Our most recent 3Rivers Federal Credit Union television adventure took us into some uncharted territory. We were charged with creating a “sample-heavy” song based on the previous “Experience 3Rivers” theme music we wrote for their TV and radio. The samples were taken from a series of interactions at Lakeside Park in Fort Wayne. They became both the basis for the rhythm underneath the existing music and were interpreted visually in the TV spot.
The process was complicated to say the least. In a nutshell, we defined a handful of sounds we needed (e.g., car doors opening and closing, children laughing, engine noise from a food truck, cell phone camera sounds, bubble gum popping, etc.) and worked backwards to develop a story that utilized everything we needed. Once approved, I mapped out—in sixteenth notes—the length of the song and marked where notable instruments came and went as context for the transitions. I sat at my desk and tapped on my knees for a couple hours, scribbling on long sheets of paper where I thought we could incorporate these “found sounds” in order to build a beat.
Throughout the day of the shoot, Tom Galliher captured footage while I recorded the sound clips needed to swap out with my tests from the weeks prior. Somehow we fit it all together. Scofield Editorial did a great job of sifting through all our notes and matching Tom’s footage together with the final music. Such a remarkable team effort!
Listen to the final music below:
Or watch the TV spot here!
