Award-winning composer John Swihart, whose career is on a stellar trajectory since scoring “Napoleon Dynamite” five years ago, has scored a powerfully emotive spot titled “Givers” for The Salvation Army via Visual Music.
“Givers” illustrates the many ways The Salvation Army “helps human beings all over the world” and how individuals can leave a living legacy that will help others via wills, annuities and other gifts. Visual Music creative director Tom Seufert oversaw music for the project which originated at The Richards Group/Dallas with Creative Groups heads Todd McArtor (Art Director) and Danny Bryan (Copywriter) and was produced by Bridget Fontenot.
Unique sounds and surprising instrument choices put John Swihart on a path to creating unpredictable contemporary scores. His distinctive style can be heard in over 40 films, including Youth In Revolt, New In Town, Employee Of The Month, The Great New Wonderful and The Brothers Solomon. He began his musical training at the age of four studying piano; by eight, he added the saxophone, followed by guitar studies at Indiana University — while still in high school. He then continued his formal musical training of composition, production and engineering at Boston’s prestigious’ Berklee College of Music.
After college, Swihart toured with a variety of bands and performed in musical theater in Boston, New York and Los Angeles; simultaneously, he composed for Boston advertising clients and scored student films for Emerson undergrads. When Blue Man Group opened a Vegas show, Swihart was recruited to be a musician in the Grammy nominated ensemble. A year later, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue film composing. His fifth film score as a composer was Napoleon Dynamite. Via Visual Music, Swihart has scored national campaigns for Farmers Insurance, The Home Depot, Scrubbing Bubbles, The Salvation Army and MD Anderson.
Credits
CLIENT: The Salvation Army
SPOT: Givers
AGENCY: The Richards Group Dallas
Todd McArtor (Creative Group Head/Art Director)
Danny Bryan (Creative Group Head/Copywriter)
Bridget Fontenot (Producer)
DIRECTOR: Jeff Bednarz
PROD CO: Directorz
EDITORIAL: N20
EDITOR: Scott Hanson
MUSIC HOUSE: Visual Music
Creative Director/Exec Prod: Tom Seufert
Composer: John Swihart
About Visual Music
Visual Music is a boutique music house and business-to-business record label encompassing an extraordinary group of star composers, new emerging artists and award winning composers, songwriters and sound designers.
Visual Music‘s mission is to deliver inspired creative innovation to clients by exploring diverse musical possibilities within Visual Music‘s roster. Visual Music‘s creative director/executive producerTom Seufert has written for one of the Beatles (Ringo), co-written with Glen Frey (The Eagles) and Trevor Rabin (Yes) and written/produced songs and underscores for television, film and more than 1500 TV commercials, interactive games and web sites.
Recently added creatives like Academy Award nominated sound designer Herwig Maurer, composer Bear McCreary from the hit sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica and The Walking Dead, Gossip Girl’s "composer collective" Transcenders (founding members of The Black Eyed Peas) and hot new bands like KCRW discovery Big Moves join a select group of "rising musical stars" who are passionate and dedicated to their craft. For more info on Visual Music please visit www.visualmusicartists.com.
