New podcast: Timeboxing (1st guest: Patrick Horvath) and spring recap

I’m starting a podcast about creative pursuits vs. sanity called Timeboxing.  Here’s episode #1 where I talk to filmmaker and illustrator Patrick Horvath:

Why does this exist?  Over the past few years I’ve found myself compulsively pulling friends & collaborators into conversation about how they balance creativity, productivity, and sanity. Many people seem to have some useful perspective or personal angle on this stuff, and since I would be having these conversations regardless (almost as a form of therapy) I decided to start recording them.

Like/share/etc if you enjoy!

facebook iTunes soundcloud stitcher timeboxingpod.com

After the interview I hired Patrick to do the cover art :)  Check out more of his illustration work at soundofblunder.com

In other news, it’s been a great start to 2014.

2 of David Fishel’s films which I created music for had the honor of screening at Lincoln Center in NYC!  A short called Natural Selection and a feature documentary involving dance, horses, and autism.  Here is the trailer for the latter:

I’ve been mixing/scoring a video by Eric McCoy & Justus Meyer for Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.  Here’s Eric with actress Nicky Hawthorne in our VO session:

In February, I traveled to NYC to finish vocal recording with Angeline Gragasin for an upcoming project:

While in NYC (and then Boston) I also caught up with other friends and filmmakers:

 I recently completed a score for a DVD series by DawnSignPress.  Here are some of the session photos (Paul Fuller: banjo, Sasha Birrittella: guitar, Allen Fogle: french horn, Eleanor Weigert: bass clarinet, Jaimie Lee Mendoes: flute)

And finally, I retired an old hard drive:

Until next time!

The Pact II + 2013 wrap-up

We’ve got some catching up to do!  A few projects I’ve scored lately include:

The Pact II

This feature horror film is being released by IFC Midnight and hitting the festival circuit shortly.  I had a blast working with directors Patrick Horvath and Dallas Hallam.  They are ideal collaborators: sweet, hard-working, and creative as hell!  It was also a treat to work with producer Ross Dinerstein and team.  I’m a fan of their work (e.g. Jiro Dreams of Sushi) and they are total pros.

Here are Dallas and Pat playing a “vent hood” (a weird piece of metal traditionally used on rooftops).  We recorded some cool and very “stereo” sounds by super-close miking it while they tapped, scraped, etc.

My elite squad of musicians included Joe Mendoes (cello), Lauren Baba (viola), Pasha Tseitlin (violin), and Brandon Dickert (drums):

The score also featured chromaharp (but played with a pickle jar lid instead of picks), radiator cover (e.g. low metallic BOOOOMs- don’t tell my landlord I ripped it off the wall), and piano (many thank yous, Dory Bavarsky, for letting me record your beautiful baby grand):

Here are audio gurus Rob Chen and Joe Loera at Lotus Post locking in the sound mix:

The last step of the score was naming the 40+ cues.  "The Ghost Who Messed Up the Stuff" is probably the leading Grammy contender:

That’s all the PACT 2 news for now!

GRAY DOG

Another collaboration with the wonderful Celia Rowlson-Hall, which featured accordion, synthesizers, and more chromaharp.  I don’t have a clip since it is hitting festivals soon, BUT here is a kickstarter video for her debut feature film MA:

Check it out and consider supporting if you find her work as exciting as I do!

Natural Selection

This playful short by my longtime collaborator David Fishel features the amazing dancer Carlye Eckert.  It will have the honor of screening at Lincoln Center in NYC in February, and you can watch it online right now here:

http://dancesmadetoorder.com/dance-film/2013/06/natural-selection/

Breaking Bad parody (SPOILERS!  Don’t be stupid- watch Breaking Bad first.)

Directed by the talented Oren Brimer, who is now kicking ass at the Pete Holmes show- congrats Oren!

Oren moved to LA from NYC this year, and at his housewarming I found this in his bathroom.  That is some mega Comedy Nerd Cred.

Also, here’s Alex Wand deftly playing his National Steel Guitar for my BB-esque theme song:

First Dates with Toby Harris

It was a treat to create some “Planet Earth” style source music for this episode of First Dates.

In my opinion, it is among the best-crafted web series out there.  It’s rare to see this sort of tone pulled off so well (and consistently), but director Elliot Dickerhoof nails it.  And of course, actors Seth Morris, Joel Spence, and Anna Wenger are hilarious.

Check out the full series here.

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Happy holidays!