The Epilogue of UNITED IN ANGER

The latest is that I’ll have maybe two pieces of music in the film United In Anger: A History of Act Up, but I’m no longer doing the score.

After last minute discussions yesterday, I figured out that the filmmaker wanted something more musically transparent, backgroundy, where I was scoring the emotional ebbs and flows of the sequences.

At this point in my career, it’s pretty clear that the artist I am is the artist I am, and it’s way too late to become something I’m not. So I switched into Music Consultant mode, and together we were able to locate an example of the music he wants. Then I freed him to go get it from someone else. I loved what my score did in the film … but it’s his film and I’d rather help him to his vision than feel like I’m saddling him unwillingly with mine.

Then I ate a chicken salad sandwich and re-purposed last night’s film-music recording session for work on my new album. We worked on “The Rosewood Casket” (beautifully) and made plans for recording “The Man in the Game” Saturday (a song I premiered at the Molly Malone’s band show October 25th).

And that means I’m back on schedule to finish the album in December. I am feeling good all around.

© Dudley Saunders