In our latest installment of Music Monday, we are bringing you an exclusive interview with Kerry Muzzey, who wrote the music cue “Looking Back”. You would recognize it as the love theme that has played in the background during tender moments between both Will and Emma as well as between Rachel and Finn. Here is an exclusive first listen to “Looking Back” (NEW 2010 Version) by Kerry Muzzey, accompanied by an awesome interview conducted by @UltimateGleeks.
How did you first hear about the Glee project, & what was your initial reaction?
I had seen the extended trailer on YouTube back in the spring of 2009, just like everybody else, and I was blown away. I think I sat at my computer for a solid hour watching it over and over, with the speakers cranked, completely giddy and on the verge of crying because something about it was incredibly moving. It felt bigger than a TV show. So I emailed it to everyone I knew and said, “This is going to be the best. Show. Ever.” A show about a glee club that looked like it had just the right combination of snark and sweetness, with great music, AND Jane Lynch?? AND produced by Ryan Murphy? I couldn’t wait to watch it. And after hearing their version of “Don’t Stop Believin’” in that trailer, I also couldn’t wait for the song to be released. I think I liked the remake even more than the original.
You mentioned Ryan Murphy… were you familiar with any of his other shows?
Yes! Nip/Tuck! I was a latecomer to the Nip/Tuck party, so right before season 3 started, I devoured seasons 1 and 2 on DVD. I remember finishing all of them within a week. The show was riveting, but the thing that really moved me in that series was the music by the show’s composer James S. Levine (who’s also the show composer for Glee). I was screaming at the TV, “I want that gig!” The music was different: really beautiful and textural and atmospheric, and with such a great emotional core. I got so sucked into that series that I ended up writing two albums of material that were inspired by Nip/Tuck! All the music on them is basically “This is how I would’ve scored Nip/Tuck if that were my gig” and that material became my “Lucid” and “Fluid” albums on iTunes. Compelling TV and movies really give me great ideas for new music.
How did you find out that your song “Looking Back” had been chosen for the show?
I got a call from PJ Bloom, the music supervisor. He gave me the rundown on what the show was about and said that they had temped a scene in the pilot with my piece and everyone really liked how it played, so they decided to leave it in there. I was trying to play it really cool, but I was kinda freaking out because I already knew what Glee was and I couldn’t believe that I was about to be a part of it. I asked PJ how “Looking Back” ended up in the edit in the first place, and he said that Ryan Murphy was a fan – and that’s actually when I started screaming. I remember saying, “Are you f-ing kidding me? Ryan Murphy is a fan of MINE!??” But I can’t remember much after that… I think I blacked out or something. It was complete overwhelm: it was like getting that magical phone call that you’ve waited for your entire career. Poor PJ… I probably did permanent damage to his hearing with that call. Anyhow, the piece was scheduled to be used once in the pilot and then once in “Showmance.” Then closer to the series launch I got another call asking if they could use it again in another episode, and then another call saying “We’d love to be able to keep it on hand for the series on an ongoing basis in case we want to use it again” – so it just kept getting better. I’m originally from a small town in Illinois, and if you had told me, years ago, that I would someday be doing what I’m doing and have this involvement with a show like “Glee” I probably wouldn’t have believed you!
How did you feel the first time you heard your song featured on the show?
Remember when Rachel said, “Being part of something special makes you special, right?” That’s how I felt. I felt like I was outside of my body. You have to realize, I was just as excited to watch this show as everyone else was, so I was just watching it as an excited viewer. Like, that show would’ve been on my DVR regardless. And I was laughing and loving every single minute of it. But when “Looking Back” started playing in that great scene between Will and Emma, I started crying like a big ol’ drama queen. It’s hard to describe what that feels like… when a really good director or editor fits your music into their own context, it gives a brand new life to your music. It’s like they magically tapped into the real meaning of that piece of music you wrote, and then made it something even better. You hear it differently, it takes on a completely different meaning, and I gotta say – it’s so wild to know that at that exact moment, millions of people are hearing the same thing and they’re loving the music. Even if they don’t notice the piece, they’re perceiving the emotional value that it adds to the scene. And that is a real rush for me. That piece of music has a very personal meaning to me, but once it was put into Glee, it became something even better.
So what did you think after hearing it used again in “Showmance” and in “Preggers”? …especially in “Showmance” where it was used as the love theme for not only Will & Emma, but that defining moment between Finn and Rachel?
“Showmance” made my head explode. Seriously, I thought I was going to need oxygen because I was on the verge of hyperventilating. Somewhere between our conversations back in April, and the airing of “Showmance” in September, they had added some uses to the show! I knew about the scene with the chalkdust on Emma’s nose, but the other 2 scenes were new additions. And I thought that the acting, the writing, and the editing were absolutely inspired. I was especially excited to see it used for that magical moment between Rachel and Finn. Again, it’s hard to explain how amazing it is to be a die-hard fan of the show, and to be completely involved in the story as you’re watching it, but then to hear your own music playing during a moment like the Finn and Rachel kiss. The use in “Preggers” was a nice surprise, when Finn was on the football field. There was a moment there that was very significant, and I felt really honored that the producers chose to use “Looking Back” in that defining moment. Did I cry? Oh yeah. I mean, how could you not? If you didn’t cry during season 1 – if you didn’t cry during “Keep Holding On” or the deaf choir singing “Imagine” or during the final episode – then you have no soul.
Are we going to hear anymore of your work featured in the “Back 9″ or in Season 2?
I sure hope so! My deal with Glee is open-ended, so they’re able to use “Looking Back” whenever they want to. They’ve told me that it may be turning up again, and I have my fingers crossed. I’d be thrilled if they saved it for special moments that have some real emotional impact. I was really hoping to hear it in that season finale episode…. kinda bummed that they didn’t use it in that one. It would’ve given me one more reason for a good cry!
What are you most excited to see/hear in the “Back 9″ or Season 2?
I just read the news about Molly Shannon, and I tweeted in all-caps “MOLLY SHANNON COMING TO GLEE IS LIKE SHOOTING CRACK COCAINE DIRECTLY INTO MY VEINS WHILE FEEDING ME CHOCOLATE.” I think the producers of this show need to be credited not just for landing great guest stars, but for using them perfectly. I’m also really excited to see what happens between Will and Emma, and honestly, I’m excited for every single second that Jane Lynch graces my TV screen. And I have a feeling that they’re going to try to redeem Terri and you know they’ll be able to because Jessalyn Gilsig is such a fantastic actress. Music-wise, I’m so excited to see what older songs the Glee cast breathes some new life into. I loved what they did with “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and “Somebody to Love” and I want more classics like that! And of course, I’m excited to see if my little ol’ cue “Looking Back” makes an appearance here and there. I’ve been lurking on a couple of the different fan sites and have been pleasantly surprised to see people talking about it. Normally people don’t pay much attention to the instrumental music in a show, much less post about it on forums!
Can you give the Gleeks any future episode spoilers?!
Man, I wish I could, but I’m not privy to any of that stuff. Now if you interviewed the show’s composer, James S. Levine, I bet you could get some great scoops! He would make for a great Music Monday. And I gotta confess, I kinda worship the guy.
Why do you feel Glee has been so sucessful both in the USA & Internationally?
…Because it’s pure goodness. It’s funny and sweet and heartbreaking and inspirational and just a little bit mean. And because it’s more special than anything else on TV right now. I think people know “special” when they see it, and I LOVE that it’s a hit in so many other countries right now. Isn’t it funny how people in any country, any language, know good TV when they see it?
Speaking of good TV, who’s your favorite Glee character & why?
Emma! No, wait… Will. No, Emma. Can I have a tie? Emma breaks my heart every single time; I think it’s the eyes and Jayma Mays’ inherent sweetness. I actually have a piece on the new album, “Home Movies 2,” called “Emma” that’s inspired by that character from Glee. It’s part gentle and sweet, and part unabashedly-sweeping-and-romantic-gorgeous love theme. And if we’re playing “true confessions” I also have a piece called “PB&J” on my “Trailer Music 2” album that was inspired by a scene of her in the pilot episode, sitting at the lunch table by herself eating a peanut butter sandwich. I have another cue on that same album called “Losers Finally Win” that was also inspired by the show. I never wrote them thinking they’d get used, but like I said – good TV always gets the creativity flowing!
If people like the music that’s been in “Glee,” do you have other music that’s similar that they might like?
Oh yeah, definitely. The prime contender will be the new album coming out next week, which is really on the quiet and poignant and romantic side. But Gleeks should also check out the score for the Jessica Biel film “Hole in the Paper Sky” and some of the quieter cues on my album “Cinematica.” I have some really bombastic trailer music-esque stuff out there, but the music that I most enjoy writing is the quiet, pretty, romantic stuff. I also write in a very different style under the pseudonym The Candlepark Stars – I call it “cinematic post-rock.” It’s along the lines of bands like “Explosions in the Sky” and it’s really a blast to write.
You have a new version of “Looking Back” that’s on your album “Home Movies 2” that hits iTunes next week. What made you re-record it, and how is it different from the version we’ve heard as the love theme on Glee?
Having that piece brought to life by “Glee” put it back on my radar and I wanted to take another crack at it. The version that the show uses is the original, recorded about 4 years ago, and after hearing it in the show I got the urge to re-do it and make it better – maybe make it a little more sonically complex. The show only uses the first part of the cue, but the back half of that piece has some great drama in it. I wanted to beef up the whole piece and record it with a different piano and just give it more layers than the original had. So I hired a couple string players to add some density to it, added some other interesting sounds to punch up the quiet and poignant parts, and extended the piece a bit. There are also some other Glee-related surprises on the new album…
Such as….?
So many moments in “Glee” gave me inspiration for new music, so I decided to put all of those “inspired-by” cues onto the “Home Movies 2” album. They don’t have any connection to the show other than the fact that specific moments in the show were their inspiration, so I put hints in the titles of each piece about what inspired that piece. They’re sort of in code, and most people wouldn’t think twice about the titles, but true Gleeks will probably be able to figure them out. I think I have about 10 of those tracks on this upcoming album. “Emma” is the most obvious one, but I know that the die-hards out there will be able to figure the rest of them out! I’m also really excited that sheet music for “Looking Back” has finally been published. So if there are any Gleeks out there that are budding pianists, it’s an easy piece to play and you can find it at online sheet music retailers and in stores.
So if we put GLEE aside for a sec, what else do you have going on and what cool things do you have coming up?
It’s been a busy couple of months! Right now I’m wrapping up the score for a romantic comedy called “BearCity” that’ll be opening in theatres this summer, starring Gerald McCulloch from “CSI” and that soundtrack will be hitting iTunes in April. I’m also apartment-hunting in L.A. because I’m moving out here in a few weeks. I’ve lived in NYC since I was 22, but there are so many opportunities starting to simmer right now that I felt like it was finally time to make the move to the West Coast. Wish me luck!
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We’d like to thank Kerry for taking the time to share with us, & as a special treat, we are giving all you Gleeks a link to dowload or stream a sample of the new version of “Looking Back.” You guys are the very first people to hear this song, so be sure to leave you thoughts & comments!
Listen: here!
Download: [Right click, save as...]
Kerry Muzzey – Looking Back (2010 Version) Preview
credits: gleefan.com
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