Busy Busy Busy

OK ... so that's two BASCA socials, one AIM seminar, one PCAM seminar, one meeting with BBC Worldwide, plus joining the Screened Music Network, in one week.

It's nice to get back to actually writing some music...

spring shoots

OK, it's only February, I know - but there was a Red Admiral butterfly fluttering around my window boxes today. Spring is a comin' ...

Here at Apollo Towers, though, there's not too much time for admiring wildlife. Right now I'm jumping from remixing Black to chilling out making ambient music for a Tai Chi video (for Artificial Eye) to trying to meet a March deadline for more 'back end film trailer style' orchestral sounding music, (for Moonlab) I also have to remix Natascha Atlas before the end of this month but the parts I need are ... in Egypt, where things have been a little busy recently, to say the least. I don't suppose whoever is responsible for getting them to me has a lot of time to think about luxuries like music.

So I suppose that's a reminder that all of us in this country are lucky, even if things seem a bit rough out there right now, what with cuts hitting services everywhere - and arts and music organisations as much as anything else. Things could be a lot worse, though ...

So it's worth remembering - the freedom, time, and ability to appreciate a butterfly on a flower shouldn't be taken for granted.

Enjoy your spring.

Modern times

July 2010

Well, summer's here and the weather's beautiful ... and there are times I'd prefer to be outside than working away on corporate video music, among other things, but I'm happy to be working, at any time.

Unfortunately so often these days I find, though, that I'm being asked to work for little or no budget, being told that "it'll look good on your CV" or that payment will be made but "deferred" ...

Now, there are times when I'm happy to work for no money, and I'll always be glad to discuss projects where money is hard or impossible to find, and everyone's working for love - but if I'm asked to work, for no money, on projects which are obviously 'commercial', and being funded properly - for everyone involved with the production- except, for some reason, the composer ....

The answer will be no.

I value my work, and my time. If you want exceptional music for your production composed and produced to a very high standard, to picture, to your brief, by someone with many years experience ... well, you have to pay, unless I'm assured that everyone involved is doing this for love and art, not money, and no-one is being paid.

Even then I can't promise to say yes, even if I love your work. If paid work comes in during the period of production, then I'll have to down tools on your job to work on the paid work. In these tricky times, that's just how it is.

Just so you know !

Spring is here, and in odd moments I've been sowing vegetables. What's that to do with music ? Quite a lot, these days ... not only are the creative aspects remarkably similar (start with something simple, and develop variations) but it works in the business side too. So Apollo has been sowing seeds, as well, looking for new relationships and markets for what we do... and while many of those seeds will 'fall by the wayside', some will germinate in the future, and some are germinating already. New theatre work (a musical ... that's definitely new territory for Apollo) and a couple of pitches at some very plum ad jobs being among them, so far.

I predict a good harvest this year !

Off to the BASCA social this Thursday 11th evening, guest speaker the manager from Spotify ... should be an entertaining event and good to chat to my peers... or maybe I should say, the competition ! If any reading this are attending, let me know and it would be good to meet up, with a glass of wine (or 3, as BASCA always maintain...)

Apollo site

Glad to say the new site is now up and running - check us out at

www.apollomusic.co.uk

... and we're in talks with some new sync agents, so hopefully should be able to pitch at some plum jobs soon.

Glad to report we have begun an association with Moonlab Music in Los Angeles, and we'll be producing a number of music tracks to add to their library. Their new website should be up and running soon, check out

http://moonlabmusic.com/