I heard, not so long ago, that Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries book series had been picked up for TV Adaptation. And so, I’m writing the soundtrack for it.
Not, mind, that I’ve been commissioned to score it. No sirree, the chances of me getting on that music team are, let’s be realistic, slim to none. But I’m not going to let that get in my way. I have, as you will see, combined two birds with one… branch, so that both may live! Now I have messed up my metaphors sufficiently, allow me to show my working.
It’s purely wishful thinking. Whilst I’m in a moment of downtime, I have, like any self-respecting composer-for-media, turned to writing a production library album. It is a privilege to have relationships with several libraries, one that every few years must be nurtured. It’s challenging (for me, at least) to compose an album alongside commissioned work, so I tend to turn in such a body of work maybe once a year or even once every other year.
I’m in such a position now as, ahem, I am ‘between projects’, as we say in the business. So I’m writing the album, but to make it fun, deliberate and purposeful, I’m writing it as if I were writing for the Murderbot series. I’m writing as if I’m scoring scenes on exoplanets in a far-flung future where a ragtag found family of misfits teams up with the reluctant, hilarious, pathetic and eminently identifiable cybernetic SecUnit (who christens themselves, somewhat ironically but sometimes accurately, Murderbot) to do the right thing, between the times that said Murderbot is generally avoiding human interaction and binge-watching their favourite melodramatic TV series.
Did I mention? Eminently identifiable. No?
So whilst I carefully and quietly seek out commissions, pitch for projects, and write the occasional demo track for music software companies, I’m also living the dream (no really, I’m not crazy, just deluded) by creating the most luscious soundtracks that will eventually, hopefully, find their way to a production library, and perhaps be licensed for a project… of your creation?
And when that Murderbot pitch comes a-knocking… I’ll be ready with a swathe of music demonstrating how perfect I am for the job.
Sneak peeks: