It's around this time of year that it's natural to reflect on the months gone by, and especially if you run a small business. My year has been, well, unexpected. I started out by doing a couple of voice over jobs, launched Real World Sounds and recorded eight broadcast-ready sound packs, proceeded to make six music library albums, launched an audio brand for kids, did some more voice over and soundtrack work, created a sound environment with foley and voice over for a Ted Talk art installation and more.

It has been very fulfilling. For many creative people it helps to concentrate on one area and develop their skills and networks. For me the wide variety of work this year has been so rewarding, that I know it's the way forward. It's so easy to put yourself into a category: composer, painter, sculptor etc. If 2018 has taught me one thing it's this: it's not for you to put yourself into a category, others will do that for you. My voice over clients don't care that I'm a composer. It doesn't matter to my composing clients what else I can do. I'm known to them for that thing.

My new year's resolution is to keep developing creatively. There are things I have planned that will feed into this, and for everything else my mind is wide open.

Have a very happy New Year and a creative 2019.

​Gareth

It's important to celebrate the small victories.

Today the last episode of Scream Street series 1 was signed off. I'm incredibly proud to have worked on this amazing stop-motion series, and thankful to be given the opportunity. Fingers crossed for series 2!

So Christmas is coming. Since I made the leap to composing music for a living I have experienced a large collection of firsts. My first directorship of a company, my first studio set up, my first paid composing job, my first album, my first EP, my first short film soundtrack, my first track on TV, my first TV series...it's important to celebrate the small victories, they are all markers and memories on the journey.

​Tomorrow I have another first, and I'm still pinching myself about it. The Christmas special for the series I'm currently working on - Scream Street - is being aired. A double episode called 'The Grumpus', it's being repeated a couple of times, one of which is on Christmas Day. For me that's like my childhood and my passion for music aligning; the future and the past colliding. Some may think that 'making it' means fame and fortune, but for me it's getting up on Christmas Day and knowing the fruits of my labour are being enjoyed by kids all around the country.

Happy Christmas everyone, I hope you get what you wish for too.

Gareth

p.s. The show times for the Christmas double episode are:

Thursday 15th December at 6pm on CBBC.
Wednesday 21st December at 11.35am on CBBC
Sunday 25th December at 9.10am on CBBC

I had the pleasure of having a drink with Keith Hopwood recently, ex-Herman's Hermits and composer of several kids animations including the BFG, The Wind in the Willows and Bob the Builder.

​Amongst the stories he shared, he mentioned that he was about to re-released the original soundtrack from the 1989 BFG film, a mix of synthesisers for some scenes and full orchestra for the action sequences.

If you have a twinge of nostalgia for the original animated film (with David Jason as the BFG), you can now buy the soundtrack from his website (link below), and from most download stores.

​BFG soundtrack at Pluto Music

Happy Friday. May they be full of snozzcumbers.

​G