On November 15, the album Poetic Justice, co-composed by OCU music professor, Dr. Edward Knight and OCU alum, Or Kribos was published by Warner Chappell Production Music (WCPM). The album features nine tracks of modern string quartet music.
According to Knight, the majority of his composition work prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was for live performances in the concert hall. When the pandemic halted live theater, Knight shifted his focus to commercial compositions.
“Though live music was at a standstill, the commercial music field continued. So, I ventured into exciting new possibilities in an ever-expanding media landscape,” Knight said.
Since the start of the pandemic, Knight has composed several commercial works. These include Warner Music Entertainment Logo Music, RODEO FX Legacy Showreel music, and an album of 10 String Quartet Arrangements of classic pop music. Knight also composed a 12 piece album entitled Power Within, published by the German company Music Sculptor. All of these compositional works were completed prior to the more recent album, Poetic Justice.
All of Knight’s compositions are meant for commercial use, meaning that his music will be a staple of Warner Music Entertainment.
“The Warner Music Entertainment ‘logo music’ will be heard every time the WME logo is presented—on television, movie theatres, websites, and more,” Knight said. “The 10 string quartet arrangements of classic pop music [Warner Chappell Production Music] may be heard in film and on all media platforms, including television. The same goes for Poetic Justice and the album of 12 string quartets for the German company Music Sculptor.”
Asked about co-composing with OCU alum Or Kribos, Knight said that their working relationship was very successful.
“Shortly after our first collaboration, he and I talked about writing string quartets for commercial purposes,” Knight said. “Kribos and I work remarkably well together. Our musical vision and sensibilities are congruent, though we have varied skill sets.”
The string quartet style of Poetic Justice was chosen so that the music could fit a wide range of commercial purposes.
“The reason we decided to write for string quartet was the potential for a long ‘shelf life’. Unlike electronic and popular sounds and styles, the string quartet never really goes out of style—probably because it’s never really in style,” Knight said.
According to Knight, composing this album was inspired by the classics, mainly by Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, which has been used in movies, commercials, television shows, and advertisements.
“Our goal was to create work inspired by the classics yet speak to a contemporary audience,” Knight said.
Knight and Kribos wrote the quartets and formed a contractual deal with WCPM, then arranged for musicians in Hollywood to record the pieces.
“We were not physically at the Los Angeles studio because of COVID, but were plugged in on Zoom and with Audio Movers [a technology that allowed us to hear exactly what the 5-time Grammy winning audio engineer was hearing]. The sessions were intense, yet thrilling,” Knight said. Knight will track who, where, and how the music is used commercially through ASCAP royalties. Tracks can be heard online, through the Warner Chappell Production Music website by searching for Poetic Justice.
Leave a Reply