The Package : or : the Bottled Water Montra

A very talented and accomplished composer friend of mine once told me
that "Music is every where, its in cafes, wall to wall on reality
shows, at the grocery - it's like water."

There is so much music being made now and the tools to create a 'quality master' are
inexpensive and available to any 'musician' with a mac or pc. In the
search for making music for a living I have explored the paths of music
libraries and production houses and have seen the vast quantity (and
some great quality) music that is my competition.

So about a year ago, after hearing the "music is like water" comment, I set about
with a new clear yet metaphoric mission statement - "I am selling
BOTTLED water" - my new montra!

This mission has really started
to help me clarify the kind of composer I want to be and the level of
music I want to make. It has also helped me clearly focus on the way in
which I present my goods = The Package.

On a very superficial level the package is print, image and design on paper, web or other material. It is tangible - SO UNLIKE the music that it contains.
Luckily I can fall back on my years of working in marketing and advertising
and focus on communicating with images and design. I have even hired
people far more talented than I am and payed them well over the
material costs of 'CD manufacturing' to get the right packaging for my
projects.

On my last album ( The Radioactive Werewolf ) It was very difficult to come up with concept that would meet my packaging criteria.

1. It needed to show the brand (a photo of ME)
2. It needed to enhance the 'universe' in which the music exists
3. It needed to sit comfortably among the shelves of the products I am looking to score music for

All of these requirements needed to come together to not just look pretty
but sit well with my gut. My 'gut' instincts are all I can usually
count on and are the final litmus test. I write music from the gut, I
need to market from my gut also.

My first concept was quickly mocked up using some stock images. I do this so I can communicate to my photographer (Charlie Grosso) what kind of concept I have. As you can see this mock up did not meet packaging criteria #1 "Show the Brand"

Also, with Charlie's suggestions I was able to more clearly communicate a
mood, rather than be so literal: Hazmat Suit 86ed •add Full Moon night
shot and vast desert land scape.



The final image was completed from original photography and illustration.
It was a collaboration of ideas and reality utilizing my concept and
the photographers expertise.

Examples of inside packing inspiration






Final inside art design




Final Outside Cover Back Cover art with Text