ORIGINAL MUSIC FOR DOCUMENTARY: WALKING FOR WATER, "UGANDA GOLD"

Above: a sample from my original musical score for the the short documentary “Uganda Gold”, directed by J.D. O’Brien.

In a country where 30% of the population doesn’t have access to clean water, drilling a sustainable well is like striking gold. “Uganda Gold” tells the story of Ugandans’ struggle to fulfill that basic need for their community. This passage from the film shows how far people often have to walk to bring fresh water back to their communities.

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Watch “Uganda Gold” on Amazon Prime

More music by Mike Hallenbeck for film

More work by Mike Hallenbeck for documentaries

THEATER PEOPLE SEASON FIVE PILOT

Screening this coming Saturday September 26th, as part of MN Web Fest: We recently wrapped audio post production on the pilot for Season Five of the Theater People web series. The episode features an original musical score, sound edit and mix by yours truly. Of note is a six and a half minute back story montage, which I scored with some rustic acoustic pop that morphs “Long Goodbye”-style into diegetic country music on a bar jukebox, contemporary R&B-flavored synth pop, lilting harp to accompany a scene from “Romeo and Juliet”, and eventually back into itself. Plus I got to edit and mix dialog by some of my favorite Minnesota actors, like Stacia Rice and John Middleton! There’s also a drum solo in this episode. Don’t be afraid.

More original music by Mike Hallenbeck for film

More sound edit and mix by Mike Hallenbeck for film

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JUNIOR BIRDMAN AUDIO AT THE 2020 MINNEAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

As one might expect, the 2020 Minneapolis-St Paul International Film Festival has gone online in a streaming format This year. Which I’m happy to see, because it’s always been a fest where I’ve found some pleasing viewing. It’d be sad to see it succumb.

So I’m proud that my original music, sound edit and mix are available for your viewing and listening pleasure as part of the festival in support of Djinni Productions’ Happily Married After, directed by Alison Guessou.

Festure documentaries I’ve enjoyed include The Seer and the Unseen, about an Icelandic woman who campaigns to stop the construction of a road she believes will destroy the fossilized lava homes of elves in the area; I Am Not Alone, a profile of Armenian politician Nikol Pashinyan and his role in the 2018 non-violent Armenian revolution— excellent viewing for anyone with an interest in deposing a tyrant; and the somewhat self-explanatory Hip Hop in Ojibwe Country, which I thought was pretty great. I also enjoyed the short docs The Weapon You Choose, Bayt Jadeed: Seeking Home, and Narco Tumbas.

Support independent film!

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