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SEASON 2: QUARANTINE STORIES
Introducing a special season of THE LISTENING PODCAST: QUARANTINE STORIES. We spoke with our friends -
musicians, composers, artists, creatives of all types including those working in healthcare - about how they are adjusting to life
in quarantine, and what's helping them get through. Big thanks to all who participated.
SEASON 2: EPISODE 1 launches April 2nd!
SEASON 2, EPISODE 10:
JEFF RONA on What Will Be the New Normal?
In the last episode of our Quarantine Stories series, composer and host Jeff Rona discusses where we go from here as the world re-opens. States and cities across the U.S. are handling it differently, some with very little guidance and others with clear health requirements to be met. Still, there is a lot of confusion as to how to proceed safely with our favorite activities while living indefinitely with COVID-19.
What will a post-COVID world look like? Every place from schools to restaurants to sporting events will be affected. Our new habits of distancing and wearing masks will have to continue for a while, but there is hope with some promising early results from a new vaccine - and help from some innovative entrepreneurs.
What will a post-COVID world look like? Every place from schools to restaurants to sporting events will be affected. Our new habits of distancing and wearing masks will have to continue for a while, but there is hope with some promising early results from a new vaccine - and help from some innovative entrepreneurs.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 9:
FRANCIS PREVE
Sound designer and educator Francis Preve was gearing up for SXSW when COVID-19 lockdowns began and the festival was cancelled. Preve shares how he is coping with quarantine by guiding his students through this emotional time, as well as launching new creative projects including a synthesis tutorial series on YouTube. He also shares the life lessons he’s learned from re-watching Star Trek, and how relevant they are today.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 8:
TYLER BATES
In this episode of Quarantine Stories, we heard from sought-after composer, guitarist, songwriter and record producer Tyler Bates, who is spending time in quarantine doing what he loves most - creative experimentation. He's collaborating with artists who aren't on the road now (he's toured with artists like Marilyn Manson in between composing gigs) and is also getting creative with building out his studio. Bates has scored many notable film and television projects, including John Wick 3, Deadpool, Guardians of the Galaxy, 300, and The Purge TV series.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 7:
DISPATCHES FROM THE ER IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
This week we have a special report from members of the Emergency Room staff at Alaska Native Medical Center in the city of Anchorage. The team primarily treats native populations from all over the state, including some of the most remote corners of the world. They shared their personal struggles as they work to treat patients with COVID-19 - including keeping up morale by leaning on each other, running low on their PPE supply, and how the pandemic is affecting their families and relationships. Interviews by trauma nurse and staff member Carrie Lavallee.
You can donate to assist healthcare workers around the world here.
You can donate to assist healthcare workers around the world here.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 6:
DARREN SWIMMER, RICHARD EINHORN, PAUL LEONARD-MORGAN
TV writer Darren Swimmer (Shadowhunters, Smallville) and composer Richard Einhorn (Voices of Light) offer some advice on a range of quarantine-relevant topics, including apps that help you focus, where to find the best information on the latest public health updates, and curating your TV streaming lineup. And composer/ producer Paul Leonard-Morgan (Limitless, Wormwood) shares the challenges of collaborating and recording with musicians sheltering at home.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 5:
BEN SHEEHAN, EMER KINSELLA
Author, producer, content creator, and activist Ben Sheehan (Funny or Die) talks about launching his new book OMG WTF Does the Constitution Actually Say? in the middle of a pandemic - shortly after recovering from COVID-19 himself. And musician/ composer Emer Kinsella was looking for creative ways to help support and uplift studio musicians who are struggling in this pandemic, and created an incredibly clever video that went viral.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 4:
MATT LANGE, CODY MATTHEW JOHNSON
Episode 4 of Quarantine Stories focuses on creativity and what that means during this unprecedented time in history. Grammy Award-nominated and multi-platinum selling record producer, composer, musician and DJ Matt Lange talks about how he's channeling his anxiety and frustration into new creative projects. Cody Matthew Johnson - composer, musician and Founder/ CEO of Emperia Sound and Music, an audio technology company for interactive media and video games - spoke with us about staying motivated creatively for what comes next after our collective quarantine.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 3:
AZAM ALI, SCOTT GAREN
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In this episode of our Quarantine Stories series, we spoke with internationally acclaimed singer, composer and musician Azam Ali, who was supposed to be performing with her band Niyaz this spring until COVID-19 hit. She talks about coping with her anxiety by helping others, creating a GoFundMe for musicians who need financial assistance. Filmmaker Scott Garen (A Thousand Roads, American Renegade) talks about dealing with his own anxiety by learning to create joy on a daily basis, and how this pandemic is fundamentally changing us as humans.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 2:
ERNIE RIDEOUT, ERIC EDELSTEIN, ADAM WAKEMAN
In this episode of Quarantine Stories, we spoke with Ernie Rideout, a bay area musician who runs the Stanford Jazz Education Program, as he recalls his father's heroic journey of survival in WWII to help him convalesce from an injury during quarantine. We also spoke with actor Eric Edelstein who voices Grizz, the main character of popular animated show We Bare Bears. Looking for a way to get through by helping others, he began recruiting fellow voice actors to read stories to kids on Instagram. Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne musician Adam Wakeman recalls almost being stranded on tour in South America as the COVID-19 quarantine orders began.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 1:
JACK WALL and LOUISE FRASER
Quarantine Stories: Virtual Connection and the COVID-19 Frontlines
For the first episode of our Quarantine Stories series, we spoke with composer Jack Wall (Call of Duty, Myst, Mass Effect) on how he's adjusting to life during the coronavirus crisis, including how he's staying connected. And singer-songwriter Louise Fraser (Tales from a Silent Ocean, Thaw), who is also a nurse practitioner with UCLA, tells us what it's like working on the frontlines of the pandemic.
EPISODE 13: DAVID GAMSON
David Gamson is a Grammy-nominated keyboardist, musician, producer, songwriter, arranger, and engineer. Originally hailing from New York, he has worked with an impressive list of artists, including Kesha, Kelly Clarkson, Jessie J, Adam Lambert, Chaka Khan, Charli XCX, Meshell Ndegeocello, Green Gartside (Scritti Politti), Sheila E., George Benson, Luther Vandross, Donny Osmond, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, Tony LeMans, Roger Troutman and Eden XO.
He is best known for his distinctive synthesizer work and arrangements as a member of the popular 1980s pop band Scritti Politti for three of their albums. Gamson co-produced, co-wrote and arranged most of the songs on three of the band's albums, which include Cupid & Psyche 85 (1985), Provision (1988), and Anomie & Bonhomie (1999). A column in Vinyl Me Please describes his work as “fast-paced and packed with techniques known for accomplishing clear sonic pronunciation... It avoids melodic stasis by hurdling between distant keys, shifting between the verses and choruses.”
He is best known for his distinctive synthesizer work and arrangements as a member of the popular 1980s pop band Scritti Politti for three of their albums. Gamson co-produced, co-wrote and arranged most of the songs on three of the band's albums, which include Cupid & Psyche 85 (1985), Provision (1988), and Anomie & Bonhomie (1999). A column in Vinyl Me Please describes his work as “fast-paced and packed with techniques known for accomplishing clear sonic pronunciation... It avoids melodic stasis by hurdling between distant keys, shifting between the verses and choruses.”
EPISODE 12: FRANCIS PREVE
With a career that includes designing sounds for Ableton, Dave Smith, Korg, Roland, and Xfer, plus serving as Technology Editor for Beatportal.com, Francis Preve has carved a niche as one of the tech industry's most in-demand sound designers. His work as a college professor in Austin, Texas, provides additional insight into how musicians of all skill levels interface with synthesizers, while his career as a technology journalist gives him a deeper appreciation of great product design and development.
Over the years, Preve's musical output has included remixes for Dragonette, Orbital, Gabriel & Dresden, Sander Kleinenberg, and Dave Seaman. His original productions include collaborations like "Yin/Yang" with Wolfgang Gartner, "Glow Ballz" with Matt Lange, and "Get Down" with John Acquaviva & Olivier Giacomotto. He is also the founder of Symplesound, a soundware company focused on creating intuitive instruments and presets.
In 2017, Preve introduced his Scapes artform—entirely synthesized recreations of field recordings--which got the attention of the immersive sound design industry. He has presented and/or moderated panels on sound, synthesis, and production at conferences including SXSW, MacWorld, O’Reilly, and Project BBQ.
Over the years, Preve's musical output has included remixes for Dragonette, Orbital, Gabriel & Dresden, Sander Kleinenberg, and Dave Seaman. His original productions include collaborations like "Yin/Yang" with Wolfgang Gartner, "Glow Ballz" with Matt Lange, and "Get Down" with John Acquaviva & Olivier Giacomotto. He is also the founder of Symplesound, a soundware company focused on creating intuitive instruments and presets.
In 2017, Preve introduced his Scapes artform—entirely synthesized recreations of field recordings--which got the attention of the immersive sound design industry. He has presented and/or moderated panels on sound, synthesis, and production at conferences including SXSW, MacWorld, O’Reilly, and Project BBQ.
EPISODE 11: CHARLES BERNSTEIN
Award winning composer Charles Bernstein conducted his first original orchestral compositions at the age of sixteen. His long career in film scoring can be heard in many popular films and television shows, including Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds and Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and scores for genre classics, A Nightmare on Elm Street (the original), The Entity, Stephen King's Cujo, the Dracula spoof Love At First Bite, along with a wide variety of Emmy winning dramas, comedies, action films and Oscar winning documentaries.
Bernstein is currently a six-term Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he has also served as the Academy’s Vice President. He sits on the ASCAP Foundation Board and the ASCAP Board of Review, and is a founding and Advisory Board member and current Vice President of the Society of Composers & Lyricists.
As an author, Charles Bernstein has received the coveted Deems Taylor Award for his writings on music, and has published over 100 Essays on film music, many of which can be found in his two books, "Film Music and Everything Else” and “Movie Music: An Insider’s View,” and will soon be available in a volume of 110 Collected Essays.
Bernstein is currently a six-term Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he has also served as the Academy’s Vice President. He sits on the ASCAP Foundation Board and the ASCAP Board of Review, and is a founding and Advisory Board member and current Vice President of the Society of Composers & Lyricists.
As an author, Charles Bernstein has received the coveted Deems Taylor Award for his writings on music, and has published over 100 Essays on film music, many of which can be found in his two books, "Film Music and Everything Else” and “Movie Music: An Insider’s View,” and will soon be available in a volume of 110 Collected Essays.
EPISODE 10: MATT LANGE
Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum selling record producer, composer, musician, and DJ, Matt Lange challenges categorization by genre and trends. The signature of Lange’s work is the relentless devotion to pushing music into the future. Lange’s career began working alongside multi-instrumentalist and producer Brian Transeau (BT), co-producing the album "These Hopeful Machines," earning him a Grammy Award-nomination in 2011. Matt then went on to co-write and produce Glenn Morrison’s "Goodbye (feat. Islove)" which was nominated as Dance Recording of the Year at the 2015 Juno Awards and later hit double platinum. Most recently, Lange was a producer on the Thirty Seconds To Mars album "AMERICA," which debuted #2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.
An adept music composer, and sound designer, Lange has created and licensed works for the blockbuster films Ready Player One, Blade Runner 2049, Deadpool 2, The Fast & Furious 8, and Transformers: The Last Knight along with video game franchises Counter-Strike Global Offensive, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, and DOTA II.
As an artist, Matt Lange has released records with some of the most influential electronic dance music labels in the industry such as Anjunabeats, mau5trap, and Armada and has performed across esteemed venues and festivals like Output, Sound Nightclub, Ministry of Sound, TomorrowWorld, EDC, and SXSW. Matt is also the host of Tap Tempo, a podcast which features insightful interviews with peers and collaborators ranging from A-list composers to DJs and includes artists from all backgrounds.
An adept music composer, and sound designer, Lange has created and licensed works for the blockbuster films Ready Player One, Blade Runner 2049, Deadpool 2, The Fast & Furious 8, and Transformers: The Last Knight along with video game franchises Counter-Strike Global Offensive, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, and DOTA II.
As an artist, Matt Lange has released records with some of the most influential electronic dance music labels in the industry such as Anjunabeats, mau5trap, and Armada and has performed across esteemed venues and festivals like Output, Sound Nightclub, Ministry of Sound, TomorrowWorld, EDC, and SXSW. Matt is also the host of Tap Tempo, a podcast which features insightful interviews with peers and collaborators ranging from A-list composers to DJs and includes artists from all backgrounds.
EPISODE 9: BIRD YORK
Kathleen “Bird” York is a study in creative versatility: an Oscar nominated songwriter and recording artist, (IN THE DEEP from Oscar winning film CRASH), a screenwriter who has developed pilots for Warner Bros, Sony, Paramount and Fox, and an accomplished actor having starred or costarred in dozens of films, miniseries and Emmy award-winning television series.
A musician since fifteen, Bird’s songwriting ability got the attention of Warner Chappell which then lead to her critically acclaimed record with EMI. Her love for writing to picture found her composing and producing songs for several projects including Oscar winning film maker Paul Haggis’ CBS drama FAMILY LAW, Sony’s SEVEN POUNDS, Magnolia Pictures DUMBSTRUCK, and Warner Bros’ SUBLIME, as well as for television series CSI:NY, HOUSE, AMERICAN IDOL, ARMY WIVES, STAND OFF, NIP TUCK and WAREHOUSE 13. As an actor, she is best known for her work as Congresswoman Andie Wyatt on the West Wing, and can currently be seen as a series regular on the CBS/CW series IN THE DARK.
A musician since fifteen, Bird’s songwriting ability got the attention of Warner Chappell which then lead to her critically acclaimed record with EMI. Her love for writing to picture found her composing and producing songs for several projects including Oscar winning film maker Paul Haggis’ CBS drama FAMILY LAW, Sony’s SEVEN POUNDS, Magnolia Pictures DUMBSTRUCK, and Warner Bros’ SUBLIME, as well as for television series CSI:NY, HOUSE, AMERICAN IDOL, ARMY WIVES, STAND OFF, NIP TUCK and WAREHOUSE 13. As an actor, she is best known for her work as Congresswoman Andie Wyatt on the West Wing, and can currently be seen as a series regular on the CBS/CW series IN THE DARK.
EPISODE 8: JAY WEIGEL
Jay Weigel is a distinguished composer, producer, conductor, arranger, orchestrator, and contractor for film, television, recordings, and concerts. Based in New Orleans, he has worked in the film and television industry for over 35 years. His recent scores and soundtrack recordings can be heard in the Warner Brothers films including, The Campaign, Green Lantern, Grudge Match, Get Hard, and Midnight Special; over 19 of Tyler Perry’s films including Nobody’s Fool, Acrimony, For Colored Girls, Meet the Browns, Madea Witness Protection, and Madea Goes to Jail; Universal’s Girl Trip; HBO’s Little Britain; I Love You Phillip Morris, Bullet to the Head; Netfilx’s The Last Laugh, The Highwaymen; and numerous documentaries and independent films, including Angela Shelton’s Heart, Baby! and The Eagle and the Albatross; Lisa Arnold’s, Caged No More, Camp Cool Kids, One Nation, Jowan Carbin’s Cut Off; and scored season two of Tyler Perry’s TV series Too Close To Home. Upcoming projects include Tyler Perry’s A Fall from Grace I and The Oval, Paramount’s Paradise Lost, and Jason Berry’s City of a Million Dreams. He has for the past 10 years taught Film Scoring and Midi Orchestration at Loyola University in New Orleans.
EPISODE 7: ALEX KELMAN
"I get to work with the most creative and intelligent people alive. I’m dedicated to discovering new music throughout the world while continuing to educate myself on the cultural context in which those ideas stem."
Alex Kelman is a fixture in the music industry, both as a DJ and musician as well as a publisher responsible for finding new talent. As an executive for many years with Warp Publishing and ZYNC Music, he signed some amazing new artists including The Glitch Mob, Danny Brown, and Khruangbin. He is now co-EVP of Creative/ A&R at Third Side Music (the company who represents such artists as Flying Lotus and Sofi Tukker).
Join us as we talk negotiating deals, collaborating with artists, and what he's learned along the way.
Alex Kelman is a fixture in the music industry, both as a DJ and musician as well as a publisher responsible for finding new talent. As an executive for many years with Warp Publishing and ZYNC Music, he signed some amazing new artists including The Glitch Mob, Danny Brown, and Khruangbin. He is now co-EVP of Creative/ A&R at Third Side Music (the company who represents such artists as Flying Lotus and Sofi Tukker).
Join us as we talk negotiating deals, collaborating with artists, and what he's learned along the way.
EPISODE 6: LILI HAYDN
GRAMMY winner Lili Haydn has played with, sung with, and opened for everyone from Roger Waters, Herbie Hancock, Sting, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and George Clinton's P-Funk All Stars, to name a few. In addition to Lili's extensive touring career and critically acclaimed recordings, her music has been licensed for TV, film, and commercials, and she is the featured voice and violin on several films with Hans Zimmer, Marco Beltrami, and other illustrious composers. She's also a composer herself, with 15 feature films/documentaries to her credit including Netflix’s hit Feminists: What Were They Thinking?(2018) with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin and Oscar winner Freida Lee Mock’s forthcoming documentary RUTH: Justice Ginsburg in Her Own Words. Lili is a social activist in her spare time, and performs for humanitarian organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
EPISODE 5: FINISHING MOVE: BRIAN TRIFON AND BRIAN WHITE
Finishing Move Inc. is an award-winning production duo composing music and sound design for games, television, and film. Formed in 2013 by long-time collaborators Brian Trifon and Brian Lee White, Finishing Move is known for their work on Borderlands 3, Crackdown 3, Halo Wars 2, Massive Chalice, Halo 2: Anniversary and Halo: The Master Chief Collection. With a sound best described as hybrid electronic score, the duo prides themselves on cutting edge sound design that combines synthesis, sampling and live instrumental performances into unique sonic textures. In addition to their multiple game score albums, Finishing Move released the artist albums 'Hypecine' (2016) and 'Inharmony' (2018). In 2017, they released a signature software instrument called 'Posthuman' for the Kontakt Sampler.
EPISODE 4: AMANDA KRIEG THOMAS
Amanda Krieg Thomas is one of the most in-demand music supervisors for TV and film, with an impressive list of projects including the ground-breaking anthology series American Horror Story (FX), ballroom drama Pose (FX), wicked dramedy Claws (TNT), and the critically acclaimed series The Americans (FX). Amanda began her career in the music department at Lionsgate before moving to Format Entertainment, where she worked on projects such as Pitch Perfect 1 and 2 (Gold Circle Films/Universal), The Other Woman (Fox) and ABC comedy, Trophy Wife. She is currently working on feminist horror series, Ratched (Netflix), the film adaptation of Tony Award-winning play, The Boys In The Band (Netflix), and the new season of hit procedural, 9-1-1 (FOX).
Amanda is on the Board of Directors for the Guild of Music Supervisors and a proud member of the Television Academy. She also recently published her first e-book, Thinking In Sync: A Primer on the Mind of a Music Supervisor, which is available on Amazon.
Amanda is on the Board of Directors for the Guild of Music Supervisors and a proud member of the Television Academy. She also recently published her first e-book, Thinking In Sync: A Primer on the Mind of a Music Supervisor, which is available on Amazon.
EPISODE 3: COLD BLUE
Cold Blue’s ascension into a Trance superstar over the last two years has been nothing short of extraordinary. He has consistently delivered release after release for the world’s top Trance labels including Subculture, Kearnage, WAO138, Pure Trance and FSOE. It is momentum like this that has now put Cold Blue in the Top 10 Trance artists on Beatport achieving three #1’s and countless Top Ten hits.
As a DJ he has performed at some of the biggest Trance festivals - EDC Las Vegas, Dreamstate, So Cal, Tomorrowland, and Airbeat One, alongside arena shows in Australia, the United States and the UK. This year he has big releases on Subculture and an upcoming debut artist album. It’s these artistic capabilities that have cemented Cold Blue as a premier league artist who has a massive part to play in shaping the future of Trance Music.
As a DJ he has performed at some of the biggest Trance festivals - EDC Las Vegas, Dreamstate, So Cal, Tomorrowland, and Airbeat One, alongside arena shows in Australia, the United States and the UK. This year he has big releases on Subculture and an upcoming debut artist album. It’s these artistic capabilities that have cemented Cold Blue as a premier league artist who has a massive part to play in shaping the future of Trance Music.
EPISODES 1 & 2: CHRIS DOURIDAS
As music director at KCRW-FM in Santa Monica, CHRIS DOURIDAS built a powerhouse on-air team at one of the most respected and progressive radio stations in the world. He helmed KCRW's popular daily new music program Morning Becomes Eclectic, and became creator/curator of KCRW's long-running all music channel Eclectic24. Douridas is among the premier radio taste makers in the country. His live performance series School Night! thrives as a weekly party in Hollywood and monthly in Brooklyn. In film circles, he is probably best known as a multi Grammy-nominated music supervisor for feature films and television including American Beauty, As Good as It Gets, Austin Powers, Captain Fantastic, Shrek 2, In a World, House of Lies, 24: Legacy, and others.
His new film The Addams Family is in theaters October 11th.
As music director at KCRW-FM in Santa Monica, CHRIS DOURIDAS built a powerhouse on-air team at one of the most respected and progressive radio stations in the world. He helmed KCRW's popular daily new music program Morning Becomes Eclectic, and became creator/curator of KCRW's long-running all music channel Eclectic24. Douridas is among the premier radio taste makers in the country. His live performance series School Night! thrives as a weekly party in Hollywood and monthly in Brooklyn. In film circles, he is probably best known as a multi Grammy-nominated music supervisor for feature films and television including American Beauty, As Good as It Gets, Austin Powers, Captain Fantastic, Shrek 2, In a World, House of Lies, 24: Legacy, and others.
His new film The Addams Family is in theaters October 11th.
Join us as we talk with some amazing creative people about what they love most:
all things music and the arts.
We like to break it down - how they got started, obstacles they faced, and what inspires their work.
Our interviews include the best of the best at what they do -
music supervisors like Chris Douridas & Amanda Krieg Thomas,
Grammy-nominated DJ and composer Matt Lange, trance artist Cold Blue,
and Halo composers Brian Trifon and Brian White, and more.