Contact information:
Tom@ThomasHofbauer.com
877-501-FILM (3456)
Film Music
Music is an important part of just about any film project. Much can be conveyed by the music chosen to underscore a scene. Sometimes the use of no music will be used to equal effect. In The Company Of Strangers was blessed with music from two different groups and one individual artist. Each of these contributors did so without financial compensation. Like true independent filmmaking associates, they all agreed to wait for their reward upon the sale of the project. I cannot express fully my appreciation to these fine artists for their wonderful contribution.
Celtibillies is a band out of Roanoke, Virginia which provided the lion's share of the music heard under many of scenes in the movie. Their brand of Celtic / Appalachian / old time music was the perfect fit for this movie. I first heard the Celtibillies because my sister is married to the banjo player. Both he and my sister also help me creatively by reading and providing notes for my screenplays. I had always said that I wanted to use their music because of its moving and evocotive nature.
The Celtibillies also performed at the first screening of ...Strangers in Toledo at the Valentine Theatre on November 3, 2001.
The Celtibillies are Jack Hinshelwood on fiddle,guitar and vocals; Becky Barlow on hammered dulcimer, bodhran, bass, egg, keyboards, and vocals; Tim Sauls on banjo, bouzouki, guitar and vocals; and Jeff Hofmann on upright bass.
In the summer of 2003, Celtibillies performed as part of the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival in Washington DC. This multi-national event was sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and drew folk musicians from all around the world.
Celtibillies can also be heard occasionally on the NPR radio program Thistle and Shamrock hosted by Fiona Ritchie. Click here for a brief mention of Celtibillies in an NPR teaser.
Music for the movie can be heard on their three releases, Come Sing and Dance, Greenwoodside, and The Shoemaker's Child , all available through Zygoat Records via their website www.celtibillies.com and through Amazon.com.
BadMonkey was introduced to me by a friend in the advertising business. He lent me their self-titled CD and although I liked the entire disc, I particularly fell in love with two cuts, Real Love and Radio.
In one of those "small world" instances, I learned that the front man for BadMonkey is the brother of a guy I used to do stand-up with, I attended a portion of my high school years with another member and a third member is a guy I met through the company that did our post production sound.
BadMonkey was Rick Nease on lead vocals and guitar, Richard Lange on lead guitar, Jim Foltz on bass and vocals, Dan Schroeder on keyboards and vocals, and Bill Lenhart on drums and percussion.
BadMonkey is no longer performing together but you can find information about The Rick Nease Band at RickNease.com. He continues to make great music and I suggest you check it out.
Tony Zsigray and I go back a long way. We were pals in high school and roommates for a brief period in college. We remained friends and when I needed incidental music for many of my scenes, Tony was my first choice. He found time in his elementary school music teaching career to provide all of the incidental music for the movie. I was amazed at how well he was able to capture the essence of the Celtic music and provide a moving soundtrack to the film. There are two scenes in particular that I find very moving and it is in good part due to his understated yet sensitive application of music.
Tony can be heard every Sunday as the Musical Director for St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Toledo, Ohio.