Tracking the Story
Gabrielle Banks
M.A. Candidate, Global Entertainment & Music Business
Berklee College of Music, Valencia Campus

June 27, 2014

gbanks1@berklee.edu | +34 663 568 514

Summary
For my culminating experience, I have chosen to create a soundtrack for a nonfiction novel. The book I have chosen is a newly-released New York Times Bestseller,
The Interestings, by Meg Wolitzer. I have created a full-length album of songs that relate
to the text explicitly (through in-text callouts) or in some way capture the feeling of the
themes expressed throughout.
Book soundtracks are a very recent trend in the field of entertainment and
experience curation. There have been many apps developed to allow consumers to DJ
their reading experiences and share it with others to set the literary mood. Taking this into
consideration, I fused my interest in this new trend with my long-standing relationship
with film soundtracks to create a work that is slightly less specifically concurrent and
instead more derivative.
I initially designed this project as a practical study of curation and licensing for
my future and continued work as a Music Supervisor. Instead of the traditional television
or film source material, I chose to explore the recent trends of pairing books with music.
This keeps me up to date on trends in music pairing with new media, but also works in
my favor by allowing me a fairly static material with which to work over the course of a
year for the sake of the project, where films and television may work at a much faster
pace.

What I Did & How it Fits

My first step after researching several book options was to read the chosen
material, The Interestings, written by Meg Wolitzer in April of 2013. Reading through it,
I annotated key points of the story; particularly “musical” moments where there were
specific callouts during party scenes, etc. as well as dramatic moments that didn’t specify
music, but that I felt could benefit from musical pairings. This “spotting” session, I have
learned from many interviews with professional music supervisors along with my own
work, is a key first step when reading through film/TV scripts. Furthermore, I have
learned that music supervisors must work with moments the director has called out and
add to that, proposals of original musical moments. I created a spreadsheet (attached in
the Appendix) of all the moments I was proposing, noted the emotion of the “scene,”
what I felt was its relative importance/prominence in the overall story, and a preliminary
list of reference tracks based on initial impression.
Once I had a list of about 50 “cues,” I began my music research process,
consulting Billboard charts, online articles, and the text itself to place the musical
aesthetics of the time period(s) featured throughout the novel; in this case, music from the
1970s through the 2010s. From here, I did what any music supervisor would do and
started with the resources I currently have/know. For me, this was my vinyl collection. I
spent hours upon hours combing through my vinyl collection to find songs I thought
could possibly work for key moments on my list. Once I exhausted that resource, I
moved online to find similar and additional tracks. My selection process ranged from
everything from whether the song was specifically called out in the novel, to whether it
aligned with personal aesthetics, to whether the date of recording aligned with whether or
not it would have been plausible to have existed in the world of the novel (counting

several years before as an option), to preferably any combination of all three. For one
moment in particular, I decided to look further into a Korean band I found at a showcase
at MIDEM. I feel that utilizing all resources (personal collections, referrals from friends
and strangers, resources that fall into your lap, and those you stumble upon) is a key
aspect of seeking the best music options for a sync project. Your competitive advantage
in the market when competing for a freelance project is your ability to be creative,
original, and resourceful. After I looked into the band itself, I had the assistance (and
translation) of a friend to help me to navigate KOMCA – the Korean Music Copyright
Association—to find rights owners for the song. Taking this work beyond borders is very
important given that when sourcing music, you can find inspiration and talent
everywhere, especially in the digital era. This exploration into how another country
organizes its publishing information will help me in the job market by giving me more
options for sourcing, and can also be utilized as a compulsory aspect of a global Masters
program.
Taking that into account, I wanted to design a project that was diverse in
resources. Within my project, whether I sourced pre-existing material, or worked to
record new pieces, I wanted to incorporate music from Creative Commons licenses,
covers, public domain, traditional sync/master uses, and 100% original compositions.
Initially, I set out to record 6 wholly original songs, and “license” 6 pre-existing
songs. This changed throughout the course of the project for a few reasons. It very soon
became obvious that my resources (specifically time and personnel) would not permit me
to record 6 entire songs. I chose instead to delve into quality over quantity. I coproduced—and at times co-wrote—and creatively directed three songs which included a

wholly a cappella track, a new age, electronic based track, and a retro soul cover with a
full band.
On the side of the licensing part of the project, I had intended to go through the
motions of acquiring the licenses, pretending that this was a real project. In a meeting
with Marjorie Scheker of Warner Chappell Music Spain, I learned that I should probably
shy away from this activity, as in the world of licensing (on the sides of the rights
owners), it would cost more to process my pretend request than they would get in return
considering this project was just hypothetical. It would be counterproductive for me to
attempt this process and possibly annoy people with whom I may need to collaborate at
key points in my real career in the future. Relationships are everything and I didn’t want
this project to set me up for failure in the future. Instead, I researched each song’s
publishing and master rights owners and their contact info, everything short of actually
reaching out to these parties. This affected the scope of some of the more practical parts
of my original plan, like budgeting.
The recording process was a huge learning experience. I have close to no
recording experience, nor experience even being in a recording studio, so I learned from
all sides. I created 6 song briefs (attached) for those pieces I knew I wanted to record.
From there, I looked at my resources around Berklee and sent applicable ones to people I
thought would make a good fit based on their interest in the project and my examination
of their portfolios (A&R). For example, I enlisted the help of artist/composer Tess Tyler
for a song that I knew could benefit from her ironically melancholy/chipper aesthetic,
based on what I heard going through her SoundCloud catalog. Once the songs were
recorded, I was sent mixes and I offered creative input for editing.

My coursework in Liz Teutsch’s class in the fall semester, “Production Analysis,”
was really critical during this stage. I am not a musician and have little experience talking
about music with technical jargon. However, I found myself commenting on specific
instrumentation, song form, tempo, and mixing techniques that I knew nothing about
before starting at Berklee. The last-minute decision to enroll in that class proved to be
invaluable for my project, and surely for my career ahead.
Also helpful from my coursework was the legal consultation I received from
Enric Enrich. There were many sensitive legal and copyright-related issues to consider
with this project; everything from the copyrights related to the book itself (for which I
received the author’s blessing, but not her permission to tie any aspect of the project to
her name and licensed material) to the licenses through which I could use the pre-existing
material and the rights assigned to me to the original content via the composers. I
bounced many ideas and concerns off of Enric based on what I learned from his class and
seminars and together we drafted several agreements, such as the Work Made for Hire
agreement (attached in the Appendix).
My next step was to narrow down the list of pre-existing songs I had initially
proposed. For this, I simply chose to revisit my original list to see if I still had the same
connection to those I felt strongly about at first. When I created the very first list of cues,
I labeled them with colors from Green to Red. A deep green meant I felt the moment or
song proposed definitely needed to be considered for the final cut. My connection
weakened respectively for those I marked with yellow or red. So for the editing process, I
selected mostly from the ‘green’ options.

Challenges
Many of the challenges I faced stemmed from my relativeness newness to certain
activities. I have, however, learned the difference between ‘challenge’ and
‘impossibility.’ It was certainly challenging producing the last track, a cover of ‘Sunny,’
given that I had asked the assistance of some of the most talented (and charismatic)
performers in the school. At the top and bottom of each day, for over a week, I was
forced to realign the recording schedule. Be it other gigs, rehearsals for upcoming shows,
or the availability/access of the scoring stage, I hit walls at every turn. Although I feel
that my past experience coordinating video shoots as a film producer gave me some
experience in this, it was definitely a challenge. I learned a lot about people over the
course of this program and this project. To my knowledge there is no ‘All You Need to
Know About Music Supervision’ book with chapters dedicated to dealing with people. I
feel like I have learned an incredible amount about (creative) people and the way they
work by just diving in to this project. This is considering that many of my collaborators
are still pretty much strangers, having known them for 10-11 months at most. My
coursework in Global Leadership and Management helped me to at least mentally prepare
for issues involving creative control, having different conversations, negotiation, and
general assertiveness. Being in the trenches of it all, I know I picked up on a lot of social
cues that will be advantageous in my career moving forward.
Creatively, it was a challenge to make 16 songs from over a dozen different artists
from around the world, alluding to moments in a book that itself follows 6+ different
characters over a 40-year period sound like a cohesive work. As I set out initially, this
really tested my skills in curation. A soundtrack (or any album, really) should be dynamic

enough to not sound like the same song played 12 different times, but not too scattered to
where it’s difficult for the listener to grasp the connections. As with everything, I did the
best I could, but I know there is still a lot to learn.

What’s Next/Left?
There are many different outlets through which to exhibit this “playlist,” such as
through Spotify or apps like Booktrack™ that allow users to sync the songs/playlist to
their audiobooks, etc. Based on my promise to the author to keep the project a strictly
academic project, and my own goals to work on the ‘means’ as opposed to the ‘end,’ I
opted to stay away from distribution media and focus more on the content itself. The
technology is already born, if I decided I wanted this album to be synced. It is also born if
I just wanted it to be a derivative concept album (through shareable playlist apps like
Spotify).
Instead, once I felt comfortable enough with the development of the content, I
plan to use this completed project to pitch to my resources for a film project of similar
aesthetic characteristics. With this, I will be able to show that I am capable of sourcing
relevant period-music (research through to licensing) and am able to co-produce, cowrite, and otherwise coordinate the production of new music. This project will serve as a
portfolio piece to demonstrate my music supervision-related competencies.

What it Means
This project lies at the intersection of a few recent phenomena in the
entertainment industry, especially as it relates to books and music. The first is a

technology in its infancy that allows readers to play music to accompany their text. This
user-generated technology allows people to DJ their readings. There are technologies
being born that even allow authors to submit their own soundtracks, based on what they
had envisioned while writing and emphasizing key scenes.
The other very recent, perhaps more mainstream trend is the tendency of young
adult fiction to be optioned into films with prominent soundtracks that take on lives of
their own. One example of this is the book The Fault in Our Stars by author John Green
which was a bestseller, optioned into a movie currently being screened nationally in the
U.S., and has been receiving a ton of press and buzz because of its star-studded
soundtrack. Whether the author initially envisioned a song by Ed Sheeran playing during
any given chapter of the book means little. However, now the brands are linked through
the world of the film. My soundtrack project does just this (links book to music), while
paying close attention not to refer too much to visual elements, or what would be the film
as intermediary. Another similar example is the book-turned-movie-turned-soundtrack of
Divergent.
While I wouldn’t gamble to say that the film as the intermediary is soon to
disappear, I believe in the strong relationship between a book (specifically Young Adult
Fiction) and contemporary music, especially for marketing purposes.

Final Considerations
When I began the GEMB program and my thesis project in the fall, I entered with
a strong work ethic, a can-do attitude, and a bit of music supervision experience from
indie projects in Miami. Over 11 months, I believe I have strongly improved upon my

understanding of the legalities involved in IP and licensing/publishing, confidence in
negotiation and project management, record producing, songwriting, production
analysis/critical listening, creative direction, A&R, economic considerations of the
intersection between the industries of film and music, and more. The limits of my project
and overall time leave me with a desire to learn much more after the completion of the
degree. In July/August I will enter the professional world seeking further knowledge on
the topics of film music budgets and financing, cue sheet cadence, and overall more
knowledge of all aspects of the business/legal and creative sides of the music supervision
process. Whether speaking with Marjorie Scheker, Robert Kraft, and hearing countless
interviews and conferences on the subject, it seems that often the only way to learn is to
just do it, and that the learning process never ends. I am confident that I will gain such
knowledge in more hands-on work, starting in August with my internship with The
Cutting Edge Group in Beverly Hills.
In all, this project was incredibly relevant to my future career as well as my year
here at Berklee Valencia. This project would not have been possible without my
coursework here, the faculty who served as invaluable mentors, the professional contacts
I have developed, the musical resources available to me here, and the overall confidence
to figure it all out. The competencies I have acquired and practiced in the process of the
completion of this project will be carried on with me for many years to come. I am
excited to dive right in and show off all I have learned in theory and in practice.

Appendix

Original Song Briefs
1.
Will You, Won’t You?
(actualized)
Scenes:
(p.50-51)
“The driver took the two women and Mo in the black Range Rover, and during the ride Ash said,
‘So this is my big return to New Haven. And not to have lunch with an old professor, or give a
talk, but to learn what’s wrong with my uncommunicative and unhappy little boy.’ The nut of
what she was saying was: this is awful. Mo couldn’t hear her; he was listening with headphones
to a CD of a picture book about a runaway truck, the same CD he listened to often. The two
women regarded him for a few seconds, then Ash unbuckled her seat belt and reached over,
pressing her face into his soft white neck. He twisted around to get away but saw he was trapped
by the seat belt and stopped protesting.
Jules knew, during the drive, that Mo would be given a diagnosis the next day, and it
seemed clear finally what it might be. But until not long before Ash had made the appointment it
hadn’t occurred to them that Mo was ‘on the spectrum,’ as everyone casually put it lately, just the
way people also casually said ‘chemo,’ all of it seen as part of the perils of the modern age.
Instead, before then, Mo had seemed mostly anxious and disconnected, shrieking and crying for
reasons that he was unable to explain.”
(p. 376-7)
“Mo lay on his stomach on the carpet like a much younger boy. So many Lego pieces were
scattered around him that it appeared as if there’d been a volcanic explosion and all the flung bits
had cooled and hardened. Jonah stood in awe, just looking; long ago he’d loved Lego too, and
what all those little pieces could do. In a sense, he’d gone to MIT because of Lego, and now he
worked for Gage Systems because of his early interest in what interlocked and what did not.
“What are you making?” he asked.
“A garbage claw,” said the boy, not looking up.
“How does it work?” Jonah asked, and he crouched down and let Mo Figman give him a
demonstration of the uses of his invention. Right away he saw that Mo possessed a visceral
understanding of mechanics that went deep and wide. Jonah questioned him about the
functionality of the garbage claw, and asked him a series of problem-solving questions relating to
use, form, durability, aesthetics. Mo shocked him with his cool skill, yet he was grim about it all,
too.”
Analysis:
Mo Figman is the second child of Ethan Figman and Ash Wolf. Ethan is the creator of a Seth
McFarlane-style animated series and Ash Wolf is an occasional director of plays. The couple is
massively rich (Wolf comes from a rich family) and are constantly in the public eye. Mo’s
diagnosis on the autism spectrum is heart-breaking to Ash, who feels like this is the one
imperfection in her otherwise fairytale life. Ethan, it is later revealed, skipped the opportunity to
travel with Ash and Mo for the testing, claiming he was on a business trip, when really, he just
couldn’t stomach the circumstance.

Mo keeps to himself often. He is a bit socially awkward and pitied by adults, but is happiest in his
own world: listening to his favorite CD and building with Lego. He is a child with so many adult
concepts thrust upon him. His “condition” precedes his presence. He is compared constantly to
his sister, Larkin, who like her mother, is beautiful, charming, and very artistically talented.
Mo relates well to Jonah, a lifelong friend of Ethan and Ash. Jonah himself is at times socially
awkward and prefers to keep to himself.
Brief:
The lyrics for this song will be taken from a poem/song found in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland” (1865).
"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail,
"There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle – will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?
"You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!"
But the snail replied "Too far, too far!" and gave a look askance -Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.
"What matters it how far we go?" his scaly friend replied.
"There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The further off from England the nearer is to France -Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?
The mood of the piece should be heavy, yet childlike. Emotion should be derived from simplicity
(rather, the song is what it lacks). The lyrics themselves are very juvenile, so the performance
need not be stereotypically animated. It should really resonate with the listener. There should be
irony in the juxtaposition of such simple lyrics with a heavy, adult tone. The arrangement should
be very simple and all acoustic. Percussion (maybe bells, maybe tabla) is highly preferred, but
not required. The length should be at least 2 minutes, and no more than 5 minutes.
Additional lyrics can be added for timing and theme, but should remain in the same jovial
sentiment.
References for performance/genre/mood (in order of priority):

•
•
•

“Kiss From a Rose” by Becca Stevens
“Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega (1987 version with vocals only, not any of the 1990s
dance mixes)
“I Bought You a Coat” by Tess Tyler

2.
“Moving Day” Song Brief
(actualized as “Sunny”)
(pp. 346-347)
“Then they were in another place half a dozen blocks north, a cleaner, brighter place, ‘an elevator
building!’ they remarked to each other with wonder, as if such a thing were unheard of. They
actually owned this apartment, and on moving day, when the miracle elevator took them upstairs
to their new, bright, though slapped-together rooms with the smell of paint and polished floors,
they felt as if they had been saved. They weren’t saved; they’d only been transplanted somewhere
different and better, in a co-op whose mortgage Ethan had cosigned. And Dennis’s depression
was certain to hang around like a paint smell that wouldn’t fade, but still it was something…
[Ash] went right to work, tearing open cartons and helping Rory’s bedroom—an actual bedroom
of her own, not just a corner of a living room turned into a bedroom at night. Jules could hear
them, Ash’s soft voice inquiring, and then Rory’s loud voice intoning, ‘Don’t put the
Rollerblades away, Ash. Mom and Dad say I can wear them IN THE APARTMENT like my
Indian moccasin slippers.’ They were in there together, the best friend and the little girl, until the
room was completely unpacked. At eight in the evening Ash was still at the new apartment, and
they all ate Vietnamese food from what would become their primary takeout restaurant for over
twelve years, until it closed during the recession of 2008…. The three adults were hopeful – even
guardedly, Dennis.”
Analysis:
This is one of the happier, most hopeful moments of the book. For once, Jules isn’t jealous of Ash
and she has something to celebrate of her own. However, this is pretty false hope. The new
apartment only comes from a generous ($100K) gift from Ethan and Ash, which caused a lot of
tension between Dennis and Jules at first. Dennis will be depressed, regardless of the square
footage of their new home. Jules still will never have all that Ash has or has access to. This happy
moment precedes Ash finding out that her mom, Betsy, passed.
Brief:
The song should be a semi-retro, soulful, upbeat tune. You should even be able to whistle the
melody at parts (whether or not whistling is featured in the song). The upbeat nature should
almost be ironic (but not naïve!), given that this moment is a façade covering real life. Perhaps
some of the lyrics can give a gentle nod to superficial happiness. Perhaps this can portray a
Pain/Pleasure paradox: a happy, upbeat song, with darker lyrics.
Melody References:
• “I Can See Clearly Now” by Jimmy Cliff

3.
“Drama of the Gifted Child” Song Brief
(not actualized)
(p. 222)
‘This is a Drama of the Gifted Child thing, right?’ Ethan asked.
‘In a way, yes. I left it out for you the other day, by the way. Did you actually read it?’
‘I skimmed it.’
‘You skimmed it? It’s a very short book, Ethan.’
‘So short it’s like a haiku, right?’ he said. ‘Well, I think I can sum it up in haiku form.’ Then he
said:
‘My parents loved me
narcissistically, alas
and now I am sad.’
‘Don’t make fun of me,’ Ash said. ‘It’s an important book.’
Ash had lately become obsessed with The Drama of the Gifted Child, by the Swiss-trained
psychoanalyst Alice Miller, which had become a cult hit when it was published several years
earlier. Ash said it was the best book she’d ever read. Much of it dealt with the lasting damage
done to children by narcissistic parents. Ash had read the book closely, writing in its margins,
feeling certain it was relevant to herself and several of the people she knew. The Wolfs,
particularly Gil, had always had so many expectations for her, certain that Goodman would never
achieve much. He would disappoint them, but she wouldn’t. Golden Ash, with her beauty, her
thoughtfulness, her plays, her industry, was a narcissistic parent’s dream. But Ethan’s mother and
father never once pushed him; they’d been too absorbed by their own dreadful marriage and then
by their own split to pay too much attention to their son’s precocious, burgeoning abilities.”
Analysis:
This book that Ash is obsessed with is an important symbol of the relationships all of the
Interestings have with their parents. Here, it is explained that Ash was pressured by her parents to
do great things. Goodman, was never really expected to do all that much. However, when he gets
in trouble, his parents bend over backwards to make sure he has everything he needs in Iceland.
Ash as an adult is very much concerned with appearances and staging, hence her career as a
Broadway director. This is also evident in her reaction to her son getting diagnosed with Austism.
She is devastated.
Jules is embarrassed by her low-to-middle class family in the humdrum suburb of Underhill. As
an adult, she constantly bickers with her husband Dennis because they are not as successful as
Ash and Ethan. They have nothing. They struggle to make ends meet and it’s too much for her to
bear.
Jonah has a noteworthy relationship to his mother, Susannah, who raised him on tour without a
father, and without really someone trustworthy to talk/relate to. This leads to Jonah being
susceptible to manipulation by Barry Claimes, whom he genuinely looked up to and respected,

and then later to the Moonies, a cult he joins that makes him feel unconditionally loved by a
family structure.
Ethan’s parents, also explained here, were too wrapped up in their divorce to pay much attention
to him. This caused him to “escape” to his own created world of The Figmans, which as an adult
made him a millionaire.
Brief:
An acoustic, weighty and emotional song similar to “Daughters” by John Mayer about the ins and
outs of how much the relationships with parents can shape their child’s adult lives. Can tell a
story within the song about a man or a woman who is completely the product of their parents’
parenting style.
Arrangement/Genre:
• Mostly open
• Acoustic
• Male or female vocals
• No more than 4 minutes
• Contemporary

4.
“Jules Redecorates Lois’s house for Ash” Song Brief
(actualized as “All in Time”)
(pp. 160-1)
“One Saturday morning in May, Ash took the Long Island Railroad out to Underhill to spend the
weekend at the Jacobsons’. There was a time when Jules would have dissuaded her from coming,
but not now. None of her friends had seen her small house or her dull, unfancy suburb; they had
all expressed an interest in visiting her before, but Jules had deflected it, saying something
meaningless like, ‘All in good time, my pretty.’ But now Ash needed to get away from her
parents and the city. Before she arrived, Jules went around the house, glaring at everything, trying
to find clever ways to make the place look better. She stalked through the rooms, her eyes
narrowed in assessment, snatching up an ugly ashtray and spiriting it into a drawer, removing a
pillow that her mother’s sister, Aunt Joan, had embroidered from a kit with the words Home Is
the Place Where When You Have to Go There They Have to Take You In – Robert Frost. Jules
couldn’t bear the image of Aunt Joan, who had never read a poem in her life, stitching the name
“Robert Frost” in green yarn, as if that somehow made her ‘literary.’ The pillow went into the
drawer beside the ashtray, and as Jules closed the drawer her mother saw her and said, ‘What are
you doing?’
‘Just straightening up.’
Lois glanced around the room, noticing the way the rug had been vacuumed within an inch of its
life, items on surfaces had been regrouped, and a shawl had been thrown across the couch, not to
hide any stain or imperfection but to hide the couch itself. Seeing her mother see the house from
Jules’s perspective made her ashamed of herself. Suddenly Lois Jacobson, who had been given no
credit for anything seemed to know everything. She’d lived through the death of her young
husband, and now she was a single mother with two daughters, one in college at nearby Hofstra
but living at home for financial reasons; and one who had made it clear that she preferred a richer,
more sophisticated and engaging family over her own.”
Analysis:
Jules, who was only able to attend camp because of a generous scholarship, has kept her below
par home life away from her rich, Manhattanite, daughter-of-a-lawyer, son-of-a-rockstar friends.
However, it is now that Ash really needs to get away, that Jules has to somehow make her home
look wealthier/classier/more tasteful than it is. Her mom catches her “redecorating” and is hurt
and embarrassed because that house is the best she can do.
References:
• The theme of the film “Imitation of Life”
• The song “Royals” by Lorde
• Jealously, embarrassment, shame, low(er) income, posers
• 1976
Arrangement:
• Open to suggestions
• Could be similar to the arrangement of “Royals,” but not as urban/contemporary
• Open to genre, but should be earthy with low vocals

5.
“Barry drugs Jonah” Song Brief
(actualized as the acquisition of Goonam songs)
(pp. 99-105)
1.
“Jonah… was sitting and sweetly singing a weird little song he’d made up on the spot. In his
high, preteen voice, Jonah sang:
Because I am a piece of toast
You can bite me,
You can break me,
You can butter me,
You can take me…
Then the lyrics and music ran out, and Jonah lost interest and put down the guitar. But Barry
Claimes recognized that Susannah’s son and his song fragment were delightful. Barry’s own
songwriting had always been forced. He was never going to be a good lyricist like Pete, one of
the other Whistlers, who got all the credit for everything. Barry came over near Jonah and busied
himself with a fancy, elaborate banjo riff, which naturally captured Jonah’s attention…
…They sat together in the Solarium, and Barry said, ‘So why don’t you mess around with the
guitar and see what you come up with?’
‘Mess around?’
‘Yeah, you know. Play some stuff, like you were doing the other day. You came up with some
really neat beginnings of songs.’
Jonah said, in a formal voice, ‘I don’t think I can do that again.’
‘Well, you’ll never know if you don’t try,’ said Barry.
Jonah sat for an hour with the guitar, while Barry sat in the corner observing him, but the scene
was so peculiar that Jonah felt nervous and unable to come up with much of anything. ‘Not a
problem,’ Barry kept saying. ‘You’ll come back again tomorrow.’
For some reason, Jonah did want to come back; no one other than his mother had ever paid this
much attention to him before. Sitting in that living room again on the second day, Barry Claimes
asked him, ‘You like gum?’
‘Everybody likes gum.’
‘That’s true. It sounds like a song you’d write. “Everybody Likes Gum.” But there’s a new kind.
It’s wild. You should try it.’
He pulled a pack of ordinary-looking Clark’s Teaberry gum from his pocket, and Jonah said, ‘Oh,
I’ve had that kind before.’
‘This is a limited edition,’ said Barry. He handed a stick to Jonah, who unwrapped it and folded it
into his mouth.
‘It’s bitter,’ said Jonah.

‘Only at first.’
‘I don’t think it’s going to be very popular.’
But the bitterness went away, and the gum was like all gum everywhere, putting you more in
touch with your own saliva than you’d ever wanted to be. Barry said, ‘So. Guitar or banjo?
Choose your poison.’
‘Guitar,’ said Jonah. ‘And you play banjo.’
‘I’ll follow your lead, my lad,’ said Barry. He leaned back against the couch, watching Jonah as
he painstakingly picked his way through the few new chords that his mother had taught him.
Barry took his banjo and played along. This went on for half and hour, an hour, and at a certain
point Jonah noticed that the walls of the room appeared to be going convex and concave,
buckling but not collapsing. It was like a slow-motion earthquake…”
2.
“’Sing me something about Vietnam,’ said Barry.
‘I don’t know anything about Vietnam.’
‘Oh, sure you do. You know all about our country’s dirty war. Your mom has taken you to peace
marches; I went with the two of you once, remember? You’re like a mystic. A child mystic.
Unspoiled.’
Jonah closed his eyes and began to sing:
‘Tell them you won’t go, my lad
to the land of the worms and the dirty dirt.
Tell them you won’t go, my lad,
‘Cause you’ve got life to live right here on earth…’”
3.
“Once Jonah came up with an entire song about a character called the Selfish Shellfish, and Barry
found this particularly hilarious. Off the top of his head, Jonah sang:
‘…And the ocean belongs to me, just me
I really don’t want to share this sea.
Maybe I’m really selfish
But selfishness is something that happens to shellfish…”
‘The last two lines are a little artless,’ Barry said. ‘Selfishness doesn’t “happen” to someone. It’s
how they behave. Plus, you’re squeezing too many words in there. And “really, really” isn’t a
good idea in a song. But never mind, the concept is solid. A selfish shellfish who wants the whole
ocean to himself! Oh, man, you’re a genius, lad.’”
Analysis:
Barry Claimes, veteran (yet fading) folk singer-songwriter drugs former flame Susannah Bay’s
young son and milks him for his songwriting talents. Barry takes advantage of Jonah’s lack of a
father-figure and his need to feel loved by a male companion. Later, many of these songs are
barely adapted and performed by Barry in concerts.
Brief:

The lyrics of these little tunes should be preserved, mostly for their simplicity and youth. Because
Jonah is exposed to a lot of folk styles because of his mother and her friends, along with
inspiration from Barry and his banjo, the primary genre of this song should be folk. However, the
hallucinations should be accounted for with some type of trippy/electronic/rock elements,
reflecting 1970s Newport, but also respecting the dominating folk environment.
Arrangement:
• Young male or adult female vocals
• Acoustic guitar
• “Random” electrified colors/chords throughout
• Perhaps a neurotic rhythm or bed section (not necessarily percussive)
• Experimental, perhaps a-melodic
• Wet with effects
• Lyrics can be combined within one song. Will speak to the a-linearity of the piece
References:
• Psychedelic Folk
• Acid Folk
• “Song for Wild” by Mark Fry 1972
• “Garden Botanum” by These Trails 1973

6.
“The Wind Will Carry Us” Song Brief
(not actualized)
(pp. 28-9)
“[Barry] waved modestly to the campers and then began to play his banjo while Susannah played
her guitar. The two instruments came together and then backed off shyly, then came together
again, finally forming the preamble to Susannah’s signature song. Quietly at first, then more
forcefully, she began to sing:
I’ve been walkin’ through the valley, and I’ve been walkin’ through the weeds.
And I’ve been tryin’ to understand just why I could not meet your needs.
Did you want me to be like she was?
Is that all that was in your heart?
A prayer that the wind would carry us…
Carry us… apart…”
Feeling/Emotions:
• 1974
• Hippie/Folky
• Campy
• Iconic
• “Full of feeling and warmly received
Arrangement:
Simple with an acoustic guitar, female vocals, and banjo
Lyrics:
Expand upon this Verse and Refrain with at least one more Verse in the theme of an ex-girlfriend
wondering why she wasn’t enough to keep the relationship strong. Timing should be targeted
around 2 minutes.
Notes:
It is brought up at least once in the book the irony that it isn’t likely that wind would bring people
apart, rather bring them together because the wind would blow in one direction.

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WHEREAS:

GABRIELLE
 is
 in
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 of
 editing
 a
 collective
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 consisting
 of
 a
 multi-­‐song
 
soundtrack
 accompaniment
 supporting
 a
 non-­‐fiction
 novel (THE COLLECTIVE
WORK), in which she intends to include a specific composition created by COMPOSER.
COMPOSER is the sole and exclusive author of the composition entitled
_______________________________________________________(THE COMPOSITION)
which he/she has created specifically to be included in THE COLLECTIVE WORK, together
with other creative contributions.
 
The Parties AGREE on the regulation of THE COMPOSITION as a WORK MADE FOR
HIRE under:
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“a work specially ordered or commissioned for us as a contribution to a collective work… or
compilation.” in the terms agreed in this document.
The COMPOSER accepts to contribute with the COMPOSITION to THE
COLLECTIVE WORK without a specific monetary retribution just for the fact that THE
COLLECTIVE WORK is part of a multi-song soundtrack accompaniment supporting a nonfiction novel, which will include this work together with the work of other contributors, for
not-for-profit and educational uses.
Description of the authorized work for hire:
COMPOSER further acknowledges that GABRIELLE shall be considered the author
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non-commercially and non-competitively, for the purposes of inclusion in professional
portfolios, without attribution to the original, copyrighted source material (the novel) or its
creator (novel’s author).
In the event that the commissioned COMPOSITION were to be considered a "work

made for hire", then it shall be deemed that COMPOSER has assigned to GABRIELLE any
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Final Cue Sheet / Song Explanation
“I Got a Plan to Rule the World”
MC Cullah
(3:01)
This song is the “opening theme” of the book. As the group christens themselves the Interestings and lifts
their paper cups in a “ludicrously ceremonial moment” this song represents pretension, irony, and rebellion.
“Misty Blue”
Dorothy Moore
(3:42)
This song represents themes of long-gone relationships throughout.
“How the Heart Approaches What it Yearns”
Paul Simon
(2:49)
This song can represent themes in the later years of the Jules/Ethan/Dennis love triangle. However, it can
more specifically relate to the end of the book when Jules and Ethan kiss in his office and things get
complicated.
“Long, Long Day”
Paul Simon
(3:50)
This song covers Jules and Dennis’s sex scene at the camp. The mood is heavy and laborious, with Jules
over-emphasizing their middle age and their weary spirits. The acquisition of the camp seems like it would
finally make Jules happy, but it still comes with a lot of worry and fear of inadequacy.
“God Bless the Absentee”
Paul Simon
(3:18)
With all that is going on with his family life and the concern for Mo’s future, Ethan finds an escape by
delving into workaholism his animation studio, sleeping at times in his office. It is later revealed that Ethan
avoided going with Ash to receive Mo’s testing/diagnosis.
“Till the Next Goodbye”
The Rolling Stones
(4:37)
This slow song is playing at the End of Summer Party, 1975.
“I’m So Glad”
Cream
(3:58)
This is a celebratory song that plays at the End of Summer Party, 1975.
“Jesus”
Velvet Underground
(3:22)
This song could do double duty as reflecting Jonah’s spiritual enlightenment with the Moonies, or when
Dennis falls ill and Jules resorts to praying, although never religious.
“Watermelon Man”
Herbie Hancock
(6:29)
A classic, upbeat Herbie Hancock song. The group parties in the Labyrinth for the NYE 75-76 celebration.

“Goodbye to Childhood”
Herbie Hancock
(5:50)
The mood of the party turns dark and sober when the Wolf family receives a call claiming Goodman raped
Cathy.
“Long and Healthy Life”
Goonam
(4:23)
This is one of two songs that follow Jonah on his very trippy, very drug-induced, Moonie-inspired journey.
“Flu Illusion”
Goonam
(5:53)
This is one of two songs that follow Jonah on his very trippy, very drug-induced, Moonie-inspired journey.
“Sunny” (2014)
James Brown (Cover) – Luis Regidor Pain, Jana Sustersic, Alex Williams, Ricardo Curto, Daniel
Toledo
Produced by Gabrielle Banks. Transcribed by Alex Williams
(3:07)
Things are finally looking up for Jules as she, along with Rory and Ask, unpacks the new apartment Ethan
helped her and Dennis buy. Their days are brighter and Rory is excited and enthusiastic.
“All in Time” (2014)
Written by A.J.E. Palmer and Gabrielle Banks.
Produced by A.J.E. Palmer and Gabrielle Banks.
Performed by Jelena Ciric, Lauren George, Tess Tyler, Robin Boyd, Luiza Sales.
(2:50)
Jules preps her house for Ash’s visit, hiding anything embarassing that would give (further) clues of Jules’
homely mediocrity compared to Ash.
“Will You, Won’t You?” (2014)
Written, Co-produced, and Performed by Tess Tyler.
Co-produced by Gabrielle Banks.
(3:17)
This song relates well to Mo Figman’s autism diagnosis. .
 He is a child with so many adult concepts thrust
upon him. His “condition” precedes his presence. He is compared constantly to his sister, Larkin, who like
her mother, is beautiful, charming, and very artistically talented. Mo relates well to Jonah, a lifelong friend
of Ethan and Ash. Jonah himself is at times socially awkward and prefers to keep to himself.
“Fast a Fadin’” (2014)
Written and Performed by Daniel Gadd
(2:05)
This song has more of an overall thematic place in the story. It seeks to oppose the opening MC Cullah
song in style, honesty, and theme. It would come towards the end of the book or towards the end of the
derivative album.

Spotting Session Excerpts (complete spreadsheets available in attached .xls file)

Bibliography and Resources:
Donnelly, K.J. The Spectre of Sound: Music in Film and Television (London: British Film
Institute, 2005).
Wolitzer, Meg. The Interestings (USA: Riverhead Books, 2013).
Barry, Hilary. “The app that adds a soundtrack to your e-book.” 3News, October 27,
2013. Accessed October 27, 2013. http://www.3news.co.nz/The-app-that-adds-asoundtrack-to-your-e-book/tabid/412/articleID/319020/Default.aspx#.Uo-HYL8THFI.
Indiana, Gary. “One Brief, Scuzzy Moment.” New York Magazine. Accessed October 25,
2013. http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/features/10557/
“New York 70’s – 80’s underground art and music scene? Club 57?” Yahoo! Answers,
August 2013. Accessed October 25, 2013.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130821053712AATBYuc
Peake, Steve. “New Wave – Profile of the First Original Genre of the ‘80s.” About.com.
Accessed October 25, 2013.
http://80music.about.com/od/genresmovements/p/newwave.htm.
Kelsey, Eric. “A Minute With: Director David O. Russell on music in film.” Reuters.com,
November 6, 2013. Accessed November 6, 2013.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/06/entertainment-us-davidorussell-musicidUSBRE9A50FZ20131106
Holly, Krisztina. “Why Curated Experiences Are The New Future of Marketing.”
Forbes.com, November 5, 2013. Accessed November 6, 2013.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/krisztinaholly/2013/11/05/why-experience-marketing-is-thenew-future-of-engagement/
Morais, Betsy. “Books with Soundtracks: The Future of Reading?” The Atlantic, August
31, 2011. Accessed November 16, 2013.
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/08/books-with-soundtracks-thefuture-of-reading/244344/
Booktrack.com, 2013.
http://www.booktrack.com
Worth, Liz. “How to Make a Book Soundtrack.” Radioforest.Blogspot.com, October 16,
2013. Accessed November 19, 2013.
http://radioforest.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/how-to-make-book-soundtrack.html
Billboard Charts Archive.
http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts

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