When producing a TV commercial, only enlightened creative teams consider the idea of context – how will this spot come across when book ended between an engaging TV show and a local car dealer spot? Corona’s ad agency of record, Cramer-Krasselt (based in Chicago) exploited this creative parameter to its maximum years ago when TV viewers such as myself were lulled in by nothing more than a tropical beach and the sound of waves. The ambient soundtrack could have easily been sold at Brooks Brothers as a sleep machine. And the footage could have easily doubled as your screen saver (maybe it did!). This is a prime example where a spot’s effectiveness is all in the context.

The Corona campaign was also effective from a revenue standpoint. Cramer-Krasselt’s website says it became. “..part of the single biggest turnarounds in beerdom: a climb from 6 million cases sold [annually] to more than 130 million.”

These 30 second escapes, nestled right in the middle of our TV couch time, were clearly meaningful to us. So imagine my surprise when Corona pulled off the same hypnotic effect, but this time with a song – specifically “Secret Sun” performed by Jesse Harris.

Corona “Find Your Beach”

Singer/songwriter Jesse Harris is best known for his songwriting on Norah Jones’s album Come Away with Me, including the single “Don’t Know Why” for which Harris won a Grammy Award. He has released ten full-length albums as a solo artist or group member and also produced the motion picture soundtrack to the The Hottest State, directed by Ethan Hawke.

Cramer-Krasselt was kind enough to let me interview group creative director Andrew Meyer about how a musically-driven spot was borne from a campaign known for having no music at all. Because Andrew’s work often takes him to locations with limited or no internet access, this interview was conducted via email.

The Interview

MusicRevolution: Lack of music has been such a signature part of the original Corona spots. Did the decision to depart from that approach trigger a song search? Or was the song so good it warranted a different approach. I guess that’s a “chicken or egg” question.

Andrew Meyer: We knew the spot would have to be music-driven, that we would need a great
song to bring emotional resonance to the concept. It was a very big deal for us, as we've never
really had a music-driven spot in the campaign. It generated a lot of great discussion- What would
the perfect Corona song be? Is there one song that could embody what the brand stands for?
We realized we had to take that pressure off, not think about one song that says everything,
but rather one song that is perfect for the spot.

MR: Were the scenes shot before or after the song was chosen?

AM: The scenes were shot before the final song was chosen. We did have a short list of
songs with us for inspiration, to establish the mood as we rolled film. Jesse's track was
part of that short playlist.

MR: How did you first discover the song? For example, was it submitted by
an outside firm as part of a commissioned music search? Or maybe someone
at the agency had a connection to the artist?

AM: I first got introduced to Jesse's work from his songwriting for Nora Jones. I remember
hearing his track "The Secret Sun" from the soundtrack for "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"
and thinking what a gem it was, it just had this wonderfully laconic pace and great vibe.
As a former drummer myself, I loved the kind of Texas waltz, laid-back 3/4 shuffle.

MR: Are there any outside firms you wish to recognize for the audio
production? Was there an audio sweetening process that was necessary for
this spot?

AM: I have to thank Jesse Harris himself first and foremost. We needed to step the tempo
up just a bit to match our cut of the commercial, and Jesse said why don't you just come
out to New York and we'll record a fresh version, exclusive to Corona? So Jesse pulled a
couple of great musicians, and we recorded the version we used in the spot at this great
old rock & roll studio in New York, Avatar on 53rd street. They have a space with a high
ceiling and wooden walls to create a great, warm ambient sound. Jesse couldn't have
been a nicer guy or better to work with. Five minutes after he left the studio, he texted
me to thank me again and make sure I was happy.

MR: Were there other songs being considered for the spot that made it a
tough decision? I'd like to imagine heated debates where everyone has
their favorite submission, but that might have to wait for the reality show.

AM: Of course. We had a few songs that we played with. I'm always amazed at how
a different track can radically change the feel of a spot, more than any other thing you
can change. It's one of the really fun parts of this business, as someone who's into
music, it feels really good to help expose an artist you like to more people. In the end, Jesse's
song was obviously the right and natural choice, it just hit home and felt great.

One last thing: Here's a little behind-the-scenes film I shot on my iPhone as well as a free
download of the track on Corona's Facebook page,
at http://www.facebook.com/corona?v=app_114665148594180

Conclusion

Big thanks for Andrew for taking the time to answer our questions. And an even bigger thanks to him and his creative team for setting the bar high for quality broadcast advertising.

Here is the original full length version of “Secret Sun” by Jesse Harris. Enjoy:

___________________________________________________

Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace where media producers and business owners can license high-quality, affordable music from a online community of musicians.

This year we’ve been fortunate enough to receive excellent Christmas track submissions from our community of professional musicians. And what makes these royalty-free Christmas music tracks so great is the diversity of creative approaches even within one public domain Christmas song. For example, we have 17 versions of “Silent Night” .

Here’s a version, by Four Seasons Music, that uses piano as the lead instrument while drums and bass keep a light groove.

https://www.musicrevolution.com/search/?trackid=14579

While this version, by Reel People Music, is performed completely on nylon acoustic guitar by virtuoso James Cobb:

https://www.musicrevolution.com/search/?trackid=11248

We carry 27 versions of “Jingle Bells” -royalty free, and 17 versions of “Deck the Halls” – royalty free.

Other Goodies

We’ve also been lucky enough to receive music submissions that would do quite well in a situation where a producer can’t afford the rights to, for example, a Lady Gaga song, but a royalty free Lady Gaga music “style-a-like” would do quite well. Here are some examples:

Lady Gaga (royalty -free)…sorta:

https://www.musicrevolution.com/search/?trackid=5475

Crystal Method (royalty-free)…sorta:

https://www.musicrevolution.com/search/?trackid=12012

James Brown (royalty-free)….sorta:

https://www.musicrevolution.com/search/?trackid=4929

We are so lucky to have such a great collection of music online and available for licensing in TV, film and website media. We believe that the world of production music licensing will evolve to a place where musicians living anywhere in the world who create every style imaginable will have an opportunity to easily offer their music for licensingin film, TV, and website media. Their music will be protected, respected and positioned in a way for them to receive fair compensation for their creativity while filmmakers and media producers enjoy an precedence level of musical variety in one place.

MusicRevolution is that place. So, musicians..submit your tracks, however great or small, because somewhere out there right now is a media producer wondering, “What music will we license for this project?”

Come join the Revolution!

___________________________________________________

Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace where media producers and business owners can license high-quality, affordable music from a online community of musicians.

Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

Member Since: September 10, 2010

Tracks in Portfolio: 9 (click here to hear all tracks)

Tracks We Like:

“The Art of the Beat

“Live Machine”

1. High profile projects or clients you have worked for?

Actually I have never worked on such high profile projects. I am creating music more as a hobby and that gives me the freedom to work only on things that I enjoy. In the past I have made music for 2 student movies but the most professional recording that I took part into was during the studio sessions with our  band Scryed.

2. Primary instrument?

Guitar and voice.

3. Favorite music-making piece of gear or software you currently use?

My favorite piece of gear is definitely my favorite guitar – Epiphone Sheraton 2

I also like the Shure 565sd microphone which I use always except for studio sessions.

4. Piece of gear or software you wish you owned?

I have always wanted to have one of these tube driven large-diaphragm microphones. Maybe Neumann or AKG…

5. Film score or song you admire? Why?

There are so many songs that I admire but if I have to point out one it will be a song by QUEEN.

Let’s say “Don’t stop me now”. This band made their songs to perfection. They are simple enough for the crowds to be able to sing it and complex enough for the professional musicians to admire.

6. Music education background?

I don’t have the classical music education but I have some music education background. As a student I was taking private guitar lessons for 4 years. Later I spent one year taking singing lessons. In the university I finished 2 years of sound engineering and recording courses.

7. Most embarrassing music-related moment?

I can not point out any such specific moments.

8. If you had a time machine and could record or perform once with any artist, who would it be?

Prince J – he seems to know everything about music. He performs great, records great and sounds great.

9. Moment you first knew you would be a musician?

It was 1992 and I was watching a concert in memory of Freddie Mercury on the TV. I was 12 years old and that was the first time I opened my mind for music.

10. Advice you would give to a younger family member interested in a music career?

I am not in a position to give any advices as I don’t have any outstanding achievements in that business. Music is a tough job and I decided to have some easier and better paid job (currently I make my money as a software developer) and to leave the music for my free time. How ever I still keep my dream to make something big into music and I am working hard on it.

So I will just say : “Keep your dream”

11. Five songs or albums you’d take with you to a desert island?

Queen – Innuendo

Michael Jackson – Invincible

Prince – Musicology

Muse – Black Holes and Revelations

Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You

13. If you could master another instrument, what would it be?

Drums

14. Favorite time of day to work in your studio?

Mid day.

15. Any studio collaboration you experienced that stands out in your mind? Why?

Recording with Scryed was a funny time – every band member had hes own opinion about everything, but finally we did the job 😉

Big thanks to Aleksandar for contributing tracks that help make MusicRevolution the Production Music Marketplace.

___________________________________________________

Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace where media producers and business owners can license high-quality, affordable music from a online community of musicians.

Location: Derby, United Kingdom
Member since: August 5, 2010
Tracks in portfolio: 19 (click here to hear all tracks)

Tracks We Like:

“Prelude No. 15”

“Quest for Adventure”

The Interview:
1. High profile projects or clients you have worked for?

Recently my music has been used by the BBC, MTV, Kelloggs, Crayola, UK National Archives and the Guggenheim Museum.

2. Primary instrument?

Piano, I’ve been playing since I was 7.

3. Favorite music-making piece of gear or software you currently use?

Omnisphere, by Spectrasonics. I use it in every non-classical track that I write.

4. Piece of gear or software you wish you owned?

I’ve got my eye on Symphobia, by Project SAM.

5. Film score or song you admire? Why?

Lawrence of Arabia by Maurice Jarre… Mainly because he composed the whole orchestral score in 6 weeks.

6. Music education background?

I studied music to A-level at school, and I went on to get a BA in music from Oxford University.

7. Memorable “Aha!” moment during your musical education?

Learning that Mozart once transcribed an entire 10-minute choral piece – “Miserere”, by Gregorio Allegri – from memory, after hearing it once (The music was considered too ‘holy’ to be transcribed, and was only performed at the Sistine Chapel).

8. Most embarrassing music-related moment?

I once had a heavy cold during a Christmas concert at school, and i sneezed down my saxophone during “Silent Night”.

9. If you had a time machine and could record or perform once with any artist, who would it be?

It would be good to jam with Louis Armstrong, although I’d have to brush up on my jazz piano first.

10. Moment you first knew you would be a musician?

I was obsessed with music from an early age (particularly with the soundtracks on my Amiga computer games), but it took a while before I realized that I would be a musician for a career… It’s hard to narrow it down to a single moment, but the first time I became really confident in my musical abilities was when I learned George Gershwin’s Songbook arrangement of “I Got Rhythm” on the piano (That was also when I first noticed the power of ‘muscle memory’ in the fingers).

1. Advice you would give to a younger family member interested in a music career? Learning to play by ear has helped me more than anything (I’ve always been terrible at sight-reading)… I’d suggest trying to play songs on the piano from memory. It’s almost impossible to start with, but it gives you a great musical ear after time. It’s a great party trick too.
2. Five songs or albums you’d take with you to a desert island? Neutral Milk Hotel – In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
   The Olivia Tremor Control – Black Foliage
   July – July
   Moon – Without Earth and the Moon
   The Beatles – White Album

13. If you could master another instrument, what would it be?

I’d like to master a string or brass instrument. The pocket trumpet stands out for some reason… I’m not really sure why.

14. Favorite time of day to work in your studio?

The middle of the night. It’s a bit inconvenient, but it’s when I’m most creative.

15. Any studio collaboration you experienced that stands out in your mind? Why?

I’ve never collaborated with anyone on a composition, although I’d like to give it a try sometime.

Big thanks to Alex for contributing tracks that help make MusicRevolution the Production Music Marketplace.

___________________________________________________

Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace where media producers and business owners can license high-quality, affordable music from a online community of musicians.

As a composer, it’s common to focus a great deal of mental energy only on the tools. With so many extraordinary plug-ins being released on a regular basis how could one NOT get excited about the new level of realism in your next virtual orchestral track or the latest software synth created by Eric Persing?

But a remark made last week during my interview with award-winning filmmaker Nick Mundy reminded me that what is valued most by film makers in the musicians they use is NOT their gear collection. Rather, it’s that musician’s high-level ideas.

Case Study: Team Tiger Awesome

The three principal members of LA-based comedy film makers Team Tiger Awesome (Clint Gage, Michael Ryan Truly, Nick Mundy) grew up together in Texas. As member Mundy recalls, “Clint was kinda scared of me because I’d play football on cement.”

“In 2005, we all moved to LA [to work in entertainment]. At first we mostly sat around and watched the Houston Astros have their best season ever. We decided to throw a Halloween party and made a video invite using Eddie Murphy’s “Party All the Time”. Within 24 hours, it got like 600 views. We were worried that 600 people were coming to our house. We figured if these stupid party invites are getting noticed, we might as well do this for real. So we launched Team Tiger (www.teamtigerawesome.com) in February 2006.”

Team Tiger has since proliferated more than half-a-dozen spoof TV series (Cramped Quarters, Rejected House Husbands of Hollywood, Pizza Robot) and has won over $6,000 in prize money from the website Tongal (www.tongal.com).

Tongal.com is a website where large companies (Lending Tree, Allstate) post creative specs for spots they need produced and then receive video submissions from producers trying to win the project.

Here’s a hilarious spot produced by Team Tiger and submitted to Tongal.com for a Binaca campaign. The spot took 4^th place:

The Team Tiger Approach to Music

Team Tiger uses a variety of sources for their music including:

1) Apple Soundtrack: Standard with every Mac, but Mundy cautions, “We hear those same music tracks all over the place and we’re like……S**T”.

2) Original songs usually initiated with lyrics by Truly. “He will usually do the first, and most likely, only pass when it comes to a song”

3) Custom soundtracks created by Texas schoolmates Mark Lopez and Craig Douglas.

What advice would Mundy give to musicians trying to break into film-scoring?

“We like when people add their own stuff to a project…especially if it makes the project funnier”.

And there it is. Great film composers are expected to do more than make cool tracks. They are expected to converse and collaborate with directors and producers at a high conceptual level.

“The whole film making process in comedy and the way we work is a collaborative process.” Mundy continues. “Let’s say one of us has an idea. One of us might say, ‘I don’t get it’. We all have improv backgrounds so one person has an idea, the other person plays off of it. We keep building on it and building on it.”

“[When we choose who to work with on a project] being super-talented is just the base layer. For us, the best ideas win. We often joke that we should give our actors co-writing credit.”

“Just for an example, we did one series that didn’t get released. We were gonna have a girl sing the title song. But when Mark sang her part as a temp track, it was the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. I had to fight him to keep it.“

Conclusion

Film composer Hans Zimmer once disagreed with Jerry Bruckheimer over the musical direction for a scene in Crimson Tide. Zimmer said, “Bruckheimer and I all argued for a whole week…..with me doing no writing. We just sat there, we’d come in every day and we’d go at each other”.

Personally, I probably would have re-written the cue on the spot before Bruckheimer could even finish clearing his throat.

But perhaps that’s the point. Perhaps there comes a point in every collaboration where the musician must open their mouth and argue for what their gut says is the best idea, not because they’re being difficult, but because they are being passionate. Perhaps there comes a point where your client relies far more on your personal taste and life experiences than the quality of your microphones.

More Conclusion

One of my very music scoring jobs was a comedy spot for Hair Cuttery. I knew the director socially and was in awe of his reel.

During our first music meeting, I took copious notes. I went back to the studio and worked tirelessly to ensure my demo contained his every idea. My music followed the onscreen action. My music contained elements from his favorite bands. My music was rich with layers of complexity my school professors would appreciate.

After watching playback at the 1^st viewing, several minutes of awkward silence ensued as we both realized the soundtrack really sucked.

“Well”, I said, desperate for anything that could save this meeting, “I did have this one idea while driving in the car when you first told me about this spot…but it’s really simple.”

“We’ve got nothing to lose”, he said (I think).

I then played a child-like polka pattern using a pizzicato string patch.

His face lit up. I felt like Santa Claus. “That’s it!”, he yelled. It was nothing like what he originally directed me to do…….

…but it was the best idea in the room.

___________________________________________________

Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace where media producers and business owners can license high-quality, affordable music from a online community of musicians.

(Trumbull, CT – November 9, 2010)

MusicRevolution.com (www.musicrevolution.com), an innovative online marketplace for royalty-free production music, today announced the launch of its Internet Music Stream for retail, restaurant, fitness club, business and website background music (https://www.musicrevolution.com/music_streams/).

The MusicRevolution.com Internet Music Stream provides an affordable, royalty-free alternative for background music for a range of commercial music applications, including retail, restaurant, fitness club, business and website background music. Starting at $14.99 for a 1-month subscription and $129.99 for a 1-year subscription, the MusicRevolution Internet Music Stream is not subject to any ASCAP, BMI or any other additional public performance licensing fees. The MusicRevolution.com Internet Music Stream offers a variety of unique playlists that provide a continuous Internet feed to meet your needs for background and ambient music, and can also be customized for multi-location applications.

For a limited time, MusicRevolution.com is offering a free 1-month trial subscription to its Internet Music stream for background music. To start your free 1-month trial music stream subscription without any obligation, send an e-mail to info@musicrevolution.com and include “Free Music Stream” in the subject line. This offer expires December 31, 2010.

“We are excited about our Internet Music Stream. We believe that the MusicRevolution Internet Music Stream for retail, restaurant, fitness club, business and website background music is the first offering of this type to use production music,” stated Chris Cardell, Co-Founder of MusicRevolution LLC. “Not only is the MusicRevolution Internet Music Stream only a fraction of the cost of other well-known background music services, our production music library is unique for background music, which enables our users to differentiate themselves from others using the same old background music,” added Cardell.

“Since our launch in April, we have had a tremendous response from musicians to contribute their music and participate in the MusicRevolution.com online marketplace for production music. The MusicRevolution.com production music library already has nearly 10,000 tracks of high-quality, royalty-free music and new music is being added every day,” stated Mike Bielenberg, Co-Founder of MusicRevolution LLC. “From our rapidly growing production music library, we have created a selection of unique playlists that provide an ongoing Internet feed for background music. We can also work with our customers to create customized background music applications with our Internet Music Stream,” added Bielenberg.

___________________________________________________

Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace where media producers and business owners can license high-quality, affordable music from a online community of musicians.

Kaspar Astrup Schroder’s new film My Playground takes a global look at the emerging Parkour scene in Copenhagen, Bejing, Washington DC, Tokyo and more. Anyone who became dizzy during the opening scene of the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale is intimately familiar with Parkour which Wikipedia defines as “a philosophy, [that] includes the physical practice of traversing elements in both urban and rural settings. The goal is to move from one point to another as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

The film focuses mainly on the members of Denmark-based Team Jiyo and includes interviews with government officials, architects and the team-members themselves. When viewing the stunning sequences of Parkour artists leaping fearlessly from building to building, it quickly became clear to me that a deep connection exists between the architects who design buildings and the traceurs (male Parkour artists) that seemingly fly through them. The vast differences that time plays in each creative medium is not unlike an up-and-coming violinist performing a Mozart concerto created over a century ago.

I had an opportunity to interview Astrup Schroder about the use of music in the film. The soundtrack throughout the film is a ambient sheen of warm ice created by Mikkel Metal as well as songs by Broadcast 2000.

Here’s the link to a trailer of the film:

http://www.objectivecinema.net/showcase/2010/10/02/my-playground/

The Interview:

1) A great vocal song plays towards the end of the film (the scene with the metal sculptures in the background while the blond fellow performs). How was this song chosen?

At first I had only thought that Mikkel Metal’s music should be in the film, but during the editing, I felt the film needed a shift in music, to not make it too internal and monochrome, but show the diversity of the phenomenon. And I came across Joe’s music (Joe Steer=Broadcast 2000) which had a great energy and I wanted to use that. So the shift in music felt natural to have at this point.

2) The vocal song that begins during the park opening is also outstanding. How was this song chosen?

Joe was so kind to “donate” his whole album to use in the film. So that song was quite early decided to end the film. It’s has such a positive energy that kind of lives on and the melody sticks to your head and I wanted to have the audience feel that way, after the film ended.

3) The “test of manhood” scene in Copenhagen felt like one of the film’s strongest emotional peaks. Was it intentional to have the music remain static rather than build or change as she hopped the poles?

Yes it was. I didn’t want the music to push anything feelings or drama, but wanted the scene stand very real and authentic.

4) Can you contrast the artistic relationship between architect and Parkour artist vs. the relationship between film composer and film director?

Hmm tough question. Well it’s all about inspiring each other and get a great synergy from mixing different ways of thinking. I work with music myself and my way of working with my music is very much the same way as when I make movies. My approach to music is thinking it/an album as a journey that the listener goes through, rather than thinking of separate songs the stand out individually. So when I work with composers it’s very much about connecting our different approaches and bring our thought together in a way we hadn’t thought about before going into it. And hopefully something bigger than planned comes out of it. And I think it is the same with Parkour and architecture. The architects love how the traceurs use their buildings in a way the hadn’t thought of when they drew it. And something even bigger than both of them had imagined comes out of it. Alright, that was a little difficult to explain, but hope it makes sense.

5) Do you happen to know the software or musical instrument that produced the digital percussion effects that characterize most the music cues towards the beginning of the film? They’re clearly computer-generated and really make the soundtrack unique and modern. Great stuff.

Mikkel Metal works with Ableton Live and even though it’s difficult to hear many of his sounds come from a guitar.

6) The music used during the Washington DC segment contrasts sharply from the other segments’ overall sound. Was there a reason for this?

That’s also by Broadcast 2000 and I don’t think it differs that much. A little bit, but it was intentional, ’cause we are in a different part of the world. Also I want to music diversity to drive the film forward and give it some kind of narrative evolvement.

7) From a cultural standpoint, do you see any parallels between Parkour and skateboarding?

Sure. Skateboarding started the way Parkour did. Though here it wasn’t French suburbs, but Californian waves that inspired. Now skateboarding is a huge extreme sport and I think Parkour will go the same way. Red Bull have already started competitions in Parkour/free running, so in a few years the similarities will be even bigger.

8) What was your work flow process with Mikkel Metal during the film’s creation?

Most pieces were composed for the film, but because of time and the lack of budget he gave me some of his older work, that I could use. But the process was, that he didn’t really see any sequences, I just had pretty specific ideas on what sequences needed what kind of music, so we talked about it and send me some suggestions, that I could work with and adjust according to the scene and my comments. It’s was a very organic process.

9) What is your preferred methodology when searching for a pre-existing piece of music? Whether it’s a song or something from a music library?

I listen to a lot of music, so I pretty much use music I know. Then early in the editing process I work with existing music from other films to see what kind of music (in terms of mood, tempo) would fit and then I contact a composer that I think could make it even better. Or sometimes I contact the musician directly, if I want to use a song, rather than a score. That’s what I did with Broadcast 2000. I just emailed him and he responded and we had to convince his record label. But they were all very generous.

10) Based on your observation, can you contrast the level of government support generally received by the Parkour artists in Copenhagen versus other countries?

Yeah, the Danish government is very supportive. New sports are supported quite heavily in Denmark. So from what I hear, we are very fortunate.

11) What creative advice would you give to a talented musician with a studio who wishes to successfully collaborate with a filmmaker?

I’m sure there are really many talented musicians and composers out there that just don’t get “the chance”, but it’s a tough business and you just have to make a name of yourself. Don’t really know how, sorry. It’s about meeting the right people. Maybe traveling to festivals where the directors are could be a good idea.

12) How did your relationship with Mikkel Metal begin?

I know Mikkel from another film that I directed, where he was very kind to let me use a bunch of his already recorded tracks. And so on My Playground, I contacted him again and wanted him to compose directly for the film. Don’t know if or when we’ll work together again, but I’m sure at some point we will.

Our musician community thanks Kaspar for sharing his insights about the soundtrack to this terrific film. Our community of musicians is always looking for new insights to improve their craft this director’s insights are a welcome additional to our collective knowledge.

Watch  MY PLAYGROUND instantly on VOD or get the DVD http://www.objectivecinema.net/showcase/2010/10/02/my-playground/ from Objective Cinema.

___________________________________________________

Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace where media producers and business owners can license high-quality, affordable music from a online community of musicians.

Location: Loegumkloster, State of Denmark, Denmark

Member since: March 11, 2010

Tracks in portfolio: 107 (click to hear all tracks)

Track We Like:

“Beyond Fear and Hope”

“Vinatir’s Dreamsong”

“Free”

The Interview:

1. High profile projects or clients you have worked for?

Constantly delivering new music to several production music libraries all over the world,

and since I’ve only been doing this for some years after being a professional screenwriter

for nearly 20 and produced for over 100 mill, won awards, made box office hits, top-rated

tv-series, books and a play, I’m also now getting into scoring for films and documentaries.

But my main interest will always be composing what I hear in my head; a dream I’ve had

since I was very young, but at that time didn’t have the computer technology and orchestral

sample libraries at hand that I have to day – now only the sky is the limit. And I want to see –

or hear – how it looks/sounds up there!

2. Primary instrument?

Keyboard.

3. Favorite music-making piece of gear or software you currently use?

Project Sam Symphobia & True Strike 1, Heavyocity’s Evolve, Native Instruments Kontakt 4, Logic pro 9, VSL Vienna Suite,

VLS Ensemble Pro and VSL Instrument Pro.

4. Piece of gear or software you wish you owned?

Project Sam Symphobia 2

5. Film score or song you admire? Why?

“Planet of The Apes” by Danny Elfman – because it’s original and surprising, very dynamic and a

fine hybrid of many different genres and types of orchestras – rock band and symphonic orchestra –

and most importantly the score really supports the story and mood of the film perfectly. I also try

with my music – Virtual Orchestra Music – to Unit genres with global passion – bridging modern

and classical music, East and West, Earth and Heaven with a progressive rock sensibility…

6. Music education background?

I’m Autodidact. Started out playing drums in a rock band when I was 17. Our band once warmed up for

Keith Emerson (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) and his band back then called NICE – it was at a party in a high school

– and I had forgotten my drums sticks and asked the drummer of Nice if I could borrow a pair of his – but no way

he said – and I had to quickly run down into the High School cellar to the work shop and improvise  – but there

was only big wide pieces of wood that I didn’t have neither the time or skills to make into a pair of drum sticks –

so I had to quickly pick a pair of very thin flower sticks and that night I really had to beat the drums hard to be heard…

7. Memorable “Aha!” moment during your musical education?

When I found out that I could compose what I heard in my head without being able to really play the keyboard.

8. Most embarrassing music-related moment?

None yet. And I really don’t think any moment in connection with music can or ought to be embarrassing.

If you fear embarrassment, you will probably inhibit your creativity.

9. If you had a time machine and could record or perform once with any artist, who would it be?

I would love to have Aaron Copland playing one of my best compositions on his grand piano and telling

me how to improve it.

10. Moment you first knew you would be a musician?

I can’t recall – but it was pretty early in my life and probably after i heard my first piece of rock music

– but it wasn’t because of Beatles – I always liked Jimi Hendrix better, then it was Emerson Lake and

Palmer, Yes, Genesis and at the same time I went through most of the contemporary classical composer

and quickly became a big fan of Aaron Copland, that I today consider as one of my biggest inspirational

sources.

11. Advice you would give to a younger family member interested in a music career?

You really have to have a burning need and desire to make music the most important thing in your life.

You shouldn’t be able to live without having to do with music every day no matter what. It’s a way of

life, a way of breathing – not a job. It can also be that, but you shouldn’t count on it.

12. Five songs or albums you’d take with you to a desert island?

Most of Aaron Copland’s music (and the best of my own).

13. If you could master another instrument, what would it be?

The piano…I know I wrote that my primary instrument is the “keyboard”, but I’m really not very

good at playing the keyboard – I would like to be, but I don’t have the time and patience (yet) to

exercise and develop this fine skill…and my primary passion is not playing but composing, and some

how I manage to compose the music I want without being able to really play it…so I think it will be

like that until the day, I can’t play/compose the things I hear in my head…

14. Favorite time of day to work in your studio?

All day (and sometimes night). But it’s not good not to get a good nights sleep. Your brain needs it.

And your music needs your brain.

15. Any studio collaboration you experienced that stands out in your mind? Why?

I’m always working alone and prefer it that way. You also need to be able to play an instrument

I think to be able to fully collaborate…

Big thanks to Bjarne O. for contributing tracks that help make MusicRevolution the Production Music Marketplace.

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Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace where media producers and business owners can license high-quality, affordable music from a online community of musicians.

Location: San Diego, CA, United States Of America
Member since: May 5, 2010
Tracks in portfolio: 21 (Click here to hear all tracks)

Tracks We Like:

Cowabunga

Puka Shells

The Interview:

1. High profile projects or clients you have worked for?

Our song “Carnival Lights” was placed in the recent Disney/Touchstone Pictures film, “The Last Song,” by Nicholas Sparks, starring Miley Cyrus and Greg Kinnear.  We also compose music for several popular daytime TV talk shows.  We’ve had TV placements in “Man v. Food” with Adam Richman, “Bad Girls Club,” and “Little Miss Perfect.”

2. Primary instrument?

Tracey: keyboards & ethnic instruments; Vance: guitar, bass & ukulele

3. Favorite music-making piece of gear or software you currently use?

Tracey: Stylus RMX and Ivory Piano; Vance: Omnisphere and Trilian

4. Film score or song you admire? Why?

Tracey: John Williams, Dave Grusin and Maurice Jarre.  Vance: big fan of the Beatles, John Denver and James Taylor.

5. Music education background?

Tracey: studied classical piano and songwriting; Vance: studied arranging and orchestration; we both take composing classes and constantly go to music seminars and events to learn more.

6. If you had a time machine and could record or perform once with any artist, who would it be?

Tracey: Dvorak and Frank Sinatra; Vance: Paul McCartney and Elvis Presley

7. Moment you first knew you would be a musician?

Tracey: around age 5, would read a storybook, then go write a little song about it on the piano; Vance: around age 16 when singing and playing in country bands in Hawaii.

8. Advice you would give to a younger family member interested in a music career?

Read everything you can about the music business; meet — and establish relationships with — helpful, positive people; try different musical styles and projects to find out what you’re really good at doing; have a burning passion; and never, EVER give up.

9. Favorite time of day to work in your studio?

We work best in the evening or at night when it’s quiet.

Big thanks to Tracey and Vance for contributing tracks that help make MusicRevolution the Production Music Marketplace.

___________________________________________________

Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace where media producers and business owners can license high-quality, affordable music from a online community of musicians.

The essential list of royalty-free production music for your fourth quarter holiday videos. Halloween, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas covered all on one page!

We’ve broken them up into individual links, but you can also get them in a single music bin here (after loading the link just scroll down to the see tracks on the left).

Halloween – Sunday, October 31

1) Ghosts in the Twilight

by Michael Crowther

2) The Heartbeat of Halloween

by Catch22Music

Veterans Day – Thursday, November 11

1) The Star Spangled Banner

2) Rise of the King

by Shockwave Sound

3) Battle Hymn Patriotic Jazz

by Dan Radlauer

Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 25

1) The Trees In Your Orchard

by Alex Grant

2) Three Hours East

by Sound of Mull Music

Christmas Day – Friday, December 25

1) The Nutcracker Suite: Russian Dance

by Apollo Symphony Orchestra

2) Angels We Have Heard on High

by Reel People Studios

3) Attention Shoppers

by Jonathan Geer

4) God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

by Sonic Imagery

There are several thousand more royalty-free music tracks available for purchase on our home page.

We are privileged to carry such great music from a community of immense talent. We hope for a blessed and rewarding upcoming holiday season for our musicians, our customers, our re-sellers and their families. Thank you for being a part of MusicRevolution!

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Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace where media producers and business owners can license high-quality, affordable music from a online community of musicians.