I don’t really talk much about my commercial production work here, but this one deserves mention (not that there isn’t lots of great work going on with clients - I even won a few awards recently….)
Missing the Mark is a podcast series by my old friend Eliza Fricker which explores the subject of Autism and the education system (in this case from a UK perspective).
When Eliza asked me to help her make the series, straight away we agreed that sound and music were integral to enhancing this very emotional and personal story. There are subtle uses of sound design throughout to sonically illustrate the stories and experiences we are hearing about. Eliza’s Missing the Mark illustrations (which she has used to share her experience online) are each given their own sound treatment.
It was a deep learning experience and very moving at times. My own education experience was not a good one and working on the series actually helped me to reconcile some of the things that happened to me at school. Its just saddening to know that 30 years later the education system is still getting it so wrong.
I also want to mention all the amazing musicians that donated music for the series. My distant online friend Sean Julian sent me a folder of music and two tracks in particular feature heavily in the series. My local friend Neil hale allowed us to use an album he’d made under the name The Relations.
Esem was someone I met years ago when I did a series of lectures on the history of electronic music at Ravensbourne College. I could see then that he’d be doing interesting things. He’s done some great albums and he let us use some of his material. Jon Tye who runs legendary record label Lo gave us a few lush tracks and Cate Brooks (otherwise known as The Advisory Circle on Ghostbox records) let us use music that could have been made for the series. Joel Wells and Abi Wade provided one of only two vocal tracks used in the series and finally Tess Roby gave the track that perfectly closes each episode. Another that could have been written for the project. THANK YOU. It isn’t taken for granted that you allowed us to use your work.