Mystic Braves' Julian Ducatenzeiler Chosen to Score Silent Film
Julian Ducatenzeiler of California indie rock band Mystic Braves has written a new score for the classic silent film "Fanchon the Cricket." This is part of an ongoing initiative created by business executive and arts patron Henry Stotsenberg to use silent film as a canvas for new artistic inspiration and expression.
LOS ANGELES, April 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mystic Braves front man Julian Ducatenzeiler was selected to score the silent film Fanchon the Cricket as part of an ongoing effort to breathe new artistic inspiration into the classic works of early cinema. Ducatenzeiler collaborated with composer, filmmaker and classically trained piano player Andy Gladbach to create the soundtrack to the movie, which was originally released in 1915.
The new Fanchon score, released on TCM, is modern and largely guitar-driven, with music rooted in folk and rock.
The film was also screened last year as part of the RiverRun Film Festival. Following the screening, Ducatenzeiler spoke on a panel to discuss the modernization of classic silent films.
"We are thrilled with the reaction to Fanchon, which Julian Ducatenzeiler and Andy Gladbach did such an incredible job composing," said Henry Stotsenberg, a business executive and arts patron who spearheaded the effort. "Nobody else has created an initiative like this, and we are looking forward to revamping other classic silent films with modern scores, giving new and emerging artists an incredible canvas for their own musical expression and interpretation."
"This project is so unique and I really enjoyed working on Fanchon," said Ducatenzeiler. "Since the movies are otherwise silent, the music becomes so important – and we really tried to tell the story through our composition."
The initiative is focused on giving emerging artists a leg up in their careers. Stotsenberg selects films that are in the public domain, collaborating with well-known entities in the industry such as the Library of Congress, Paramount Pictures and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Artists who are interested in participating are given 15-minute short films to score as an audition. Those that do well are then given full-length films to score.
"It is a real challenge to score 90 minutes of continuous music," said Stotsenberg. "We have been very impressed with what many of the artists have produced so far. It's our hope that this will help to elevate these artists' profiles and open up more doors for them in the future."
About 20 artists have been signed so far, and many more films are in the works.
Ducatenzeiler, a songwriter who has been the front man of the indie rock band Mystic Braves since YEAR, was also commissioned to work on the score for A Little Princess.
"Julian has been writing songs for the Mystic Braves for years, and his talent is just undeniable," said band member Shane Stotsenberg. "It's amazing to watch him expand into something that is so different and so creative."
"Maybe a lot of these films were ahead of their time," said Ducatenzeiler. "The whole idea is to make the film more relevant to today's audience and hopefully a modern score is able to do that."
Learn more about Julian's experience scoring Fanchon the Cricket here.
About the Mystic Braves
Rooted in the psychedelic music scene of the 1960s, the Mystic Braves, formed in Murrieta, CA, are the embodiment of today's Southern California creativity. Over the last few years, the Mystic Braves have emerged at the front of the garage band revival as a beacon of rock and roll authenticity. Their classic, unforgettable songwriting lends itself to energetic, memorable songs. Listen to the music at https://www.mysticbraves.com.
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