Tuesday, April 14, 2009

And Now, A Musical Interlude. . .

by Sean Chercover

So I get an email out of the blue from some guy in Australia, who says very nice things about my writing. He says he's coming to Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, with a show called Scotland The Brave. He asks if I'd like tickets. Hell yes, I would. I visit his website and learn that he is Australia's most prolific composer/conductor/producer/musician.

His name is Sean O'Boyle, and there are music clips on his site.

I start listening, and I'm mightily impressed. This guy is, as the kids say, the shit. He has composed and recorded jazz (plays the hell out of the clarinet), TV soundtracks, opera for children, a ton of orchestral stuff, and so on. I'm particularly struck by the beauty of his Concerto For Didgeridoo and RiverSymphony (available together on one CD) and I tell him so.

So I take Agent 99 and her parents to see Scotland The Brave, and we all have a great time. Agent 99 and I go to the after-party, where Sean gives me a CD of RiverSymphony and I give him a couple books. We drink beer and laugh a lot, and it feels like we've known each other for years. He loves crime fiction and I love music, and we trade recommendations.

This is one of the real unexpected pleasures that comes from writing. We write our books in relative seclusion, and then they go out into the world. And every once in a while, our work resonates with someone on the other side of the globe, and a connection is made.

This is a beautiful thing. So please indulge a shout-out to Sean O'Boyle and his music. This guy is worth your attention - I promise.

Here's a TV profile of the man himself (some strange '80s music video intrudes from 4:48 to 7:46 - you can skip that part):



In part 2, you can hear some of Concerto for Didgeridoo, and see some of his incredible new work with didgeridoo, vocal, and clarinet. Check it out:




Since we're on the subject of music, I think it's time to share the songs that have most recently become hits with The Mouse:











God-damn, the Clash was a great band.

Chicago Peeps - Catch you on the other end of the highway.

Peace out,
Sean

3 comments:

Dana King said...

The Mouse digs Salt Peanuts. Very cool, baby, very cool.

Anonymous said...

It's one of the cool things about the Internet, connecting people who wouldn't otherwise be in contact. Now if I could do something about all those other people I don't want to be contact with ...

Jon The Crime Spree Guy said...

The kid likes The Clash.
You guys are good parents.


And what's up with this weird "other posts you might like" crap? Not a fan.