Friday Filler – Earning My Keep

Thanks Grog It’s Firday!! 

I admit, that if you had told me a year ago that I’d be making new theme music and a video intro for “Addicts Live,” I’d have replied, “Huh?  Really? What the heck is Addicts Live?”

As I have never been to a 12-step program meeting, and know that any chance of me admitting that I had a “tapping problem” was slim, the concept of “Addicts Live” was foreign to me…and certainly didn’t warrant the effort required to write and produce theme music or a video bumper.

But, of course, it was indeed September of last year, that we tried the first “Live Video Broadcast” featuring some of the folks who keep the blog going here at TSTOAddicts.  And after a year, it just seemed time to “dress it up” a bit…and give the intro some “production value.”

That’s where my background in multimedia production came in handy.
I am a huge fan of both Danny Elfman (the writer of the Simpsons theme) and the recently fired Alf Clausen (still not happy with that decision, FOX/Gracie). I own the Elfman album that features a lot of his theme and soundtrack music. But I was equally amazed at how Clausen was able to make a song parody “sound very much like the original” without actually being the original…or breaking copyright law.

As someone who has been in broadcasting and multimedia production for decades, I am well aware of how close you can come to “sounding like” something…and still not get into trouble with copyright law, or having to pay royalties to the Harry Fox agency (Harry’s been dead for decades…but his “collectors” are very much alive for mechanical royalty use). But, I digress…

Anyway….

When Alissa asked me if I was interested in producing some “bumper music” for “Addicts Live,” I jumped at the chance to do a “Simpsons-esque” theme song…that was ours…and free of royalty issues.

It was a blast to produce…. and has a lot of the same elements…while being unique in both instrumentation, melody, and tone (if you are reading this Danny).

I have to admit…it’s been a while since I pulled out a lot of those orchestral samples…but, it was a blast playing everything from chimes to timpani. I’m sure the neighbors were confused…

I then offered to do the video opening for “Live” rebroadcasts, and this was even more fun (or at least as fun) as doing the music…as I got to embed one of the classic “Addicts Live” bits from Wookiee Joe, his “unicorn in the woods.”  No…I don’t know if a unicorn poops rainbows…but, I do know that I will be careful which hand I shake with Wookie in the future.

You can see the entire exchange HERE

Here is the finished bumper video…in “YouTube” mix for easy viewing. Watch it FULL SCREEN for best results.

The past year has been a sincere pleasure, and Addicts Live is really as much for Alissa, Joe and me (and sometimes Safi), as it is for the readers/viewers.  After spending some “real face time” with this crew and their families this past August in Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood, I admit that I look forward to seeing them (via computer screen), and talking about almost everything under the sun…including TSTO.

While TSTO is what brought us together, it is the sense of family and community that keeps us moving forward.

It was a lot of fun to add some sparkle to our Addicts Live broadcasts…and frankly, after a year of working with Alissa, and finding support for the work we do in Uganda as a bonus, it was the least I could do.

Here’s to another “season” of Addicts Live!