Todd Snider, useless at 59

Todd Snider, useless at 59

by | Nov 16, 2025 | Classic, Musical Industry

Singer songwriter and Americana vet Todd Snider died on Friday attributable to problems from pneumonia. He was 59. A press release was shared as we speak on his web site:

Aimless, Inc. Headquarters is heartbroken to share that our Founder, our Folks Hero, our Poet of the World, our Vice President of the Abrupt Change Dept., the Storyteller, our beloved Todd Daniel Snider has departed this world. The place do we discover the phrases for the one who at all times had the proper phrases, who knew tips on how to distill all the things all the way down to its essence with phrases and track whereas delivering essentially the most devastating, hilarious, and impactful flip of phrases? All the time creating rhyme and meter that instantly felt like an outdated pal or a favourite blanket. Somebody who may virtually at all times discover the humor on this loopy trip on Planet Earth.

He relayed a lot tenderness and sensitivity by his songs, and confirmed many people how to have a look at the world by a distinct lens. He received up each morning and began writing, at all times working in the direction of discovering his place among the many songwriting giants that sat on his report cabinets, those self same giants who let him into their lives and took him underneath their wings, who he studied relentlessly. Man Clark, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Jeff Walker.

How can we transfer ahead with out the one who gave us numerous 90 minute distractions from our impending doom? The one who at all times had 18 minutes to share a narrative. We’ll do it by carrying his tales and songs that include messages of affection, compassion, and peace with us. At the moment, placed on one in all your favourite Todd Snider data and “play it loud sufficient to get up your entire neighbors or a minimum of loud sufficient to at all times wake your self up.” We love you Todd, sail on outdated pal, we’ll see you once more on the market on the street someplace down the road. You’ll at all times be a pressure of nature.

“Like A Power of Nature”
If we by no means get collectively once more
Forgive me for these fools I’ve been
See in the event you can keep in mind me when
I used to be listening to my higher angels
It’s like a pressure of nature
Coming over me
I can’t maintain myself from shifting
It’s like a pressure of nature
Might your hope at all times outweigh your doubt
Till this outdated world lastly punches you out
Might you at all times play your music
Loud sufficient to get up your entire neighbors
Or could you play a minimum of loud sufficient
To at all times wake your self up

Todd Daniel Snider
October 11, 1966 – November 14, 2025

On Friday information that he was hospitalized was shared as effectively: “After Todd returned residence to get better final week, he started having bother respiration and was admitted to the hospital in Hendersonville, TN. We realized from his docs that he had been quietly affected by an undiagnosed case of strolling pneumonia.”

Todd had been on tour — his final present being October 30 in Los Angeles — which had been minimize quick after being mugged within the Salt Lake Metropolis space. After being handled for accidents, Snider himself was arrested; in response to authorities, he refused to depart the hospital and threatened hospital staffers. “He simply stated his complete physique hurts after which he stated he wished a spot to sleep in a single day,” a nurse stated in a police physique digital camera video. When he was advised he couldn’t keep there, “that’s when all the things escalated.”

Todd Snider was born in 1966 in Portland, OR and moved to Texas within the mid-’80s the place he was impressed by seeing Jerry Jeff Walker play and determined he wished to be a musician, additionally taking affect from John Prine (to whom he can be often in contrast), Shel Silverstein, Kris Kristofferson, and others. It wouldn’t be for an additional decade until he launched his debut album, Songs for the Day by day Planet, in 1994. After three albums of MCA, Todd signed to Prine’s Oh Boy Information in 2000 and by the tip of that decade he’d launched his personal label, Aimless, the place he launched the remainder of his discography, together with Excessive, Lonesome and Then Some, his fifteenth album which got here out in October.

Relaxation in peace, Todd

Music Avatars in Video Video games – Music Enterprise Analysis

Music Avatars in Video Video games – Music Enterprise Analysis

by | Nov 16, 2025 | Entertainment Law, Music Business, Podcast News


Video video games have confirmed to be a great setting for musical avatars. Sport builders comparable to Epic Video games and Roblox recognised the potential for human superstars to carry out live shows of their video games. Cooperation between the gaming and music industries might due to this fact be mutually useful. Artists can increase their fan base by performing in entrance of the gaming neighborhood, boosting gross sales of merchandise and branded merchandise. In the meantime, sport builders can improve their person numbers and faucet into new market segments by internet hosting live shows of their video games.

Nonetheless, there are additionally factors of friction between the music and video games industries, as evidenced by the lawsuit filed by Common Publishing and different indie music publishers towards Roblox, which accused the sport developer of copyright infringement. This instance reveals that cooperation can solely succeed if sport builders dance to the tune of the foremost rights holders. In any other case, as the instance of Riot Video games reveals, sport producers should construct their very own music groups and label constructions to create and market their very own music avatars, as highlighted within the sixth and remaining a part of the collection on “Digital Music Worlds”.

Digital Music Worlds – Half 6: Music Avatars in Video Video games

Epic Video games: Celebrity-Avatare in “Fortnite”

The avatars of pop stars, which have already made profitable appearances in video video games, might be a foretaste of this. A milestone in digital live shows in video games happened on 2 February 2019. At 2 p.m. US Jap Time, 10.7 million avid gamers of the ego-shooter sport ‘Fortnite Battle Royale’ eagerly awaited the live performance by US DJ Marshmello, whose avatar carried out for ten minutes within the digital Nice Park.[1] The digital Marshmello clone carried out eight songs from his catalogue and concurrently launched the album “Marshmello Fortnite Prolonged Set” on Apple Music.[2] This efficiency was a win-win state of affairs for each the artist and Fortnite developer Epic Video games. Christopher Comstock, the DJ’s actual identify, who wears a cylindrical helmet with a smiley face paying homage to a marshmallow, was in a position to generate further income from the sale of merchandise along with selling himself. This success was additionally measurable, as a Billboard article reveals. In accordance with the article, Marshmello gained 147,000 new followers on Twitter (now X) shortly after the live performance, elevated the variety of subscribers to his YouTube channel by 1,800 per cent, and the views of his YouTube movies additionally skyrocketed by 500 per cent.[3] For Epic Video games, the ten.7 million digital live performance attendees set a brand new person report and additional elevated its recognition.

The Marshmello live performance thus grew to become the blueprint for additional digital performances by pop stars in video games. A yr later, Epic Video games collaborated with US rapper Travis Scott. Nonetheless, his 23 April 2020 efficiency in “Fortnite Battle Royale” differed considerably from the Marshmello live performance. Whereas Marshmello’s avatar stood on a conventional live performance stage and was cheered on by the digital viewers, avid gamers on the Travis Scott live performance had been drawn into his music video, “The Scotts”. The US rapper’s avatar was animated in 3D and appeared as a hologram on a digital map. It then dove into the depths of the ocean and eventually floated via area — most likely explaining the title of the live performance, “Astronomical”.[4] Travis Scott’s first look within the Fortnite sport was extra profitable than the Marshmello live performance, with 12.3 million reside viewers. After 4 extra reveals within the following days, Epic reported that the live performance had been considered 45.8 million occasions by 27.7 million distinctive customers.[5]

Epic Video games wished to capitalise on the hype and continued the looks of pop star avatars in “Fortnite Battle Royale” with Ariana Grande’s “The Rift” tour from 6 to eight August 2021. Throughout this era, the digital present was carried out 5 occasions and followers had been in a position to buy numerous digital skins of the artist and beauty gadgets on-line.[6] This was adopted by additional appearances of avatars in Fortnite video games by US rapper Eminem in December 2023,[7] heavy metallic band Metallica in June 2024[8] and a joint live performance on the finish of November 2024 by Eminem together with his colleague rappers Snoop Dogg, Ice Spice and Juice Wrld, who died in 2019 and was just about “resurrected” within the sport.[9]

Roblox: Lil Nas X

Epic Video games’ success was quickly copied by different sport builders. Just a few months after Travis Scott’s digital look in Fortnite, Lil Nas X carried out in a Roblox sport over two days in mid-November, with a complete of 4 reveals in entrance of an viewers of thousands and thousands and producing round 33 million views. Roblox additionally earned cash from followers customising their avatars with equipment comparable to cowboy hats forward of the live performance.[10] General, Roblox put in additional effort than Epic Video games, scanning the artist’s face and physique and utilizing movement seize know-how to seize his dance strikes.[11] This resulted in a really life like avatar that carried out 4 songs in numerous digital environments.[12]

For Sony Music Leisure, the efficiency by its artist was a full success, and Warner, which had acquired a minority stake in Roblox,[13] was additionally happy with the occasion. Common Music Group was the one music main to look dissatisfied, submitting a lawsuit towards Roblox for copyright infringement in June 2021. This was later joined by quite a few indie music publishers. The plaintiffs argued that Roblox was incomes tons of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} from customers importing unlicensed music to its gaming platforms.[14] The lawsuit searching for US$200 million in damages was filed by the Nationwide Music Publishers Affiliation (NMPA) and dismissed by Roblox as a significant misunderstanding.[15] The “misunderstanding” was apparently resolved in September 2021 when Roblox agreed to a settlement with the music publishers that had filed the lawsuit. BMG Rights Administration had already signed a licensing take care of the sport developer, and Sony had prolonged its strategic partnership.[16] Nonetheless, the lawsuit reveals that cooperation between the video games trade and the music trade have to be carried out in keeping with the principles of the latter. Labels and music publishers admire the PR perform that the appearances of their stars’ avatars in video games carry with them, however any infringement of copyright is straight away punished.

Riot Video games: Pentakill, KD/A, True Injury

To keep away from these points, Los Angeles-based sport developer Riot Video games selected a unique method. The corporate had nice success with the sport League of Legends, resulting in its acquisition by the Chinese language leisure group Tencent in 2011.[17] In 2014, Riot Video games created the digital heavy metallic band Pentakill, whose skins might be bought by avid gamers within the sport. Behind the band members – Karthus, Kayle, Mordekaiser, Olaf, Sona and Yorick – had been actual musicians comparable to drummer Tommy Lee from the heavy metallic band Mötley Crüe.[18] Pentakill’s first single, “Lightbringer”, was an enormous success because of the online game, and the official audio had reached 39 million views as of September 2025. The three albums by Pentakill, whose music was produced by an in-house music staff, additionally reached a large viewers.[19]

Nonetheless, the success of Pentakill was then far overshadowed by the digital Ok-pop woman group Ok/DA, created in 2018. Ok/DA was launched as a part of the opening ceremony of the “League of Legends World Championship” with the tune “Pop/Stars”, throughout which avid gamers might additionally buy skins for the 4 band members – Ahri, Akali, Evelynn and Kai’sa.[20] Behind these 4 fictional characters, nonetheless, had been the human singers Madison Beer, Jairan Burns, Miyeon and Soeyeon, the latter from the Ok-pop woman group (G)-Idle.[21] On the premiere on 3 November 2018, the 4 singers carried out along with their avatars within the reside present because of movement seize know-how.[22] The debut single went viral on each YouTube and music streaming platforms. On the day the music video was launched on YouTube, “Pop/Stars” was considered 5 million occasions, making it the most-watched debut video by a Ok-pop act.[23] Billboard additionally reported that the tune rapidly climbed to primary on the World Digital Tune Gross sales Chart.[24] As of September 2025, the music video has 643 million views on YouTube[25] and has been streamed practically 401 million occasions on Spotify since November 2018.[26] Nonetheless, a take a look at Spotify streams additionally reveals that the songs produced later from the album “All Out”, launched in 2020, have decrease streaming figures than “Pop/Stars”.[27] No new songs by KD/A have been launched since 2020.

This may be resulting from the truth that Riot Video games has turned its consideration to a brand new digital band venture. In November 2019, the hip-hop group True Injury made its first look within the re-creation of “League of Legends World Championship” with the tune “Giants”. Behind the band members Akali, Ekko, Qiayana, Senna and Yasuo, paying homage to Gorillaz, had been human singers. Lead singer Akali was voiced by Soyeon, who had already carried out as a rapper with KD/A. She was supported by Becky G, Duckwrth, Thutmose and Keke Palmer.[28] Nonetheless, True Injury was unable to duplicate the success of KD/A. Though the hip-hop group has recorded 225 million views on YouTube to this point (as of September 2025),[29] Spotify has reported ‘solely’ round 165 million streams since November 2019.[30]

In contrast to different sport builders, Riot Video games can also be trying to place itself as a fully-fledged music label. In an interview with Billboard Journal on the event of KD/A‘s first efficiency in early November 2018, the sport developer’s artistic director, Viranda Tantula, mentioned: “We’ve invested in constructing our inner music staff with each an artist centered artistic studio stuffed with composers, songwriters and producers, in addition to individuals who can carry out all of the companies that you’d see at a regular music label, comparable to distribution, A&R and promo.”[31]

Behind the digital music teams are Patrick Morales and his music staff, who’re joined by creative director Janelle Jimenez within the manufacturing of the music movies.[32] They type the core of the Riot Music Group, which has its personal music video channel on YouTube, though with round 700,000 subscribers and 82 movies, its efficiency is slightly modest.[33] The figures present that Riot Video games’ music initiatives have up to now didn’t make an influence past the gaming neighborhood. In abstract, video games generally is a extremely efficient advertising and marketing device for musicians, as demonstrated by the appearances of stars comparable to Travis Scott in Epic Video games’ “Fortnite” and Lil Nas X on Roblox. In addition to promoting the artists’ avatar skins immediately within the sport, video video games primarily function branding platforms. Nonetheless, it’s far more troublesome to determine new digital, and in the end AI-generated, acts in video games, as demonstrated by Riot Video games. Though they loved some success with Ok/DA, they had been unable to construct on it. Their objective of building themselves as a sustainable music label additionally appears to have solely been partially profitable. However, the gaming and music industries complement one another, and new types of collaboration might emerge with the additional growth o

Endnotes

[1] Rolling Stone, “Why Marshmello’s Fortnite Present Will Show ‘Revolutionary’ for the Music Trade” by Tim Ingham, February 22, 2019, accessed: 2025-09-10.

[2] Wikipedia, “Marshmello Fortnite Prolonged Set”, model of July 13, 2025, accessed: 2025-09-10.

[3] Billboard, “Marshmello’s Fornite Live performance: Breaking Down The Social Influence”, February 6, 2019, accessed: 2025-09-10.

[4] YouTube, “Travis Scott and Fortnite Current: Astronomical (Full Occasion Video)”, April 26, 2020, accessed: 2025-09-10.

[5] Forbes, “A Staggering Quantity Of Folks Noticed Fortnite’s Travis Scott ‘Astronomical’ Occasion”, April 28, 2020, accessed: 2025-09-10.

[6] The Verge, “Ariana Grande’s Fortnite tour was a second years within the making”, August 9, 2021, accessed: 2025-09-10.

[7] The Verge, “Fortnite’s Eminem live performance teased the way forward for the sport”, December 2, 2023, accessed: 2025-09-10.

[8] The Verge, “Fortnite’s Metallica live performance confirmed how sprawling the sport has turn into”, June 29, 2024, accessed: 2025-09-10.

[9] The Verge, “The way to watch Fortnite’s huge Juice WRLD, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Ice Spice live performance”, November 30, 2024, accessed: 2025-09-10.

[10] BBC Information, “Lil Nas X performs his first digital live performance on Roblox”, November 16, 2020, accessed: 2025-09-10.

[11] Ibid.

[12] YouTube, “The Lil Nas X Full Roblox Live performance”, December 14, 2020, accessed: 2025-09-11.

[13] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Warner Music Group joins $520m funding spherical in online game platform Roblox”, January 7, 2021, accessed: 2025-09-11.

[14] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Roblox sued for $200m+ by music publishers, who allege copyright infringement”, June 9, 2021, accessed: 2025-09-15.

[15] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Roblox says $200m+ copyright lawsuit is predicated on a ‘basic misunderstanding’. Music publishers disagree”, June 10, 2021, accessed: 2025-09-15.

[16] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Roblox strikes take care of music publishers”, September 27, 2021, accessed: 2025-09-15.

[17] Reuters, “Tencent acquires majority stake in Riot Video games”, February 5, 2011, accessed: 2025-09-15.

[18] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Meet the digital artists backed by among the world’s largest leisure firms”, Could 22, 2023, accessed: 2025-09-15.

[19] Wikipedia, “Pentakill”, model of December 18, 2024, accessed: 2025-09-15.

[20] Dot Esports, “Riot places on an augmented actuality Ok-Pop live performance for Worlds in tandem with a brand-new music video”, November 3, 2018, accessed: 2025-09-16.

[21] Digiverse, “A brief historical past of digital artists”, October 12, 2022, accessed: 2025-09-16.

[22] Billboard, “‘League of Legends’ Unveils Digital Ok-Pop Woman Group Ok/DA, Appears to Way forward for Music in Esports”, November 5, 2018, accessed: 2025-09-16.

[23] Fox Sports activities, “League of Legends Ok-POP group Ok/DA’s debut music video hits record-breaking 13 million views on YouTube”, November 6, 2018, accessed: 2025-09-16.

[24] Billboard, “‘League of Legends’ Woman Group Earns Madison Beer, (G)I-DLE & Jaira Burns No. 1 on World Digital Tune Gross sales Chart”, November 13, 2018, accessed: 2025-09-16.

[25] YouTube, “Ok/DA – POP/STARS (ft. Madison Beer, (G)I-DLE, Jaira Burns) | Music Video – League of Legends”, November 3, 2018, accessed: 2025-09-16.

[26] Spotify, “KD/A”, n.d., accessed: 2025-09-16.

[27] Ibid.

[28] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Meet the digital artists backed by among the world’s largest leisure firms”, Could 22, 2023, accessed: 2025-09-16.

[29] YouTube, “True Injury – Giants (mit Becky G, Keke Palmer, SOYEON von (G)I-DLE, DUCKWRTH, Thutmose)”, November 10, 2019, accessed: 2025-09-16.

[30] Spotify, “True Injury”, n.d., accessed: 2025-09-16.

[31] Billboard, “‘League of Legends’ Unveils Digital Ok-Pop Woman Group Ok/DA, Appears to Way forward for Music in Esports”, November 5, 2018, accessed: 2025-09-16.

[32] INVEN World, “Interview With Patrick Morales, Janelle Jimenez, and Toa Dunn; the Creators of the World Sensation, Ok/DA-POP/STARS”, November 27, 2018, accessed: 2025-09-16.

[33] YouTube, “Riot Video games Music”, n.d., accessed: 2025-09-16.

Malice: Alexis Grapsas Amazon Sequence Rating Releases Digitally, Thriller Starring David Duchovny Now Streaming!

Malice: Alexis Grapsas Amazon Sequence Rating Releases Digitally, Thriller Starring David Duchovny Now Streaming!

by | Nov 16, 2025 | Film Music, Music Technology


November 14, 2025

Soundtracks, Scores and Extra Employees

“Alexis’s rating evoked the tone of Malice so brilliantly — unsettlingly off-kilter, but with wit and even a way of hope. We’re so pleased with it, and of the collaboration that made it attainable.” – Producer Imogen Cooper 

 

We’re thrilled to share the discharge of Malice—Prime Video Authentic Sequence Soundtrack, obtainable digitally immediately, November 14, that includes music by composer Alexis Grapsas (Pig, A Quiet Place: Day One).  Grapsas’s rating instantly units a deceptively darkish tone with sharp orchestration and electronics but really evokes a twisted playfulness, and experimentation all through.  Take heed to the observe, “Such A Mess” featured under; as well as, view the album observe listing and extra particulars about Malice.  

Malice starring David Duchovny, Jack Whitehall and Carice Van Houten is streaming worldwide now on Prime Video.

Notes Grapsas: “‘Malice’ supplied me the artistic freedom to experiment with new palettes and craft a singular sounding rating. In an try and discover a world of playful thriller—the place darkish humor and pressure coexist—the music invitations the viewers to share within the mischief, even amidst devious moments. Get pleasure from the trip!”

Director Mike Barker notes: “Alexis Grapsas threaded a very positive needle with this soundtrack — it’s authentic, darkish, and intriguing, but additionally a complete lot of enjoyable. Which is strictly what I had making it with him!”

Provides director Lenora Londsale: “Alexis managed to conjure up this taut, pulsating and atmospheric rating for Malice that walked a fragile tightrope between enhancing the stress and underscoring levity. His musical soundscape was all the time shocking, wealthy and completely transportative.”

And, producer Imogen Cooper provides: ‘Alexis’s rating evoked the tone of Malice so brilliantly — unsettlingly off-kilter, but with wit and even a way of hope. We’re so pleased with it, and of the collaboration that made it attainable.’

Buy / Stream: [Choose Your Service]

 

Monitor Checklist

01. I Need You To Undergo
02. Intruder
03. Laundry Room
04. Hurry Up
05. Mischief
06. Cannonball
07. Murky
08. Cycladic Solar
09. Such A Mess
10. The Boot Is Damaged
11. Cliff Leaping
12. Distant Rat
13. {Hardware} Retailer
14. London Tanner Dwelling
15. Passport In The Sea
16. Welcome To Our Trip
17. Hammer
18. Blood On Your Shirt
19. Headquarters
20. They Didn’t Deserve This
21. Island Escape
22. Airlift
23. Novice Hour
24. Snooping
25. Field Fatale
26. Rastoni
27. Finish Our Preparations
28. Trigger Some Chaos
29. Youngsters Lacking
30. Search The Seashore
31. There Are Penalties
32. Household Portrait

 

ABOUT ALEXIS GRAPSAS

Alexis Grapsas is a Los Angeles-based composer whose music resonates throughout a various vary of studio and unbiased movies, in addition to top-rated authentic collection. Born and raised in Lefkada, Greece, he spent his early grownup years in Athens, the place he pursued each composition and mechanical engineering. Nevertheless, his ardour for music and cinema in the end took middle stage, which led him to receiving a scholarship to check in Boston, marking the start of his journey within the U.S.

In 2008, Alexis relocated to Los Angeles with a purpose to pursue a movie scoring profession. Since then, he has composed scores for over 40 movies and greater than 300 episodes of tv collection. With a basis in classical and up to date music, superior composition research, and deep information of music expertise, Alexis brings a wealthy and multifaceted strategy to each mission. His versatility as an artist permits him to discover various musical timbres, starting from orchestral settings to intimate experimental ensembles and digital compositions. His revolutionary use of instrument remedy and expansive sound design palette set him aside, enabling him to curate every rating to the distinctive storytelling calls for of the narrative. Recognized for his authentic voice and creative vary, Alexis continues to push the boundaries of recent movie scoring, establishing himself as one of the vital dynamic composers working immediately.

He’s a Sundance Institute Alumni and Movie Impartial Fellow, has earned quite a few awards within the discipline, has served as a jury member for prestigious worldwide movie festivals, and has shared his experience by movie music lectures throughout the globe. All through his profession, he has collaborated with visionary administrators, top-tier studio producers, and esteemed business professionals who worth his artistic instincts and deep understanding of up to date filmmaking. His acclaimed soundtrack for Pig was celebrated by a number of critics as one of many yr’s greatest, and he not too long ago accomplished the rating for Paramount Photos’ blockbuster hit, A Quiet Place: Day One.

 

Watch the trailer for Malice on Prime Video:

 

Adam (Jack Whitehall) is a charismatic tutor who charms his approach into the lifetime of the rich Tanner household whereas they’re on vacation in Greece.  When the household’s nanny falls dangerously sick, Adam orchestrates his approach in to their London dwelling and his true vengeful nature begins to emerge…

Subscribe and Observe:



Fortepiano Builder Paul McNulty: Crafting Musical Historical past

Fortepiano Builder Paul McNulty: Crafting Musical Historical past

by | Nov 9, 2025 | Classic, Musical Industry


When Paul McNulty first set foot in Prague within the winter of 1994, he didn’t know that an opportunity encounter with a piano from Amadeus would change the course of his life. The piano, similar to the one featured in Miloš Forman’s 1984 movie, had been inbuilt Prague. When he realized that one other instance existed, curiosity led him to make the journey from Amsterdam to see it. What he discovered was greater than an instrument; it was a revelation.

Paul McNulty

The piano sat within the workshop of a harpsichord maker, surrounded by stacks of tonewood. “At the moment, I had no soundboard wooden in any respect,” Paul recalled. “It doesn’t develop in Holland; it’s a must to go to Switzerland or discover sellers in Belgium. It was all the time sophisticated.” The builder provided him not solely a five-year provide of soundboard wooden but in addition the promise to chop down one other tree for him the next winter. “I drove dwelling to Amsterdam with the piano, and I assumed, nobody ever advised me this earlier than.”

Quickly after, he despatched a fax to ask if he might transfer into the workshop. The reply was sure. So, he packed up his instruments, machines, and hopes, and moved to the Czech countryside, the place he stayed for 3 years earlier than discovering his own residence and workshop in a close-by village. “Life is just what I do,” he mentioned with quiet satisfaction. “I don’t actually have a social life besides in music and touring. I’m busy, busy, busy.”

Paul’s journey into piano constructing started within the Seventies, after leaving the conservatory. “I didn’t succeed as a performer,” he admitted. “So I went to piano tuning faculty, and that was very useful. I discovered I had some expertise, simply in one other path.” His curiosity in piano historical past deepened by means of lectures given by a trainer who labored nights at William Dowd’s harpsichord workshop in Boston. It was the period of the early music revival, and fortepianos, the predecessors of the fashionable piano, captured his creativeness.

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, Okay. 491: I. Allegro (Carried out by John Gibbons utilizing McNulty’s first constructed piano)

In 1985, he constructed his first piano solely by hand. “It took three months, eleven hours a day,” he mentioned. That instrument later toured Europe with John Gibbons and the 18th Century Orchestra and finally discovered a house on the State Academy of Music in Oslo. “Deadlines are the regulation,” he laughed. “A professionally made instrument can’t be made slowly. There’s a rhythm to the work, similar to in music.”

His understanding of fortepianos, early grands, and the evolving designs of the 18th and nineteenth centuries is each scholarly and intuitive. He described the shift from iron to metal strings within the 1840s, which revolutionized piano development. “When delicate metal wire appeared, builders might create longer strings and larger rigidity,” he defined. “Franz Liszt’s 1846 piano by Louis-Constantin Boisselot, for instance, had the identical rigidity as a contemporary Yamaha live performance grand, which is about 30,000 kilos.”

The hammers of a Pleyel 1830 copy

Paul has replicated devices created by among the nice builders of the previous. To call a couple of, the checklist consists of Johann Baptist Streicher, Conrad Graf, Friedrich Buchholtz, and Camille Pleyel. Every, he mentioned, reveals each a technological and an aesthetic evolution. “The early pianos of the Rococo period had been principally harpsichords with hammers. However as Beethoven demanded extra energy and maintain, builders responded. By 1810, Nannette Streicher had expanded her father’s design to 6 octaves to satisfy Beethoven’s wants. The piano turned orchestral.”

The duplicate of Chopin’s 1825 Buchholtz piano

When he replicated Chopin’s 1825 Buchholtz piano, the mission held deep cultural significance. The unique instrument, as soon as owned by the Chopin household, had been destroyed in 1863 throughout an rebellion. “Once I completed the duplicate, it was premiered in Warsaw on March 18, 2018, the very same day Chopin premiered his F minor concerto in 1831,” he mentioned. “The Minister of Tradition and the Prime Minister gave speeches earlier than the premiere live performance and publicly acknowledged that ‘The piano Chopin performed was burned on the street, and now we now have it again.’”

“Chopin’s Warsaw Piano” -A TV documentary of Paul McNulty making Buchholtz piano:

Frédéric Chopin’s Concerto in E minor, Op. 11, Rondo. Vivace (carried out by Dmitry Ablogin on McNulty’s “Chopin’s Warsaw piano” and Freiburger Barockorchester)

Whereas Paul’s work bridges historical past and craft, his spouse, pianist Viviana Sofronitsky, embodies the creative soul of the fortepiano. For her, the revelation got here later, after years of learning and acting on fashionable devices.

Viviana Sofronitsky carried out on McNulty Pleyel, Walter, Graf, Stein & Boisselot fortepianos

“I didn’t suppose I might ever play fortepiano,” she mentioned with a smile. “Once I was at school, I noticed vintage pianos in museums, however they had been unplayable, simply curiosities. I couldn’t think about making music on them.” When Viviana was a pupil on the Moscow Conservatory, this system required college students to play music from all durations. However she felt she didn’t really perceive Romantic music, so she centered on Classical and really fashionable repertoire. But even inside the Classical interval, she felt one thing was lacking. “Even Mozart didn’t converse to me,” she recalled. “I assumed one thing was flawed with me. I assumed I wanted to work tougher, to play extra, and in some way it could come. However it by no means did. So, I turned to the music I felt I understood higher, that are the baroque and the very up to date, additionally began enjoying harpsichord and organ.”

To review the harpsichord, Viviana went to the USA, to Oberlin Faculty, and there her life modified fully. At some point, there was a fortepiano live performance that includes Mozart trios. “It was like a door opened,” she mentioned. “All of a sudden, every little thing made sense, the stability, the construction, the colors. I requested to attempt the fortepiano afterwards, and I realised how pure it felt. Solely due to the fortepiano, I lastly understood the language of Mozart.”

From that second, she started to see the fortepiano as a residing voice, not an artefact. “It’s like listening to the composer converse in their very own language,” she mentioned. “Should you learn poetry in translation, you lose the tone, the rhythm, the internal life. However whenever you hear it within the unique language, it turns into alive once more. That’s what occurs whenever you play Mozart, Schubert, or Chopin on the instrument they knew.”

Viviana’s analogy extends past the fortepiano. “The music of some composers, resembling J.S. Bach, preserves its that means and affect even when performed on a special instrument from the one it was written for. However different composers, resembling C.P.E. Bach or Rameau, are rather more intently linked to the instrument for which their music was written. When it’s performed on one other instrument, it loses its that means. That was the explanation why the good music of the French harpsichordists was hardly ever carried out till Wanda Landowska introduced the harpsichord again to the live performance stage within the early twentieth century.

Her years acting on Paul’s reconstructions have reshaped her artistry. “Now I can play this music even on a contemporary piano with higher understanding,” she mirrored. “When you’ve heard the unique voice, you always remember it. You translate it, however you continue to keep in mind its sound and spirit.”

Of their dwelling outdoors Prague, the sound of historical past comes alive day by day, a dialog between maker and musician, husband and spouse, artwork and craft. Every fortepiano they construct and play revives not only a sound however a human connection throughout centuries: a voice that also sings, tenderly and in truth, in its personal language.

Paul McNulty Fortepianos: fortepiano.eu

For extra of the most effective in classical music, for our E-E-newsletter

Erika Christensen and Penelope Ann Miller on After All: Podcast

Erika Christensen and Penelope Ann Miller on After All: Podcast

by | Nov 9, 2025 | Entertainment Law, Music Business, Podcast News

Pay attention by way of: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Podcasts | Extra Platforms 

Erika Christensen and Penelope Ann Miller be a part of Kyle Meredith to speak about their new movie After All, a quiet indie that digs deep into household trauma and the methods love survives. Out on digital and VOD on November seventh (pre-order on Apple TV+), the story follows three generations of girls pressured again collectively beneath one roof in small-town Texas, the place previous wounds and long-buried secrets and techniques bubble up. Christensen not solely stars but in addition government produces the movie, saying she was drawn to the fabric for its grounded fact and refusal to hurry. “Motion pictures like this — small, human tales — can nonetheless discover a place,” she tells Meredith. Pay attention above or wherever you get your podcasts.

Christensen, who performs Ellen, says she felt an on the spot connection to the flawed, messy character. “She’s been dwelling like she’s nonetheless 21, and life lastly forces her to develop up,” she explains. “She is aware of she’s a large number, however she’s like, ‘That is who I’m, take it or go away it.’ That’s fascinating to me.”

Miller, who portrays Ellen’s mom affected by dementia, says the movie’s emotional depth got here from its roots in actuality: “It’s loosely primarily based on the author’s family, and that authenticity is in each scene. I didn’t wish to play a caricature; I needed her to really feel like somebody you understand.” She laughs about capturing in “a gorgeous however brutally scorching” Austin home with no central air, including, “The discomfort type of labored — it matched the stress of the story.”

Each actresses reward the movie’s endurance and quiet energy, particularly in an age of fixed noise. “There’s a lot drama in silence,” Miller says. “Motion pictures used to allow you to breathe, and this one does that. You’re proper there in it.” Christensen agrees, including that tales about folks “doing their greatest and going through what they by no means anticipated” will at all times have a spot in cinema.

Hearken to Erika Christensen and Penelope Ann Miller discuss After All, and extra within the new episode above or by watching the video beneath.

Sustain on all the newest episodes by following Kyle Meredith With… on your favourite podcast platform; plus, try all of the sequence on the Consequence Podcast Community.

Associated Video