June’s been mental.
At the start of the month, an enquiry came in for a piece of ready-made library music to use for a short film promoting Nottingham. Two weeks later, it was played on the Big Screen when the Queen visited Nottingham. Word has it that hearing my music was the highlight of her entire Jubilee campaign.* Just goes to show, you never know where these little bits of music are going to end up.
Another little bit of music helped raise over a million pounds at a celebrity charity auction recently. I created the music a video for the Caudwell Children’s Charity’s Diamond Butterfly Ball, attended by stars such as Gary Barlow, Bruce Forsyth and Princess Beatrice. My brief was simple: create music to make millionaires cry. Well, it worked. They made £1.5million and I’m very proud that my music played a part in that.
I’ve carried on working with the UK animator Mair Perkins on some unique promotional videos, such as this one for Vodaphone Comms Exchange and this one for RS Consulting. There are many more in the pipeline and as well as that we have decided to start a sideline company creating animated logos for companies with the equally superb Richie Phillips from Quimbyco. I’ll be providing musical indents and sound design for these. Get in touch if it’s something you’d be interested in.
Finally, I created the music for the advert for an app that used to detect dementia. The app is called Cantabmobile and it’s been all over the news recently. Here is the promotional video that I created the music for it.
Production-wise, I’ve been just as busy.
I recently mentioned working with a superb singer called Kezia. She recently spent two weeks at the studio recording her debut LP and I have to say that it’s phenomenal. Her voice and songwriting ability is astounding and we worked together brilliantly. I’m just finishing the final mixes and she’s due to launch it early next year. I’ll hopefully have as full write-up of the album soon.
I started work on an album by George Simpson, a Melton Mowbray based singer and songwriter. He’s also got an incredible voice and some absolute radio-friendly songs. We have three tracks complete and hope to finish the album by the end of the summer.
Aside from that, I’m working with a singer called Emma Kate Dawson on some tracks. Emma is new to songwriting, but she has a great voice, writes her own songs and has put the emphasis on quality, so I’m helping with that.
So, all busy. And so much other stuff coming up tat you can expect my next blog to be gibberish. Much like this one. Hey ho.
* This might not be strictly true. But then it might.
By Ben Haynes