In an exclusive interview with SOCAN, screen composers Brian Pickett and Graeme Cornies, co-founding members of the hugely successful, multiple-award-winning screen composing company Voodoo Highway, discuss how they first started writing music for animated childrens’ programs; the runaway, worldwide successes of two shows they’ve scored, and for which they’ve written songs, Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood – based on the Neighborhood of Make-Believe from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – and Paw Patrol; and one of their shows winning a 2019 Emmy Award. The business is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and is rebranding as the Voodoo Highway Music Group.
Photo by Brad Ardley
Photo by Grant W. Martin Photography. Ian LeFeuvre, nominated for three Canadian Screen Awards in 2020. / Ian LeFeuvre, finaliste pour trois Canadian Screen Awards en 2020.
Twenty-five SOCAN members earn Canadian Screen Awards 2020 noms
Story by Howard Druckman | Thursday February 20th, 2020
Once again this year, SOCAN members have fared very well in nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards, in the musical categories. Twenty-five of our members have earned nominations in various categories.
Presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, the Canadian Screen Awards were born of the fusion of two awards ceremonies – the Genie Awards for movies and Gemini Awards for television. The 2020 awards will be presented over six days during Canadian Screen Week, March 25-31, and the March 29 closing awards gala will be broadcast live on CBC-TV.
The SOCAN nominees are as follows:
FILM
Achievement in Music – Original Score
Ian LeFeuvre, Stephen Krecklo – James Vs His Future Self
Robert Carli – Lie Exposed
Peter Chapman – Riot Girls
Andrew Lockington – The Kindness of Strangers
Achievement in Music – Original Song
Bramwell Tovey, Richard Bell – “I’ve Got a Big One,” from Brotherhood
Ian LeFeuvre – “Travel Through,” from James Vs His Future Self
Peter Chapman, Leslie Seaforth (More or Les) – “We Run the World” from Riot Girls
TELEVISION
Best Original Music, Non-Fiction
Ken Myhr – The Accountant of Auschwitz
Michelle Osis – The Corporate Coup d’ État
Ohad Benchetrit, Justin Small – A Day in the Life of Earth
Ohad Benchetrit, Justin Small – Remarkable Rabbits
Todor Kobakov – The Guardians
Best Original Music, Fiction
Amin Bhatia, Ari Posner – Anne with an E
Todor Kobakov – Cardinal
Ian LeFeuvre, Ari Posner – Carter
Tom Third – Coroner
Best Original Music, Animation
Ryan Carlson, Brendan Quinn – Abby Hatcher
Brian Pickett, Graeme Cornies, James Chapple, David Kelly – The Daniel Tiger Movie: Won’t You be Our Neighbour?
Amin Bhatia, Chris Tait, Ari Posner, Kris Kuzdak – Let’s Go Luna!
Brian Pickett, Graeme Cornies, James Chapple, David Kelly – Paw Patrol
Asher Lenz, Stephen Skratt – Rusty Rivets
For further information and a complete list of nominees, visit the Canadian Screen Awards website. Congratulations to all our nominees on this great achievement!
Photo by Festival international de la chanson de Granby
Festival international de la chanson de Granby: Register now!
Story by Marie-Michèle Bouchard | Friday February 14th, 2020
SOCAN members in the entire Canadian Francophonie, take note: you can register now for the 52nd edition of the Festival international de la chanson de Granby (FICG), which will be held Aug. 10-29, 2020. Once again this year, SOCAN will be a partner of this major event.
The main competitive segment, the Grand Concours Hydro-Québec, is a key platform for emerging performers and singer-songwriters. Not only will the 24 selected participants share more than $100,000 in prizes, they’ll also benefit from intensive training sessions hosted by seasoned music-industry professionals.
Among those, SOCAN will present a training workshop on repertoire, vocal techniques, interpretation, lyric writing, stage presence, and arrangements. The trainers will work with each participant to help them fine-tune their material. Information workshops on the various aspects of the art and craft of songwriting will be offered to the semi-finalists.
The FICG music showcases have become must-see arena for industry professionals, and provide ideal venues for Francophone artists from all over Canada to really shine. More than 200 music-business professionals from around the world, including several dozens of European programmers, attend the event – which means that it offers exceptional visibility for our attending members.
For the first time this year, SOCAN will award one of the showcase participants a creative stay at the Paris SOCAN House, where they can work on their material, and make new contacts in France.
The registration period is open until April 1, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Details are available at www.ficg.qc.ca.