Nothing is better than bringing a childhood fantasy to life!

Today, the film A House With A Clock In Its Walls was released by Universal Pictures. It was an immense pleasure for me to orchestrate this film with Penka Kouneva for film composer Nathan Barr, because the book was a childhood favorite of mine. I still have the John Bellairs trilogy I read as a boy, and I brought my old childhood books to the recording sessions. It was a truly wonderful experience to hold my childhood keepsakes while listening to the orchestral music I worked on come to life.

These recording sessions were also the very first full orchestra sessions at Nathan Barr’s recently completed facility Bandrika Studio. He built the studio entirely around the old Fox Wurlitzer theater organ which he has been restoring for the last 5 years, and it’s now happily back in service. It’s far more than an organ, because in addition to the 2000+ pipes the player can also play piano, glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, celesta, drums, and a wide array of percussion. It’s a mechanical wonder all powered by air pressure and springs, and this was also the first score for which the organ has been used in decades. The studio and the organ are both in business!

The film is a fantastic, fun, quirky experience that’s JUST scary enough for a 10 year old to feel spooked but still sleep well. Jack Black and Cate Blanchett are fantastic as always, and I highly recommend the film.

More photos of our recording session are on ScoringSessions.com.