Melodic Treks: A Star Trek Music Podcast

Mark Snow Interview. One television show that had a major impact on pop culture in the early nineties was The X-Files, created by Chris Carter. Equal parts mystery, science fiction and horror, the show was about two FBI Agents investigating paranormal phenomenon and other worldly encounters. One of the pillars of the show was the moody, spooky score which was composed by Mark Snow. In this supplemental episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala joins Tony Black, host of The X-Cast Podcast, for an interview with Mark Snow. We discuss how he came to compose for The X-Files, The Lone Gunmen, and Millennium, as well as his current work on Blue Bloods and how he mentored composer Sean Callery into the composing business. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  The X-Cast (00:01:25)  I'm Tony Black (00:01:57)  Welcome, Mark (00:06:08)  La La Land Records (00:14:25)  John Carpenter Influence? (00:16:03)  Season 10 (00:17:35)  Do You Compose to Video? (00:20:33)  "Babylon" (00:22:30)  Millennium, The Lone Gunmen, The D

Middle Tracks on Albums. Almost everyone has some form of device that can store music digitally. These devices are included, but not limited to, cellphones, laptops, tablets, and iPods. With the invention of the playlist, how often do you actually sit down and listen to a whole album, the whole way through? In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala creates his own playlist of tracks that you may not listen to very often. In this episode, we focus on the middle tracks from the extended releases of the odd numbered Star Trek movies. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Contest Reminder (00:01:35)  The Concept (00:02:47)  "Leaving Drydock (Album Version)" (from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, composed by J. Goldsmith) (00:04:59)  "Returning to Vulcan" (from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, composed by J. Horner) (00:09:38)  "A Busy Man" (from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, composed by J. Goldsmith) (00:14:42)  "Two Captains/Crash Recap" (from Star Trek: Generations, composed by D. McCarthy) (00:19

Sheridon Stokes Interview. Sheridon Stokes was hired as a piccolo player in the Denver Symphony when he was 16 years old and was the youngest contract musician in Hollywood at age 20. At this young age, he was working with the 20th Century Fox Orchestra under Alfred Newman.  He has been featured in many television and film scores, including the television series Mission Impossible, Roots, and Kung Fu, as well as the films Jaws, E.T., Ghost, Glory, Patriot Games, and more recently, Mission Impossible, Waterworld, Jumanji, Independence Day, and Rush Hour II. He was solo flute at the Academy Awards in 1997 and 1998 and played the famous penny whistle solo from the Titanic song “My Heart Will Go On” with Celine Dion. In this episode on Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Andy Farber, composer for two episodes of Star Trek: Continues, and Sheridon Stokes. We discuss his early works in film and television, the kind of flutes he has in his arsenal, many of the composers he worked with, and some fu

Gerald Fried Interview. Born in the Bronx on February 13th, 1928, Gerald Fried began learning about music in the High School of Music and Art. He graduated in 1945, and started his career composing short films by his friend Stanley Kubrick.  He has scored many cultural cornerstones of television including Lost in Space, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Gilligan's Island, Riverboat, Shotgun Slade, and Star Trek. In this episode on Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Gerald Fried to discuss his work, form the beginnings with Stanley Kubrick, to his current work on a Star Trek parody film. We talk about his hectic work schedule, which sometimes included three scoring sessions a day, composing his Emmy Award winning score for the cultural phenomenon Roots, and his work on Star Trek. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Contests, Reviews, and Thanks (00:01:18)  "Main Title" (from The Killing) (00:07:15)  Welcome, Gerald! (00:08:22)  Kubrick (00:08:44)  The Killing (00:10:42)  Beginnings (00:13:06)  Corman (00:15

Michael Giacchino and Star Trek. Michael Giacchino was born on October 10th, 1967 in Riverside Township, New Jersey. At the young age of 10, he began exploring music and film by creating stop-motion animation movies and putting music to the images that he created. A high school art teacher that mentored and encouraged Giacchino recommended that he attend the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Giacchino's first compositions were in the 16-bit universe with games for Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo including the Sega Genesis game Gargoyles , the SNES game Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow and the various console versions of The Lion King. His first big break came when he was given the opportunity to score the Dreamworks video game adaptation of the 1997 film The Lost World: Jurassic Park. This was the first Play Station game to have a live orchestral score. In this episode on Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Lee Hutchison, co-host of Earl Grey, to discuss Giacchino's early work in video ga

Battle Music in Star Trek. The Star Trek franchise tells many stories including stories of love, betrayal, exploration, mystery, and intrigue. One type of story has been told several times in Star Trek, and that story is WAR. It is a story that can be told in many ways. Sad. Melancholy. Epic. Brave. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala focuses on the militaristic side of the final frontier, and shares a special themed episode on the battle music of Star Trek. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Contests (00:01:23)  "Bird of Prey Decloaks" (from Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, composed by J. Horner) (00:05:24)  "Wolf 359" (from "Emissary," composed by D. McCarthy) (00:08:32)  "Yo!" (from "The Way of the Warrior," composed by D. McCarthy) (00:11:54)  "Battle Preparations" (from "Call to Arms," composed by J. Chattaway) (00:14:46)  "Defiant Ending" (from "The Changing Face of Evil," composed by J. Chattaway) (00:17:06)  "War Adagio" (from "The Siege of AR-558", composed by P. Baillargeon) (

Star Trek has had a huge impact on pop culture throughout its 50 years. Many episodes have become a gold standard of television making, tackling issues of human interest and societal taboos. It has dealt with subjects such as love, death, sexuality, racism, racial and gender equality, and many more. Some episodes have even made lists of "Best episodes of television ever". And then there are episodes that fall short of the high bar that Star Trek is known for.  Some episodes miss the bar by a small amount, and others don't even come close to getting off the ground. One episode that sometimes shows up on worst of Trek lists is "Catspaw," the first episode produced for season two of the original Star Trek. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Adam Drosin, co-host of Saturday Morning Trek, to discuss the episode "Catspaw" and its music composed by Gerald Fried.  Adam is one who champions and supports "Catspaw" with love, as a personal favorite episode, not deserving of its not-

Irwin Allen's Lost In Space with Marc Cushman. Regarded by many as the most thorough account of the production of Star Trek, Marc Cushman's three volumes of These are the Voyages chronicle every aspect of the difficulties behind the cameras for Gene Roddenberry and the other contributors to the show. Now, Marc has written another book on a production that is in many was an older sibling to Star Trek, Irwin Allen's Lost in Space. Launching a full year prior, in 1965, this show had many of the same difficulties as Star Trek did, including the production of a pilot episode that was later edited into other episodes. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Marc Cushman, author of These are the Voyages, to discuss his new book, Irwin Allen's Lost In Space, writing the episode "Sarek," and his five favorite Star Trek scores. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Feedback (00:01:33)  Two Contests (00:04:23)  "Main Title" (from Lost in Space, composed by J. Williams) (00:08:18)  Irwin Allen's L

Five Favorites and Score Trek With Michael Rogers. With the technological marvels of the modern computer age, fans of Star Trek have many avenues in which to express their fandom. Some of these include podcasting, writing stories or comics, creating fan films, setting up encyclopedic websites, and cosplaying. Sometimes fandom will inspire service of other fans by providing and managing forums for the discussion of common interests. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Michael Rogers, one of the moderators for the Facebook page "Score Trek: A Star Trek Music Appreciation Page," to discuss the fan page that is dedicated to the music of Star Trek. We also explore his five favorite tracks as well as a few runners up to his list. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Feedback on the Feedback (00:01:17)  "To Live Forever" (from Star Trek: Generations, composed by D. McCarthy) (00:05:56)  Cold Weather (00:07:32)  Score Trek (00:09:19)  Early Fandom (00:14:00)  Runners Up (00:16:59)  The Li

Five Favorites With Alec Peters. A fan of Star Trek since it first aired in September of 1966, Alec Peters has done an amazing feat by changing the way society sees an independent film production. Crowdfunding through  Kick Starter and other sites have resulted in approximately $1.15 million raised to produce his film, Axanar. However, a law suit by CBS in December of 2015 put this production to a halt. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Alec Peters, the star, writer, and producer of Axanar, to discuss the current situation of his film, our favorite episodes of each Star Trek series, the Cardassians, and Alec's five favorite tracks from the Star Trek franchise. Brandon-Shea also reads several pieces of listener feedback. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Feedback (00:01:28)  News (00:17:35)  "Captain April/The Burden of Leadership" (from Prelude to Axanar, composed by A. Bornstein) (00:20:54)  The State of Axanar (00:22:59)  Early Fandom (00:40:06)  Five Favorites (00:51:21) 

Singing in Star Trek. The music of Star Trek is known for its diversity to convey many emotions and feelings. It can be sad, happy, bombastic, action filled, tense, and melancholy. The music has filled the viewers with a sense of adventure and longing; but every once in a while, the script calls for something else. There are many instances of singing in Star Trek. These have been portrayed in holodeck adventures, down time in a rec room, wedding ceremonies, and love-ins. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Bobby Tucker to examine sixteen instances of singing in Star Trek. While discussing the music, we determine if it fits the story and the portrayal of the character. We visit the first four television series and three motion pictures. So pull up a comfy chair and sit back and relax. Do you reach, brother? Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  "Charlie is My Darling" (from "Charlie X," arranged by F. Steiner) (00:10:33)  "Hey Out There" (from "The Way to Eden," written by A. Heinem

Star Trek can be very important and influential in people's lives. There are many stories of people becoming doctors or engineers because of their heroes portrayed on the screen.  Sometimes, the music of Star Trek can be a soundtrack to our own lives. People use the music for weddings, graduations and birthdays. In this special supplemental episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala walks the hallways of the Rio All Suites Hotel during the 50th anniversary convention and asks the fans what music from the franchise is memorable or has a special place in their hearts. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  "Doctor Bartender" ("The Cage" A. Courage) (00:01:50)  "Meet Andrea" ("What Are Little Girls Made Of?" F. Steiner) (00:02:50)  "The Ancient Combat" ("Amok Time" G. Freid) (00:03:46)  "Where My Heart Will Take Me" (R. Watson) (00:05:24)  "Night on the Yorktown" (Star Trek Beyond M. Giacchino) (00:07:00)  "Star Trek Main Title (Soprano Version)" (A. Courage) (00:09:48)  "Farewell" ("What You Leave Behind" D. McCa

Star Trek VI and Cliff Eidelman. One of the youngest composers to score a feature film, Cliff Eidelman was only 22 when he wrote for Magdalene. Since then, he has amassed an impressive body of work—from film to concert hall. He has written a number of scores including Triumph of the Spirit (1989), Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992), Crazy People (1990), Untamed Heart (1992), Leap of Faith (1992), Now and Then (1995), If These Walls Could Talk (1996), Witness Protection (1999), An American Rhapsody (2001), Ocean Men: Extreme Dive (2001), The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants (2005), Open Window (2006), and Big Miracle (2012), which was Eidelman’s fifth collaboration with director Ken Kwapis. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Matthew Rushing of The Orb, The 602 Club, and Literary Treks to reflect upon Eidelman's career, from his composing credits to his solo album. We also take a look at some of his work conducting scores by other composers, and conclude with the so

Jay Chattaway Interview. Born in Monongahela, Pennsylvania on July 8, 1946, Jay Allen Chattaway was conscripted into the military while working on his graduate degree. He joined the Navy Band and served as the unit's chief arranger and composer. After his discharge, Chattaway moved to New York City to write music, and later moved to Los Angeles to compose for film. His diverse scoring career began with many slasher and action films. Eventually he landing the job of composer for Star Trek: The Next Generation, alternating scoring duties with Dennis McCarthy. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala and Andy Farber, composer for Star Trek Continues, are joined by Chattaway for a candid conversation about his work as composer for 183 episodes of Star Trek. We also discuss some of his early composing credits in the slasher genre, including Maniac and Silver Bullet, as well as the Chuck Norris action films Missing in Action, Invasion U.S.A., and Braddock: Missing in Action III. Back in the realm

Jerry Goldsmith vs. John Williams. Science Fiction fans tend to be a polarized bunch when it comes to the two biggest franchises: Star Trek and Star Wars. Both have huge fan followings and both have had an enormous impact on pop culture. While Star Trek has featured many different composers, the legendary Jerry Goldsmith is responsible in large part for the film scores. Meanwhile, to date, all of the Star Wars films have been composed by John Williams. Both of these composers are outstanding, but when the fan debate turns to these two men, the question often asked is "Who is a better composer: Jerry Goldsmith or John Williams?" In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Jason Cullimore, Suzanne Williamson, and Davis Grayson to determine—in game-show style—which best conveys the desired feelings in their music. We take a look at nine different categories of film scoring and rate them. Who will win? Listen and find out! Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Jason Cullimore (00:01:17) "The Sparr

Discovering Fil Eisler. On July 23rd, 2016, the world got a sneak peak at the newest addition to the Star Trek franchise in the form of a trailer for Star Trek: Discovery. Rarely has one minute of footage been met with such anticipation. Along with images of our newest hero ship, we were treated to a magnificent audio piece composed by Fil Eisler. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Andy Farber, composer for Star Trek Continues, to discuss four scores on which Eisler has worked, and to speculate on what approach he might take should he be chosen to score the new series. We also try to determine whether or not synth scores become dated, and if the main title for The Terminator was an influence on him. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Star Trek: Discovery (00:01:00) On the Ice (00:17:44) How to Be Single (00:31:30) Revenge (00:37:27) Natural Selection (00:55:07) Host Brandon-Shea Mutala Guest Andy Farber Production Brandon-Shea Mutala (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive P

Star Trek Las Vegas 2016 Interviews. One of Star Trek's biggest celebrations takes place each year at the Rio All-Suite Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Organized by Creation Entertainment, the event brings together producers, actors, writers, and others to discuss Star Trek—past, present, and future. This year, the STLV convention was extended to a fifth day in honor of the 50th anniversary. In this Melodic Treks away mission, host Brandon-Shea Mutala sits down with a few familiar faces to discuss their musical careers outside of Star Trek. J.G Hertzler (Martok) and Robert O'Reilly (Gowron) talk about their Klingon- and Blues Brothers-inspired group. James Darren (Vic Fontaine) discusses how he came to Deep Space Nine. And Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) talks about working with Duke Ellington and shares details of her newest album. Also presented here is composer Jay Chattaway's panel and a chat with Andy Farber—composer for episodes four, five, and six of Star Trek: Continues—in which we discuss the score for "The M

Imagining "Caretaker." When separated from the episode, a really good score should conjure up images in the mind of the listener. These could be images from the story itself, or they could be something altogether new. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by young Trekker Aubrey Mutala and Women at Warp co-host Jarrah Hodge to listen to Jay Chattaway's score for the Star Trek: Voyager pilot “Caretaker.” Join us as one young Trekker tells you what she hears when she listens to music from a Star Trek episode that she has never seen. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) "The Caretaker's Hoedown" (00:01:45) "Prologue" (00:04:13) "70 Thousand Light Years From Home" (00:06:38) "Beamed to the Farm" (00:09:38) "Lifesigns in the Barn" (00:14:05) "Paris Takes the Helm" (00:19:05) "Escape from the Ocampa Underground" (00:24:43) "Not Enough Time" (00:30:14) "Battle for the Array" (00:35:42) "Set Course for Home" (00:41:27) "Main Title: Short" (composed by J. Goldsmith) (00:44:33) We Are Back (00:44:49

The Music of The Man Trap. One reason that the music of The Original Series are memorable because it was only necessary to compose and record for a certain number of episodes each season. The rest would be tracked with previously recorded material. Gene Roddenberry was extremely happy with the music that Alexander Courage created for the two pilot episodes, "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Therefore it was no surprise that he didn't hesitate to enlist Courage's talents once again when it was decided that the first episode to air would be "The Man Trap." In this special 50th episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by soundtrack producer Neil S. Bulk to discuss the score to "The Man Trap" fifty years after its first airing. We talk about the use of the electric violin and Gene Roddenberry's reaction to this interesting instrument. We also delve into the history of the TOS's title theme, as well as Neil's passion for pinpointing when the cello version of the theme was first use

In Memorial of Jerry Goldsmith. On July 21, 2004, cancer took one of the most talented and prolific film composers at the age of 75. Star Trek fans know Jerry Goldsmith best for his contributions to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, Star Trek: Nemesis, and for the main title for Star Trek: Voyager. However, his extensive list of film, television, and video game credits exceeds 250 titles. Goldsmith was nominated for 18 Academy Awards and nine Golden Globes. Two of his scores—Planet of the Apes and Chinatown—are on the American Film Institute‘s list of the 25 best film scores of all time. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala reflects on Goldsmith and plays tracks from five of his non-Trek scores, including Logan‘s Run, Rio Lobo, The Sum of All Fears, Warning Shot, and Bad Girls. Chapters Jerry Goldsmith (00:00:00) "Ice Sculpture" (from Logan‘s Run) (00:02:43) "Main Title" (from Rio Lobo) (00:05:59) "Do It / I