career”, and even the struggle of handling new financial problems turned out to be a pretty interesting challenge.

You can listen to a few shortened music cues from the score by clicking on the links below (or copying and pasting these links into your browser).

"Alzheimer's" Sample Cue
"Encore Careers" Sample Cue
"Waiting" Sample Cue

I hope you get a chance to watch this special!

Harvard Strikes Again

2009-07-28T18:21:00.004-05:00

I’ll be the first to admit how fortunate I am to have a ton of work this summer. In addition to scoring a three-hour series for PBS (“The Human Spark”for WNET) and a 90-minute national special for Chicago’s WTTW (“The New Reality” premiering in September), I’m composing music for another Harvard project. (I know, I know - as soon as this prestigious university gets a look at my college grades, I’m history…)

This time around, I created a score for the upcoming PBS series “Justice: What’s The Right Thing To Do?”, produced by WGBH and Harvard. The show is a fascinating look at how we determine what’s right and what’s wrong. Taught by Harvard’s Michael Sandel, these 12 one-hour episodes take an in-depth look at our personal and collective morality.

I developed a sample theme for the show, and then (based on the client's suggestions), changed the theme to fit more what Harvard and WGBH had in mind, and finally developed additional music for the series based on the approved theme.

To hear shortened versions of both themes, click on the links below -
Theme 1
Theme 2

and to see which theme they used, you can watch the series trailer here. Check your local listings for the debut of this series this fall!

P.S. If you’d like to see what I did this summer in Africa, click here.

Betty Ford: The Real Deal

2009-03-10T14:16:00.002-05:00

Ok, I admit it - as a film composer, I look for projects where the music can take “center stage” and be a real driving force in the film. But sometimes, a composer is hired to create exactly the opposite – that is, compose music that is subtle and indirect, supporting the film in an understated way.

I was recently hired by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions to compose exactly this kind of score. Their new documentary “Betty Ford: The Real Deal”, details the life of this woman who refused to follow any conventional path. From her early days as a professional dancer with Martha Graham, through her time as First Lady battling depression and drug dependence, to her founding of the Betty Ford Center, she has continued to be an inspiration to millions.

“Betty Ford: The Real Deal”, premieres nationally this Monday, March 16, on PBS (check your local listings for specific times near you). To hear a few shortened samples from this score, click on the links below. Thanks, and enjoy the “understated” samples!

“Growing Loneliness”
“Isolation in a Crowd”
“Watergate Tension”
“She Just Won’t Quit”

Music for the Iraq War

2008-12-09T09:59:00.001-05:00

I recently had a chance to compose music for a new PBS film called "The Last 600 Meters". Brilliantly produced by Michael Pack, the film tells the amazing story of the two biggest battles of the Iraq war - Fallujah and Najaf - through the eyes of those who fought them.

The challenge of composing this score was finding a way to combine the ethnic music of Iraq with all of the emotions of this film - sadness, tension, military struggle, honor, and even pride. The final product hopefully conveys these emotions in a way that respects those who were involved in these battles.

To listen to short samples of the score, click on the links below, or copy and paste the links into your browser.

Iraq Score Sample 1
Iraq Score Sample 2
Iraq Score Sample 3

Enjoy the samples - and have a wonderful holiday season.

Classical Music? Really?

2008-10-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

One of the things that I love about my job as a composer is that with every project, I’m dropped into a completely different world. I get a chance to learn something new, and often get to try something different musically.

Recently, I was hired by GTOO Media to compose the theme for the new film at the Franklin Science Institute in Philadelphia. Not only did I learn a lot about Ben Franklin, but I also got a chance to compose some light classical sounding music for the project. I don’t often get a chance to write this kind of music, so it was really enjoyable to compose in this style.

To listen to a short version of the theme, click here. And yes, that's a real orchestra!

Music for Robert Redford?

2008-07-15T19:19:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, I used to love to watch Robert Redford movies (especially "The Sting" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"). Even back then, I thought it would be pretty cool to compose music for a film with Redford.

Last month, I got my chance. Robert Redford is the narrator and host of the new television series "Global Focus", which addresses significant issues facing our world today. Produced by the Mill Valley Film Group in San Francisco, the series may actually be (if you'll forgive me) even more important to than the entertaining films that Redford is known for. I'm honored to have created the music used in this series.

To watch the opening sequence for "Global Focus", click here .
Or, if you'd rather just hear the music for the open (without the video), you can hear the music here.

Thanks, and enjoy!

New Music for National PBS Campaign

2008-05-22T20:01:00.006-05:00

When the phone rings here with a potential job, it's usually a film production company or ad agency on the other end of the line. Many of these calls have given me the opportunity to score films and documentaries that have aired nationally on PBS. But this time, the call came directly from Jeffrey Hughes at PBS, asking me to create original scores for the new PBS promotional "Explorers" campaign.

The campaign is based around some pretty exciting visuals that highlight the endlessly curious nature of the human race. Both of the spots begin with an air of quiet wonder, but then evolve into a frenetic pace before returning to the serene.

To watch these spots, click below:
Nation of Explorers - Video
Born Explorers - Video

Or, if you'd rather just hear the music (without that pesky narrator getting in the way of the music), you can hear the music here:

Nation of Explorers - Music Only
Born Explorers - Music Only

Thanks, and enjoy!

"Retirement Revolution" and "Power of Forgiveness"

2008-03-20T15:47:00.002-05:00

Two films that I scored will be premiering on PBS in the next few weeks.

On March 23 (check your local listings), "The Power of Forgiveness" will be shown nationally for the first time. This film (produced by Journey Films) takes an amazing look at the concept of forgiveness as it relates to numerous recent events (including the mass murder of Amish children, the struggle for peace in northern Ireland, and families of those killed on 9/11). You can find more info about the here.

On March 31, the first hour of "The Retirement Revolution" will premiere nationally on PBS. Produced by Chicago's WTTW and narrated by Paula Zahn, this two hour series takes a look at the revolutionary transformation that is taking place in baby-boomers and others as they contemplate retirement and the changing economic environment. You can learn more about this show here.

Here are links to a short musical sample from each score.

"The Power of Forgiveness" Music Sample
"The Retirement Revolution" Music Sample 1
"The Retirement Revolution" Music Sample 2
"The Retirement Revolution" Music Sample 3

Thanks - enjoy the shows!

Timing is Everything

2008-02-22T12:35:00.001-05:00

There's one thing about the music composition business that continues to intrigue me, and that's how it all comes down to timing. Not just within the music itself, but often with the nature of the job.

Last week I was asked to score a national TV spot for the Humane Society to promote the rescue of abused and deserted animals. They wanted music that was very slow, plaintive and a reflection of the lives of these animals...and they wanted it fast. After looking at the spot a few times, I wrote a very simple piece using a piano and string quartet.

Thanks to talented and accessible musicians, a spark of creativity and file transfer technology, the track was composed, arranged, recorded, mixed and delivered to the client, all in a single days work.

To hear the track, click here.

Music for Harvard

2007-12-07T09:59:00.001-05:00

Without being too personal here, let's just say that my grades in high school never made me a candidate for Harvard. Not that I was all that crushed by this situation - I suppose both Harvard and I were content with our arrangement not to be involved with each other.

Last month, that all changed. I got a call from Michael Kolowich at Diginovations (Concord, MA), asking me to compose a score for a new film they were doing for the Harvard Business School. Despite my previous "arrangement" with Harvard, I was more than happy to write music for this film. For the score, I used a a small chamber ensemble plus electronic instrument "samples" to achieve a prestigeous but not "stuffy" sound.

You can hear shortened excerpts from a few of the themes I composed for Harvard, below.

Opening Theme
Studying
Closing Theme

Despite the very quick turnaround, everybody (including Harvard) seemed pleased with the music. Maybe I should reconsider our relationship...

"Testing Hope"

2007-10-03T09:08:00.000-05:00

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

And now, for something completely different...

2007-08-01T10:05:00.000-05:00

You probably know that every few months I post music samples that I've composed, as a way of keeping the blog up to date (sort of). I thought it might be worth mentioning that while most of my music is for films, I also compose for other kinds of projects.

Not too long ago, I got a call from Media General, which owns dozens of television stations around the country. After a few meetings, they asked me to compose a news themes for their stations. I gotta' tell you, news music isn't my speciality, but it sounded like a great challenge. The project turned out to be really enjoyable, and everybody seemed pleased with the final product.

You can hear short excerpts from a few of the dozens of themes I composed for Media General, below.

Media General Sample 1
Media General Sample 2
Media General Sample 3
Media General Sample 4
Media General Sample 5

Medical Supplies to Uganda

2007-07-15T10:11:00.000-05:00

I know this has nothing at all to do with original music, but I thought some of you might be interested in seeing pictures of the work I did this summer in Uganda (for the 8th year in a row) delivering medical supplies, etc

Pictures of Uganda Medical Work - Summer, 2007

Premiere of PBS film on Albert Schweitzer

2007-04-19T10:25:00.000-05:00

"Albert Schweitzer: Called to Africa" premieres on PBS this coming Sunday, April 22 (check your local listings). This new docudrama is the true story of the brilliant philosopher and humanitarian who left a life of privilege in Europe, trained as a doctor and went to Africa to care for the people of the French Congo (now Gabon).

Composing the score for this film gave me a chance to write serious European organ music, African music, and even a few places where I could combine the two styles. Best of all, I finally got a chance to play with all of those African percussion instruments that have been lying around the studio.... ;-)

You can hear some excerpts from the score below.

"The Love of Helene" excerpt:
"Echoes of Slavery" excerpt:
"The Great Hall" excerpt:
"African Morning" excerpt:
"Returning to the Village" excerpt:
"Going Home" excerpt:

You may also want to check out the JDK Music website - dozens of new samples to listen to!

"The Power of Forgiveness"

2007-03-29T18:38:00.000-05:00

I had a chance this March to score a PBS film that's really different. Called "The Power Of Forgiveness", the film takes a look at forgiveness from several different perspectives, including relatives of those killed on 9/11, holocaust survivor Elie Weisel, and even the Amish community that was devastated by the mass murder of children at one of their schools last year. Pretty fascinating stuff, actually.

Because of the nature of the film, I had a chance to compose and produce a fair amount of "ethnic" music (Irish, Vietnamese, mid-eastern, etc.), which is a challenge, but always fun to do!

The airdate for this PBS special hasn't yet been set, but you can hear a few shortened samples from the score, below.
(click on the links below, or paste these links into your browser)

"Ireland Rising" excerpt
"Vietnamese Monk" excerpt
"The Garden" excerpt
"Closing Credits" excerpt

As soon as the PBS airdate is set, I'll post it here.

Decisions, Decisions

2006-12-06T17:15:00.000-05:00

By now you probably know that every other month or so I take a few minutes, pick some recent project that I've scored, and upload a few music samples to listen to. Easy enough, right?

Except that this month, I couldn't do it. Couldn't decide which project to choose. For what it's worth, I did narrow it down to two different PBS projects. The first is an upcoming children's series on "Zoofari" - a really fun new show about animals; lots of world rhythms (even some chanting in the background), some light-hearted comedy, and even a little musical goofiness.

My other choice was a music score for an upcoming film entitled "Code Blue: Lung Cancer"; a compassionate look at a serious subject. Here, my score consisted of almost all solo piano, very sparse and evocative (for more information, go to www.americanlegacy.org/codeblue).

So here you go - due purely to my indecision, here are music samples from both shows to listen to.

Music Samples from the upcoming children's series "Zoofari"
Opening Theme excerpt
"The Platypus" excerpt
"Jungle Dawn" excerpt
"Playful Puppies" excerpt

Music Samples from the upcoming PBS Special "Code Blue: Lung Cancer"
"Opening Theme" excerpt
"Waiting" excerpt
"Closing Theme" excerpt (listen for the soft "breathing")

Water's Journey

2006-09-27T12:20:00.000-05:00

Still fortunate to be really busy here with lots of new projects - since finishing the score for the PBS American Experience special "Walter Cronkite", I've scored a new PBS film about lung cancer, done national theme songs for two different unions, composed music for the new "Veggie Tales" show, finished creating the theme and underscore for the new PBS children's series "Zoofari", and just yesterday, put the finishing touches on the score for a new two-hour PBS hi-def film about the Everglades, entitled "Water's Journey".

You can listen to a few short music samples from the 70 minute score, below. Although the samples will mean more when combined with the film, these should at least give you a rough idea of how the music fits into this compelling documentary.

"Opening Theme" excerpt
"Traveling the River" excerpt
"Building" excerpt
"Closing Theme" excerpt

Premiere of new film on PBS "American Masters"

2006-07-24T12:25:00.000-05:00

In my years of composing music for films and television, I've had the privilege of scoring a number of projects narrated by Walter Cronkite, but I've never had the chance to score a film about this amazing man - that is, until now.

This coming Wednesday evening (July 26 - check your local listings for broadcast times), the feature PBS primetime series "American Masters" will premiere a new film about the life of Walter Cronkite. It's virtually impossible to remember the pivotal moments in recent history without seeing these moments as reported by Cronkite - the Kennedy assassination in Dallas, man's first steps on the moon, Viet Nam - the list is virtually endless.

Produced by Tatge/Lasseur Productions for WNET/New York and PBS, this film focuses on the intriguing life of this CBS reporter and commentator as he led America through some of its most trying and difficult times, and in the process became known as "the most trusted man in America".

You can listen to a few shortened music samples from the score, below. Although they will mean more when heard with the film, these music samples should at least give you a rough idea of how the score is woven into this documentary.

"Opening Theme" excerpt
"Remembrance" excerpt
"Kennedy Assassination" excerpt
"Triumph - Man on the Moon" excerpt

Again, thanks for your interest in my work, enjoy the show!

Dropped into a different world...

2006-05-22T12:47:00.000-05:00

One of the great things about scoring films for a living is that I have the opportunity to be dropped into a very different world every time I'm given a film to score. That happened again as I composed the music for the new documentary "Confronting The Truth".

In the last fifteen years, several countries emerging from political turmoil have chosen to move forward into the future by looking back. They believe the unspeakable truths of massive human rights abuse can't simply be forgotten; they need to be aired and acknowledged so that victims can regain their dignity and society can be rebuilt.

By telling the stories of truth and reconciliation commissions in Peru, South Africa and East Timor, "Confronting The Truth" reveals how commissions work, what they can and cannot achieve, and what impact they have on the communities they serve. A really amazing story.

An air date hasn't been scheduled yet for this documentary, but you can listen to a few shortened music samples from the score (all are less than 1 minute long). You'll be hard pressed to find clear melodies or chord progressions here; instead the music is meant to create evocative feelings, sparse moods, and ethnic "world" textures that support the undercurrent of this story.

"Opening Montage" Excerpt
"Local Colors" Excerpt
"Sadness Again" Excerpt
"Timor Dawn" Excerpt
"Aftermath" Excerpt

Thanks - and enjoy the music!

Whooshes, Whirrs and Boops

2006-03-21T22:36:00.000-05:00

If you're at all familiar with music I've written over the years, you probably know that I usually compose either melodic (and often orchestral) scores, or pretty hard-edged music.

Well, forget all of that. On Wednesday (March 22), PBS is premiering a national 2-hour documentary "Exploring Space: The Quest For Life" (9-11 pm - check your local listings for details). No strong melodies or hard-edged music here. The score is primarily ethereal sounds and textures, more along the lines of musical sound effects. Ok, ok, I admit it - this one was a lot of fun to do.

You can listen to a few shortened samples from the music score below. The samples won't make as much sense as they might if you were watching the film, but you should still get a rough idea of the score.

"Countdown" Excerpt
"Endless Abyss" Excerpt
"Galileo's Struggle" Excerpt
"In the Jungle" Excerpt

You can also get more info about the documentary itself here. Enjoy the film!

Bonhoeffer premieres on PBS on Monday, February 6

2006-02-02T14:02:00.000-05:00

"A touching narrative on the nature of faith - powerful and shocking"
New York Times

I'm really pleased to let you know that "Bonhoeffer", the award-winning film that played at Sundance last year, will have its broadcast premiere on PBS this coming Monday, February 6, at 9 pm (check your local listings for details). I had the privilege of composing the music score for this amazing story.

The film tells the dramatic story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the young German who offered one of the first clear voices of resistance to Adolf Hitler. Bonhoeffer openly challenged his church to stand with the Jews in their time of need - a stand that cost him his life.

Composing the score was a wonderful challenge; I used the music to convey the huge swings in emotion that happen in this story - portraying everything from the crushing brutality of the Nazi soldiers to the quiet desparation sometimes felt by Bonhoeffer. The score uses a mix of live musicians and synthesized instruments, as well as a choir.

You can listen to a few shortened samples from the music score here:

"Nazi's March" excerpt
"Everything Is Gone But Hope" excerpt
"Waiting for Her" excerpt

You can also learn more about the film itself here.
Enjoy the film!

Music Score for a new Video Game

2006-01-05T19:52:00.000-05:00

A couple of years years ago, I had the privilege of composing the music score for the award-winning PBS series "A Force More Poweful". Narrated by Ben Kingsley, this series focused on some of the 20th century's most important but least understood stories; how millions had chosen to battle different forces of brutality and oppression with nonviolent weapons - and won.

Based on this series, filmmaker Steve York (in conjunction with BreakAway games) is developing a brand new type of video game. AFMP is the first and only game to teach the methods of influencing or changing the political environment using nonviolent methods. Although the game will be for sale to the public, it's main intended use is by activists and leaders of nonviolent resistance and opposition movements throughout the world. How's that for a goal?

Here are a few short music samples from the score that I'm composing for the game. Some of the melodic themes are taken from the filmscore, but I've added lots of new themes, percussive and rhythmic elements.
(to hear, click on the links below):

"A Force More Powerful" Video Game Music Sample 1
"A Force More Powerful" Video Game Music Sample 2
"A Force More Powerful" Video Game Music Sample 3

And just for fun, here are a few short music cues from the original "A Force More Powerful" filmscore:

"A Force More Powerful" Film Score Sample 1
"A Force More Powerful" Film Score Sample 2

Enjoy, and have a wonderful holiday!

An American Creed

2005-10-09T13:16:00.000-05:00

You know, I keep thinking in 20 years of composing music I've pretty much written it all, but then some new music project comes along to prove me wrong. I mean, I've written a comedy jingle for a cemetery, that smash hit "Proud To Be A Teamster"; I've even composed a musical tribute to the element zinc...

Scoring a new documentary for the Hallmark Channel ("The American Creed", tentatively scheduled to premiere July 4) turned out to be a pretty interesting project. There were the expected music cues to be composed, but then the the client asked me to write a (no kidding) 70's rock 'n' roll instrumental version of "America The Beautiful". Hmmm..... no problem, I said - without a clue as to how this might be pulled off...

Anyway, you can judge for yourself how it turned out. I've included three samples from the score for you. The first is a pretty dramatic music cue dealing the abhorrent treatment of Indians in the 1800's, the second is that 70's "America The Beautiful" rock thing, and the final sample is the film's closing theme. Just click on the links below to listen.

Still fortunate to have lots of projects coming up, including scoring a new film about football coach Bobby Bowden for ESPN, a film about Albert Schweitzer for the Hallmark Channel, a brand new film about autism for NOVA (PBS), plus several other major projects.

I know none of the samples below sound anything like the music samples I've posted lately, but what the heck - enjoy!

Indian Death March
"America" Rock Instrumental
Closing "American Creed" Theme

Back From Africa!

2005-09-11T17:02:00.000-05:00

Ok, I admit it. I took part of the summer off to go back to Africa (not a vacation – I ‘ve been going for six years, working with an orphanage and a children’s hospital in Uganda).

Anyway, back in the saddle again. Just starting work on a new score for a documentary about Albert Schweitzer for the Hallmark Channel. It looks to be a really fascinating story; I’ll post some samples up on the web soon!

New Score for Aquarium of the Pacific

2005-05-06T17:09:00.000-05:00

Ok, so maybe we didn’t get another Oscar nomination this month (actually, nobody did – the Oscars aren’t for almost another year), but there are some other things going on that I thought you might be interested in.

I just finished composing music for a new show at the Aquarium of the Pacific in San Jose. The show has been created for a brand new theatre opening next month at this stunning aquarium.

I won’t put the entire music score online (it’s too long), but you can hear some short excerpts by clicking on the link below. When you listen, just close your eyes and imagine you’re looking at four 60-foot screens filled with shots of whales, sharks, dolphins, etc. Enjoy!

Aquarium Music Sample

Big Band Music Lives!

2005-04-09T22:03:00.000-05:00

As you may have heard, "Autism Is A World" (a film I scored that was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary) didn’t win. Ah, well... it was an honor just to be nominated - at least I think that’s what we losers are supposed to say. ;-)

On to other news - a client asked me to create the sound of a 1940’s swing band for a national TV spot promoting (no kidding) the element zinc. Don’t ask...

So here you go, real swing band music, using of all things, a real swing band. Now I’m guessing the odds you’d ever want this type of music for one of your projects is somewhere around zero, but what the heck - I had a lot of fun doing it, and hopefully you’ll have fun listening!

Swing Band Music Sample

Academy Award Nomination

2005-02-18T17:47:00.000-05:00

“Autism is a World” has been nominated in the category of Best Documentary Short Subject (for documentaries under 1 hour in length). I'm really pleased to have scored this film for such a creative producer as Gerry Wurzburg (State of the Art Productions), who won her first Academy Award in 1992.

The story deals with the life of a young autistic woman who is able to give us a peek into her world via electronic communication. Her articulate description and life story is truly amazing.

Some friends have asked if I think this body of music is my best work - all I can say is that it was a wonderful challenge to compose a gentle score that was as compelling as this inspirational story. If you’d like to check out some of the music cues for the show, click on the links below (or paste the links in your browser).

Autism Music Score Sample 1
Autism Music Score Sample 2
Autism Music Score Sample 3

"Concorde" Premieres on NOVA/PBS

2005-02-02T17:45:00.000-05:00

Thought you might be interested in knowing that a new PBS/NOVA documentary "Concorde: Supersonic Dream" premieres on PBS this month.

The story details the rise and fall of the supersonic jet that was supposed to change history.

While composing music for this show, I had a chance to revive the sound of the 70's in a few of the music cues (like sample #3 below), because most of the story of the rise and fall of this jet took place during this era. You can listen to this sample and a couple of others by clicking on the links below. Enjoy!

Concorde Music Sample 1
Concorde Music Sample 2
Concorde Music Sample 3

“Stone Age Explorers” Premieres on NOVA/PBS

2004-11-09T18:07:00.000-05:00

"America's Stone Age Explorers" premieres on PBS this month. This documentary, created by Gary Glassman and Providence Pictures, lays out compelling evidence that stone age people lived in north America literally thousands of years earlier than previously thought. The story of how these people lived and died is both unexpected and surprising.

You can hear three samples from my music score for this show by clicking on the links below

Stone Age Explorers Music Sample 1
Stone Age Explorers Music Sample 2
Stone Age Explorers Music Sample 3

If you're interested, you can also learn more about the documentary itself by going to the NOVA website.

Land of Revolutions” Music Score for Discovery Channel

2004-07-09T17:40:00.000-05:00

I’m just putting the finishing touches on "Land of Revolutions" for Discovery (a documentary about the various battlegrounds and historical sites in New England). The film provides a wonderful overview of the struggle encountered by so many who were fighting for their own freedom.

You can hear some samples from the “Land Of Revolutions” score by clicking on the links below.

Land of Revolutions Music Score Sample 1
Land of Revolutions Music Score Sample 2
Land of Revolutions Music Score Sample 3
Land of Revolutions Music Score Sample 4

Monumental Arizona Premieres on PBS

2004-07-02T17:43:00.000-05:00

I recently finished scoring a PBS doc called "Monumental Arizona".
Lots of gorgeous aerial footage of Arizona landscapes at sunrise,
sunset, etc. Because of the history of the area, I got a chance to
create some music in a "Native American" vein. Had a bunch of
American Indian flutes lying around the studio, but learning to
play these things was probably the hardest part of the entire
project...

You can some samples from the score by clicking on any of these links:

"Monumental Arizona" Music Score Sample 1
"Monumental Arizona" Music Score Sample 2
"Monumental Arizona" Music Score Sample 3

or, if you'd like to see some short video clips from the
"Monumental Arizona" (with music), you can click on

"Monunental Arizona" Video Clips

"Everlgades: River of Life" premieres on Discovery Channel

2004-06-04T17:37:00.000-05:00

“Everglades: River of Life”
premieres on Discovery Channel

I just finished scoring a new program for The Discovery Channel, called "Everglades: River of Life". As opposed to most score work I do (either "orchestral", or "edgy"), the Everglades clients wanted this music to sound very "ethno/latin/cuban".

If you're interested, you can some samples from the score by clicking
on any of these links:

"Everglades: River of Life" Music Sample 1
"Everglades: River of Life" Music Sample 2
"Everglades: River of Life" Music Sample 3
"Everglades: River of Life" Music Sample 4

Korean War Stories Wins Emmy

2004-04-09T13:29:00.001-05:00

“Korean War Stories”, a PBS Documentary produced by Bob Uth and National Productions, has been awared the 2003 Emmy for best historical documentary. The score echoes the struggle of the soldiers who fought in this epic war. Features interviews with former Korean soldiers John Glenn, Willie Nelson, and many others.

Go to the “Samples” section of www.jdkmusic.com to hear part of the score.