NEWS! NEWS! AND YET MORE NEWS!

First an opportunity from CineMedia:


Bear McCreary is running a cool contest ....

The BSG Orchestra needs a site that can provide media from previous concerts, information on upcoming shows, updates on potential international performances in 2010, a forum for fans, and details on the possible LIVE CONCERT DVD AND ALBUM in the works for release later this year. Designers will be given a collection of approved images and a basic site-map concept, but I’m looking for a creative and attractive layout.

The deadline for submitting your designs is 11:59pm PT, Wednesday July 1st. A winner and two runners-up will be announced by Friday July 3.

Full details are available at http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=2257

Thanks!

From Costa Communications:

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATED COMPOSER

JOHN DEBNEY

SCORES “THE STONING OF SORAYA M.”

Composer reunites with “The Passion of the Christ” producer and actor

Special Screening Followed by a Q & A with the Film’s Director and Composer on July 1

Score Album Available on Varese Sarabande and iTunes

Los Angeles, CA- Academy Award nominated composer John Debney provides a gripping score for “The Stoning of Soraya M,” based on the New York Times Best Selling book by Freidoune Sahebjam, which tells the true story of an Iranian woman named Soraya, whose arranged marriage leads to a tragic ending. The film reunites Debney with “The Passion of the Christ”’s producer Stephen McEveety and actor James Caviezel. “The Stoning of Soraya M.,” written and directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh won the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival. “The Stoning of Soraya M.” opens in select theatres on June 26. The score album is available on Varese Sarabande and through iTunes. An e-petition is being generated that will be sent to the United Nations’ general secretary and the U.S. secretary of state, in an effort to compel countries such as Iran to abolish their penal code that supports stoning. To sign the petition and for more information visit http://www.thestoning.com and click on “get involved.”

While composing the score, Debney wanted the music to reflect the culture in the film as well as the dichotomy it illustrates. He accomplished this task by incorporating ethnic instruments such as the Persian violin and cello, the Oud (a string instrument) and several world woodwinds. An 80-piece orchestra and vocal soloists including Tehran-born Sussan Deyhim complete the beautifully moving score.

John Debney’s solid reputation as a composer spans films in virtually all genres. His credits include “The Passion of the Christ,” for which he received an Oscar nomination; “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” “Idlewild,” a Prohibition-era musical starring Outkast and featuring famed trumpeter Arturo Sandoval; animated films “Barnyard” and “Chicken Little,” comic-book inspired “Sin City,” and comedies “Elf” and “Liar, Liar.” The composer has further demonstrated his diversity with this year’s films’ “Hannah Montana” and upcoming releases, “Old Dogs,” “A Thousand Words” and “Aliens in The Attic.” Next year, Debney will travel to Saint Peter’s Square (The Vatican) for a performance of his symphony “The Passion Oratorio.”

In addition to his Oscar nomination, Debney has received three Emmy awards, a Dove award for “The Passion of the Christ,” A CUE award for the videogame score for “Lair,” and was the youngest recipient of the ASCAP Henry Mancini Award for Career Achievement. Debney has conducted concerts of his music with orchestras throughout the United States and Europe. John Debney’s ability to deliver the perfect score for a variety of films continues to make him one of the most sought after composers in Hollywood.

From Top Dollar PR:


SUMTHING ELSE MUSIC WORKS ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF
BANJO-KAZOOIE: NUTS & BOLTS ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
Original Music by Robin Beanland, Grant Kirkhope and David Clynick

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New York - June 29th, 2009 -Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc., through its licensing
relationship with Microsoft Game Studios, proudly presents Banjo-Kazooie(TM): Nuts
& Bolts Original Soundtrack featuring the original music score from the third
installment of the Banjo-Kazooie series developed by Rare Ltd. The soundtrack album
be released on June 30th to retail outlets through Sumthing Else Music Works www.sumthing.com,
and will be available for digital download on Sumthing Digital www.sumthingdigital.com and
iTunes®.

Famed game developer Rare Ltd. has revived one of its most beloved and successful
franchises exclusively on Xbox 360. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts embraces new
and old fans alike, as the famous bear and bird duo return in stunning high definition
for a unique adventure of epic proportions.

The Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Original Soundtrack features original musical
compositions by Robin Beanland (Killer Instinct, Conker's Bad Fur Day), Grant Kirkhope
(Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie) and David Clynick (Perfect Dark, Perfect Dark Zero).
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts brings an entirely new experience to the console
and takes the franchise to a whole new innovative level of enjoyment. High-definition
graphics, user-created content and online gameplay are just three of the many advances
people of all ages and skill levels will discover as they embark on their adventure.
For more information on the game please visit www.banjo-kazooie.com.

For more information on Sumthing Else Music Works and its complete catalog of video
game soundtracks, please visit www.sumthing.com and www.sumthingdigital.com.

About Rare

Founded in 1985 and based in the United Kingdom, Rare Ltd. is one of the world's
leading video game developers and has masterminded some of the most popular video
games in history, including multimillion-dollar sellers "GoldenEye," "Perfect Dark,"
"Banjo-Kazooie" and the "Donkey Kong Country" series. From 2005 to 2006, Rare released
"Perfect Dark Zero," "Kameo: Elements of Power" and "Viva Piñata" for Xbox 360.
Rare continues to entertain the world with the releases of "Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts
& Bolts" and "Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise". For further information visit
www.rare.co.uk.

About Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc.

Since its creation in the late 1990's by the world-renowned song writer, musician
and record producer, Nile Rodgers, Sumthing Else Music Works has become the acknowledged
industry leader in licensing and distributing video game soundtracks. Possessing
full in-house services worldwide, from retail marketing and sales through physical
and digital distribution, Sumthing is partnered with the world's leading video game
developers and publishers including BioWare, Bungie Studios, Capcom, Crytek, Eidos
Interactive, Epic Games, Gearbox Software, Microsoft, Mistwalker, Rare, SEGA, Silicon
Knights, Sony Computer Entertainment and Ubisoft. Their catalogue of titles includes
the best selling video game soundtrack of all time, Halo 2: Volume One, as well
as award-winning titles including: Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter IV, Halo Wars,
Halo Trilogy, Gears of War 2, Fable II, Too Human, Brothers In Arms, Crysis, Advent
Rising, Fable, Gears of War, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 Volume Two, Halo 3, Hitman:
Blood Money, Hitman: Contracts, Jade Empire, Kameo: Elements of Power, Mass Effect,
Red Steel, Unreal Tournament 3 and many others.

Sumthing Else Music Works and Sumthing Distribution logos are copyright of their
respective companies. All other names of products mentioned herein may be the trademarks
of their respective owners.