I've been scoring music for TV and Film. Sounds great.. "YAY"
1. However, I'm one of a few composers that submitted their work. The TV show (extremely popular daytime talk show) needs to choose my music for the theme first before I can fully jump up and down.
2. The film I'm working on is in the beginning of production. That's a long way from you and I eatin' popcorn and going to watch it in the movie theaters.
Non the less I'm very excited to be doing the work. I love to 'score music' to picture, you get to pick out moments of importance and highlight it with 'feeling and excitement'.
After I know I 'did on didn't' get the TV show theme, I'll let us all in on what the name of the show is. I just don't like to talk or think about it much in the mean time.
I had a blast recording it, I had a great trumpet/flugelhorn player John Papenbrook come over to my studio and lay about 11 horn tracks down for the theme. Whew... is he good. I would really enjoy writing an album for him, he's such an exciting player. You can hear him on the "Bonnie Hunt show", "South Park", "Family Guy".... he gets around alright.
Another project I'm busy with is a 'light Jazz" album I'll do this year on Stick and NS/Stick. I'll have horns on that project as well and will have John over again as well as my brother Dave (Who you have heard him play sax and flute on a few of the Erik Norlander and Lana Lane CD's. It is about half written and coming along nicely.
Also another Progressive Rock album to follow up my "Peering Over Clouds" cd is in the works.
Lance Matthew and I have been writting and recording together for YEARS. We will have two Cd's come out in 2009.
"Rocket Scientists" will have some new releases in '09 as well but I can't mention them yet. Record companies don't like it when you mention release stuff before they do. However I can mention we will be on tour in March 28th and starting in the Detroit area. I'll post more about that as we get closer.
I can mention I'll be in Las Vegas with the Frankie Avalon show at the Orleans Hotel and casino Jan. 15-18. It will be a blast as always, I haven't seen them in a while so it will be extra fun.
"The Guild" (online TV show I write music for) is in full swing of "Season Two". They struck a deal with Xbox to have the shows exclusively downloadable to that system. My son has the xbox and suddenly, "I was popular in his eyes again". I love when that happens. Been doing that show for years, he never saw it... Suddenly it's in his game box... and "Wow, that pappy is good!" You can also go online and see it www.watchtheguild.com
In the 'realm of mystical stuff I can't figure out'.... There was an 'incredible' drummer I was lucky enough to be in a band with named "Bob Doo" (nick name of course). He and I played great together. He was 20 years younger than me, and had such a funny sense of humor, slightly warped but funny.
One day we were meeting at a restaurant after rehearsal with a group of people and as I enter the restaurant and look around for everyone I hear him yell out, "Hey liver spot, over here!" As horrible as that may sound to you, I laugh again as I write this. It was his wacked sense of humor that let me know he loved me dearly as well. And I was just telling my wife the other day that I miss him and how great we played together..
Anyway, he died some years ago (God rest his soul). So a few days ago I had this gig in a very nice church doing an extravaganza of a Christmas concert, playing bass and also doing a solo spot on NS/Stick. I keep my phone on vibrate and felt it go off. I didn't have to play at that particular moment - so I pull it out of my pocket to see who it is.... the name comes up "Bob Doo"!! The kicker is, though I left his name in my phone (I just couldn't delete it), I did erase the number, and yes it was still erased. I talked out loud to him on the way home, it felt good and thanked him for the call.
I had a great lunch meeting with a director and we talked about doing an online series. (Online series's are getting quite popular). He wrote "Mr. Hollands Opus" and I've scored some films for him before. It would be a "fun" show, a mystery with 50's style detective music. Lol! Lot's of fun. We ate at a great restaurant in West Wood here in Los Angeles... which is about a half hour from my house. I paid $22.00 for parking!!! "I'm walkin' next time!"
I've got the 'Christmas Tree" up. It is COLD here in Los Angeles this week. I don't remember it ever being this cold before. That's why I like it here... "Sunny California" ya know! I don't mind visiting the cold like when I visit my Mom back east, but yikes I don't like when the 'cold' visits me here. I've been throwing wood in our fireplace like I'm feeding the furnace of a Steam Engine train.
As a matter of fact, my hands are cold typing! I'm gonna go 'warm up' by the fireplace, you all have a wonderful evening and we'll meet back here real soon!
Good Nite!
Don
