The music on this CD is made up of a series of self-contained gems – some in miniature, such as “Truckin’ With Dad”, others in longer form, such as “Memories, Confessions, Hopes”. Kelsey Carroll, a teen-ager trying to graduate high school, was dealt some tough hands as a kid, and had to learn the art of survival to make it through childhood. Her grit, anger, humor, sorrow, and intelligence all shine through in the film, as do the dedication and compassion of the adults who believed in her and gave her a chance to succeed. The soundtrack's role was to resonate these underlying emotions, and give them a musical voice. Some of the music reflects the countrified and garage-y sounds Kelsey listens to; some is almost classical in mood, with virtuosic guitar parts; and other parts more ambient and electronic. Much of the music has a strong rhythmic drive, reflecting not only my love of rock forms, but also the Brazilian and African music I heard living overseas as a teenager.
I couldn't have created this soundtrack without the virtuosity and dedication of the amazing musicians who played on it. Steve Holley, drummer, formerly with Paul McCartney and Wings, and Keith Lentin, the ultimate NY bassist by way of Cape Town, turned my demo tracks into a tasteful rocking groove. Kevin Kuhn, who plays guitar in The Lion King on Broadway, and has played nylon, steel and electric guitars, plus mandolin, vihuela, quatro, dobro and banjo on my film and television projects for two decades, helped develop the guitar parts from sketch to final recording. Wayne Cohen, songwriter extraordinaire and my studio neighbor, laid down the upright bass parts. Jonathan Duckett, producer, mixer and engineer, co-mixed and mastered the CD.
I suggest listening to the CD as a whole, because it has its own emotional through-line, following that of the film's story.
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