Finding Backing Tracks (Secret Garden) HELP!!!

[Wizard212]

Posted: 10/27/12 at 9:51am

I will be directing a production of The Secret Garden this coming March and am in desperate need of some help locating some more obscure instrumental tracks. Our Theater has had a bad track record with using a live pit and a show like this we could barely even house half the required instruments.

I have a lot of the show, but am missing a few key points.

There's a Girl (the short song after the opening)
I Heard Someone Crying
All Three Storm Songs
The Quartet
Lift Me Up
Come Spirt, Come Charm

Does anyone have any information? I will pay for tracks if you have them. Doesn't matter how fully orchestrated they are either, some of mine are simply piano.

[morosco]

Posted: 10/27/12 at 1:51pm

Don't know how the prices run but check out this website. Very well done full tracks from THE SECRET GARDEN. Samples sound great.
The M T Pit

[Wizard212]

Posted: 10/27/12 at 10:46pm

Beautiful stuff! I will apply and see if they are in our price range.

In the chances this proves out of our price range does anyone else have any alternative?

TY tho!

[My Oh My]

Posted: 10/28/12 at 1:49am

I make my own. Mostly Les Mis. Mostly by ear, with some minor help from printed music and accurate midis I've located along the way. It's a painstaking process since I have a specific idea of what I want them to sound like (like a real orchestra, so I use only orchestral instrument samples played by actual musicians). It takes me quite a bit of time to make even one full track (about a month), so I wouldn't be a good alternative.

Unless you could hook me up with the official orchestral score, then it would be much easier, and presumably, faster.

Wait...wouldn't doing the show that way be illegal? Why can't you use an orchestra? Is this a pro theatre, high school production?

I sympathize with you on your limitations in presenting this show but I hope you know backing tracks are just plain tacky in a live theatre show. Even if you have full orchestral rendered ones, your cast will be limited by the pre-established tempos, timing, and they'd have to adjust to the canned orchestra, as opposed to the other way around, lessening the unique nature of live theatre.

At any rate, you can hear the stuff I've thrown together from Les Mis (and one Evita track) here: http://soundcloud.com/user5432415

And good luck.

Updated On: 10/28/12 at 01:49 AM

[Wizard212]

Posted: 10/28/12 at 3:13pm

It is most certainly a legit performance.

I understand the limitations of canned accompaniment, but our theater has been working with those limitations for the better part of a decade now. Our area just doesn't seem to house a large selection of musicians willing to volunteer their time, not for free at least.

It is not illegal to my knowledge, we order all the same rehearsal materials as any other theater company, we don't cut any corners.

Your material is beautiful My oh My. Really well done. I am not sure what your status is, whether you do this for a living or a hobby. If this is in fact your profession, I doubt I could offer you enough compensation to make it worth your time as my budget is often barely enough for the shows at this theater and I usually spend much out of pocket. If this is something you simply do for enjoyment and would be interested in helping our production I would gladly provide you the music for some of the tracks I am missing. I have at my disposal the conductors score a friend lent me and I should be receiving the orchestra score closer to the end of this year. Let me know if you're interested.

And thanks for your input!

Updated On: 10/30/12 at 03:13 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/28/12 at 7:44pm

Even if you have full orchestral rendered ones, your cast will be limited by the pre-established tempos, timing, and they'd have to adjust to the canned orchestra, as opposed to the other way around, lessening the unique nature of live theatre.

Have you ever performed with an amateur theatre band? In my experience, there is still little to no adjustment provided by the live musicians. Maybe, it's just my bad luck and because they have such limited experience, but I've never received any major "support" from an amateur group when it comes to tempo or timing adjustments aside from the inclusion or exclusion of safety bars during dialogue moments. It's actually pretty frustrating because there seems to be little communication and the actor ends up following the band and the band is trying to follow the actor and no one can stay in sync with the other for any significant amount of time.

I do agree, though, that canned music is tacky for a theatre production unless it's a low budget high school production or one of those Jr. or school edition adaptations.

Updated On: 10/28/12 at 07:44 PM

[My Oh My]

Posted: 10/28/12 at 9:38pm

Wizard, I'm an amateur through and through. I'm one of those dudes who end up teaching as a profession and relegating his passions to hobby status, when it should ideally be the other way around, hehe. Seeing the pathetic state of music and performing arts education in the public school system, and the general lack of music appreciation these days (orchestration? What's that?), makes me regret not doing what I love most. Ah, well.

I wouldn't charge a penny because I do this on the side for my own pleasure, but that's also the reason I think you'd best turn to a more timely source as I don't do this full time and don't have the time to render an entire musical in a few weeks with satisfactory results. If you have trouble locating tracks for several songs, then I'd be happy to fill in the gaps. Just let me know.

In the meantime, I can help with some Karaoke tracks I purchased years ago (but have since lost) that are now available online for a small fee. They are probably the same ones you already have, and were produced by a company called Priddis Music. It's only a small selection of some of the best known songs from the show, "How Could I Ever Know," "Hold On," "The Girl I Mean to Be," "Wick," and "Lily's Eyes." You can purchase them here: http://priddis.sourceaudio.com/#explorer?s=secret%20garden

I got my [cassette] copy ages ago and they were impressive back then for how accurate they were to what is heard on the OBC recording. They don't use a real orchestra but their synthetic one sounds better than most. I haven't sampled the tracks currently on offer online, but I'm assuming they're the same ones.

CATSNYrevival, I would call that a company ill-equipped to present a show at all. I believe putting on a show is a fantastic educational opportunity, but not when nobody knows what they're doing. That could only lead to a disastrous and embarrassing situation for all. The kind that finds its way onto YouTube and becomes the laughing stock of the performing arts world!

It's hard to believe that finding a suitable pianist is impossible these days, what with all the starving artists out there in a world that doesn't care where their music comes from or how it's produced; it no longer holds people's fascination. It's all taken for granted and expected to just "be". Sad.

It is a tough situation, not having the proper resources. But that should be a reminder of the unique nature and artistry that goes into live performance and shouldn't be dealt with as an obstacle that people who don't know what they're doing have to find ways to 'overcome.'

[Wizard212]

Posted: 10/28/12 at 11:10pm

My oh My, you are a shining light in the dark world of underfunded community theater. I have the majority of the show with fairly decent accompaniment. Some is beautiful orchestration, some is computer generated but still perfect for my situation.

There are only six numbers that I do not currently have and between them less then 15 minutes of actual music.

I still have several options I am exploring, and the show is not for many months, but I will most certainly keep you and mind, and perhaps if needed I could send you the sheet music for a track or two and whatever you have the time to create I am more then sure will be more than satisfactory for our little rag tag production.

As I was told two decades ago when I was seven playing Oliver in this very same theater, Amateurs are not ones who do something for the gain of it, but for the love of it. We are just happy to preform.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 10/28/12 at 11:25pm

Yes, I can relate. And I hope it didn't seem like I was referring to you when I responded to CATSNYrevival. I have no knowledge of your company or situation except for what you've told us, and wouldn't ever decide the level of quality you have to offer based on that alone. I was responding generally to the idea of putting on a show without respect for the art form and thinking little of the artistry involved. I agree with CATSNYrevival that to someone who cares, that can be very frustrating.

I will definitely be open to any inquiries for help with any gaps you'd need filled. Having the sheet music is a major plus and would expedite the process considerably. I might even have the orchestral score in my archives (I *think* I was once given a copy of the one used in the U.S. national tour, but not sure. I'll let you know). What songs do you currently need, out of curiosity?

[Wizard212]

Posted: 10/28/12 at 11:49pm

I listed them in my OP, I am having a major issue dealing with their absence are...

The Quartet
I Heard Someone Crying
Lift Me Up
Come Spirit, Come Charm
All 3 Storm Songs

those four are my immediate concern, but as I said I have time and many options to explore.

Thank you tho for your continued interest and support.

Updated On: 10/30/12 at 11:49 PM

[Wizard212]

Posted: 10/30/12 at 8:15pm

Bump! Still Lookin!

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/30/12 at 8:23pm

It's a long shot, but you might try contacting Stages St. Louis. They did the show a couple seasons ago and have been using orchestra tracks for many years now. I don't know if they are ever willing to rent out their tracks, but there's only one way to find out.