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Screen Magazine - Index

Screen Magazine - Screen Magazine: Vol. 29, Issue 14 - Index

5.1 Music, Inc. Embraces The Future Of Surround Sound By C.J. Arellano
You ask yourself, “Does my project need music mixed in
surround Sound?” Five years ago, a surround sound mix
might have seemed like a luxury. These days, with the rise
of HD and home theater systems, it’s becoming the norm.
5.1 Music, Inc. – a new music production company based
in Evanston, Ill. – has staked its foundation on this growing
necessity, proudly announcing that it is the first music
production company to offer its entire music catalog in 5.1
Surround Sound as well as stereo.
“We see how many HDTVs are being
sold right now and how the stations
are just getting into providing the
programming in HD,” Michelle
Mehlis, 5.1 Music’s Director of Sales
and Marketing, says. “We see that
the people who buy HDTVs are
the 18-49 demographic, the same
demographic that advertisers –
and therefore TV show producers –
target. Our business truly responds
to a need in this exploding HD industry.”
Chris Papa, Founder and Creative Director of 5.1 Music
– whose background includes 15-plus years of music
engineering and production, including projects with
Beyonce, Cirque du Soleil and Coca Cola – explains how
he started the company: “It all started by having a twostory
ladder fall out from under me. I had about three
months where I couldn’t work, and I had a chance to step
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back and evaluate what more I could
be doing with my career,” says Papa. “I had already been
composing for music libraries and also noticed that I was
getting hired for more and more surround mixing. I’ve
always had the pleasure of working with a lot of freakishly
talented musicians, so I put those three things together in
my head, and the seed was planted.”
5.1 Music offers their music in both
surround sound and stereo, via
needledrop, blanket or royalty-free
licensing plans in order to provide
flexibility for their clients’ projects,
whether they’re broadcast or nonbroadcast,
large-scale or lowbudget.
The upstart music company
generates their music – all “written
this year, so nothing is dated,” their
website proclaims – with a group of
over 20 musicians dubbed the Artist Collective. “The Artist
Collective comes together at different times and works
collaboratively to produce the music for our surround sound
production library,” Michael Marsh, Marketing Intern at
5.1 Music, explains. “The size and experience of our Artist
Collective ensures the high quality of our music.”
According to Papa, what’s the most exciting part about
starting this new company? “Giving the musicians an
avenue to share their gift,” he says.
“None of them even thought of a
music library as a source of creativity
or income, so being able to provide this
opportunity for them has been great.”
What about the most difficult aspect?
“We keep losing web developers
for www.51MusicInc.com! It’s like
drummers in ‘Spinal Tap.’ We’ve had
one get called to Iraq, then the next
had his business hit by a tornado. As
far as I know everyone’s still in one
piece, but switching horses has been
challenging.”
So, hey, whether you’re a producer,
musician, or web developer, visit
www.51MusicInc.com and see what
they have to offer.
5.1 Music is about to offer via their
website a summer special through
Labor Day on annual blankets. They’re
offering three free months with an
annual blanket – so 15 months instead
of 12 – if you mention Screen Magazine,
so log in and check ‘em out!
//www.51musicinc.com