based music house Hank Smith Music (HSM), don’t expect to speak with Hank. He doesn’t exist. "Usually we tell people that Hank’s out of town right now, but that we can help them," explains Mark Harrison, executive producer/composer at the music shop. You won’t be able to reach Hank, but you will be able to enlist the services of several composers who write in every imaginable musical style.
The staff, which includes Harrison, creative director/composer Blaise Smith, and composers Michael Lande and Darin Wilson, covers quite a bit of stylistic ground. The ten-year-old house also works with a group of freelancers on a regular basis. Harrison contends that HSM’s broad range distinguishes his shop from most other San Francisco outfits.
"When we started, [the San Francisco spot music scene] was more boutique-oriented. To a big extent, it still is that way," says Harrison. "Unlike say, Los Angeles, where you have the major players, like Elias and tomandandy [both bicoastal]. They try and match the composer to the job.
"We’re trying to compete with guys in Los Angeles and New York," he continues. "That’s why we have so many people that we work with. If you think you [alone] can write any kind of music that comes along, you’re kidding yourself. With the help of our associates, we can pretty much cover just about anything."
