Question and Answer

Pat: I just received the soundtrack CD from this movie. The music is absolutely beautiful. I was suprised to see "All Instruments Played by Pat Metheny" printed on the back. Surprised because it sounded like an orchestra. Would you explain how you accomplished the feat of one man sounding like many?

Thanks, Barbara

hi barbara,

that was an interesting project. it came up quickly, i was sort of in between two projects, and only had about 19 days to do the whole thing; write, record and mix it for the film, and to make a soundtrack album. there was also almost no money involved - hence, me playing all the instruments. i liked the project a lot - it is actually a really nice film that not many people have seen (although it is occasionally seen on cable here in the states as "gentle to the night") - the performance by the lead actress, julie harris, is really great, and it was very inspiring to me. as far as, "how do you make it sound like an orchestra?" - one of the options that musicians in this era have available to them given the technology that now exists is the potential to do just that. it is a gift to us that musicians for centuries have only dreamed of - i love just "playing" like what we do with the group or in trios or whatever - there is a long tradition of that as well that gives a context and a set of guideposts also for audiences to set their bearings to. making music using the new technology results in a different, albeit related animal. i enjoy the opportunities to explore music in many different ways like that.