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Spin Page • Video Order Form • Publicity/Press • Screenings One of the most important -- and too often overlooked -- aspects of film and video storytelling is the music playing in the foreground, background, and every place in between. I was fortunate enough not only to obtain an original song by Southern California grrrl rocker, Sue Willett, but I also worked with a dedicated team of people under composer Jeanine Cowen in order to create a musical voice to match my vision. This page celebrates the sounds of Sandy 'Spin' Slade: Beyond Basketball. I Can Fly
I Can Fly (written and performed by Sue Willett) is an anthem in every sense of the word. Written as a tribute to the success new women's professional sports teams, I Can Fly had the power of the music and the truth of the lyrics destined to become a theme song for Sandy 'Spin' Slade. It was worth listening to all the CDs submitted to stumble upon this ideal match for the Spinumentary™. Sandy 'Spin' Slade: Beyond Basketball marks the debut of Sue Willett's roof-raisin' CD single, I Can Fly. Some of Sue's other songs have been heard on "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Law & Order." The Score
The Players
I am fortunate to have had the gifted Duke Levine provide "The Voice" of the Spinumentary™, with his mandola and acoustic, electric and slide guitars. In addition to various soundtracks and scores, The Duke has offered his soulful strums to such great musical storytellers as Jonatha Brooke, Carol Noonan, Catie Curtis, John Gorka and Mary Chapin Carpenter, so Duke is no stranger to playing spirited music with powerful stories. You can listen to audio samples of his amazing work at Duke Levine.com and if you can't find a copy of his CD Lava it's because I bought them all for myself. Undoubtedly, Duke played Jeanine's notes with style, but it is his talent for finding the music between the notes that I will always be grateful for.
Jeanine understood me when I said just because this is a documentary doesn't mean I want it to sound like a newscast. I wanted the emotion and underscoring of Film because that is how this story functions: a person with a little talent and a lot of vision overcomes the odds and has extraordinary impact. Not only does the final result move the film along appropriately, but it runs the gamut from arena-size performances to on-the-road loneliness to a smalltown Wisconsin farm to the song of Hope itself. The power of film can only be made stronger by artists like Jeanine
Cowen and her crew, who know how to add the power of music. CALL FOR MUSIC: Spin Page • Video Order Form • Publicity/Press • Screenings
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Piles
of CDs pour into a director's office when a production is listed
in places like The Hollywood Reporter and The Music Report. I
received some music completely wrong for the project, some music
with unique enough qualities to be considered for future projects,
and one song that was so perfect for the film, it jumped from
the speakers. 
I
knew Jeanine Cowen was destined to be my Composer not only because
of her great attitude and our instant rapport, but because of
the small-world fact that she attended the middle school that
happened to be listed in my Spin press kit! Jeanine heard what
I wanted emotionally from the music, how passionately I believe
the music should be the voice when the voices are silent. She
delivered a warm and energetic score to complement this story.
But writing it was only the beginning. Next she brought in a team
of talents who hail from the Boston area but whose experience
has traveled the world. Each person added his and her own personality
to create this rich and layered musical dialogue. 
NOTES
ON THE NOTES
The
music should not just complement what's onscreen, but it should
bring out the emotions that the director wants the audience to
feel. Therefore, Jeanine and I spent much time talking about "what
is really happening in this scene" in order to get to the
heart of what should be singing along with it. 