Educating Animators - Manchester Animation Festival - Songs I Want To Play

Court, Adelina; Robinson, Paul

Abstract

Presentation produced for the 'Educating Animators' event as part of Manchester Animation Festival (November 2021) on Songs I Want To Play as a showcase of collaboration between a musical director and an animator.
Songs I Want to Play began as a lockdown project in March 2020. The project has focused on three main areas: the rearrangement and modernisation of classic songs, remote recording, mixing, and mastering (utilising several session musicians), and the implementation of bespoke animation and artwork that complement the musical content of each release (Songs I Want to Play, 2021). The unique feature of the project lies in the fact that the visual assets are created simultaneously to the musical arrangement; this involves constant conversation, improvisation, and collaboration between the producer and the animator, as they endeavour to highlight the links between music and animation in a mutually exclusive way. The project is now 18-months old and has gained worldwide recognition with over 500.000 views across social media platforms, globally (Songs I Want to Play, 2021). The project is now present on audio streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Bandcamp. As the project grew, it attracted the attention of several international artists who have subsequently appeared in guest spots on some of the releases. These artists include renowned international jazz pianist, Gwilym Simcock, and Norwegian artist, Ole Børud.
The project has been instrumental in informing the way the creators teach in their respective subjects (animation/illustration and music). The element of co-production has been a strong feature in the lectures inferred by the project and, as a result, it has strongly encouraged multidisciplinary collaboration among students. Further development of the project will include live performances with interactive visuals, as restrictions ease.

Citation

Court, A., & Robinson, P. (2021, November). Educating Animators - Manchester Animation Festival - Songs I Want To Play

• Presentation Conference Type: Keynote
• Start Date: Nov 14, 2021
• End Date: Nov 19, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jun 12, 2023
• Additional Information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIw_tEEdXIY&t=2s