Last Saturday, I was very excited to learn that 25 of my fellow Hollywood fIlm composers came together at Warner Bros Studios to record a very unique collaborative symphonic work to raise funds for continued earthquake relief in Haiti. All participants, including the composers, orchestrators, engineers, studio, copyists, 90 musicians and a 60 member choir donated their time and talents to the cause. I commend producers Chris Lennertz and Steve Schnur, and the Los Angeles film music community, for pulling together such an amazing collection of talent and resources around a united cause.
“Symphony of Hope” is a musical fundraising project which was created following the devastating Haiti earthquake last year to help the people of Haiti in their desperate time of need. A year after the terrible earthquake which has destroyed the lives of thousands of Haitians, the need for assistance is even greater than ever. The “Symphony of Hope” begins with an original Haitian melody, then each composer contributes an additional 8-32 bars of music to the piece and then passes it along to the next composer. This is symbolic in the way that one lending hand passes on to another lending hand and so on and eventually a beautiful outcome is derived.
The orchestral recordings made last Saturday will be given to a group of top producers, artists, and remixers to create additional contemporary works based on the symphony in order to fill out the album and provide an eclectic listening experience.
Plans for a DVD documenting the making of the piece as well as a full scale concert are also underway. All proceeds from the sale of the album and any related materials, such as videos, concerts, etc., will go directly to the people of Haiti through their partner charity, Hands Together – a non-profit devoted to educating, inspiring and encouraging people to understand the importance of responding to the needs of the poor and disadvantaged. For more info and updates go to http://www.haitisymphony.com
