Operation Change

Music Composed by William Ross and Alex Kovacs



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    Daunting. There is no other word to describe writing original music for ten 45-minute episodes of emotional and multicultural television, at a pace of one episode per week. Such was the difficult task given to composers William Ross and Alex Kovacs on the Oprah Winfrey Network docuseries Operation Change.
    The show follows Bill and Tani Austin—co-founders of the Starkey Hearing Foundation—and their son, Steven Sawalich, as they travel to distant countries to give free hearing aids and help local organizations with their own philanthropic efforts. A parade of luminaries, including former president Bill Clinton, Elton John, and the Dalai Lama, join them along the way. It’s a global travelogue with a conscience, and it embodies the foundation’s mission: “Alone we can’t do much. Together we can change the world.”
    “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen,” says Ross. “What attracted me to it was the mission that these people are on. What they’re doing is incredibly profound and meaningful.”
    Music supervisor Lindsay Fellows was tasked with finding a composer who could handle not only the emotional demands of the series and musically evoking each culture, but the simple logistical challenge of writing so much original music on tight deadlines. “I really wanted somebody that would own it,” says Fellows, who met Ross in 2005 on The Game of Their Lives. “There are so many talented people out there, but usually it comes down to the last 10 percent that makes a difference. Bill likes inspirational stories. For a guy like him, it’s got to have some meaning and some weight. And I think when something resonates with someone personally, they tend to look at it a little bit closer and give it a little extra time.”
    Ross enlisted Alex Kovacs, a three-year veteran of the creative team at Momentum RLP, to share composing duties. “Alex is a comet taking off,” says Ross, “so it was great being able to work together on a demanding project like this.” “It was daunting initially,” says Kovacs, “just because of the sheer amount of music we had to write. But after the first episode or two, once we really started figuring out the direction the music was going to take, things became a little easier and more exciting. So ‘daunting’ quickly evaporated.”
    The first goal was finding a main title that would encapsulate the spirit of the series, emotionally spanning the borders of every country the show visits. “It seemed that a choir would have the feeling of the people bringing their heart and soul to whatever’s going on,” says Ross. “I thought quite a bit about what the choir would sing, and what language they would sing in—I mean, we’re in every country imaginable—and we came up with the idea to take the alphabet, A through Z, and to give it syllables—ah, bah,
sah, day, err, fah—to create our own ‘words’ with. Those were pieced together to create a kind of world language—not necessarily one that you would understand, but, no matter who you are or whatever part of the world you’re in, whose syllables would resonate.”
    Dividing each episode into acts, Ross and Kovacs set about scoring all ten installments, and eventually found a groove that worked across the series. Whether the action took place in India or Israel, Haiti or Papau New Guinea, each episode provided them with a consistent narrative shape. “How we handled the emotional arc was the key to making it all work,” says Ross. “The instruments would change because of the ethnicity and culture, but the emotional arc could be similar.”
    The composers researched each location before they scored its starring episode, and amassed a vast library of instrument samples that might fit. Whenever possible, they also brought in live players to breathe unique life into the indigenous instruments. “Regardless of the deadline,” says Kovacs, “we always made a point to do as much research as we could. We found all the instruments that could make an interesting palette to write with: jaw harp, didgeridoo, kundu drums, slit drums, hand percussion, wood flutes, bamboo flutes, angklung... We would build a template from this smorgasbord of ethnic instruments that were a good representation of that specific country.”
    All told, Ross and Kovacs churned out roughly seven hours (420 minutes) of original music for the ten episodes of Operation Change—an accomplishment almost unheard of for a documentary television series. Fellows convinced the producers at the very outset that commissioning an entirely custom score was in their best interest. “It was mostly a creative issue,” he says. “Just to go, Wow, you’ve got heavy content here, you have important stories, you’re really making an impact—and you’re dealing with sound and hearing. To not have the best sound for a show that’s about hearing seems kind of crazy. You want it to feel equally important.”
    “I have to stop and breathe for a moment,” says Ross. “I’ve been around for a while in this business, and I haven’t come across a project quite like this. The fact that what you’re looking at is the real emotional ups and downs of people somewhere in the world...this isn’t a director calling ‘cut,’ this is somebody eavesdropping with their camera. That has a powerful effect. Working on an episode week after week made us realize how unbelievably fortunate we are to have the opportunities we have. And that there’s no better place to be in this world, emotionally, than a place of gratitude.”

Tim Greiving


“From the beginning, we knew Operation Change, which aired on OWN:Oprah Winfrey Network, was a special series that required unique musical themes to help communicate the powerful stories of the people and regions we visited. Scoring each episode was the only way to authentically portray the diverse cultures and, at the same time, complement the story telling process and convey the right emotion. Over the next eight weeks, we are excited to release four Volumes filled with the beautiful score William Ross created for the series.”
~ Steven Sawalich

Credits
Music Composed by William Ross and Alex Kovacs
  • Additional Music
  • Jerome Leroy
  • Score Mixed at
  • Momentum RLP Studios, Santa Monica
  • Main Title Mixed by
  • Matt Ward
  • Score Mastered by
  • Patricia Sullivan at Bernie Grundman Mastering,
    Hollywood
  • Score & Digital Album Produced by
  • William Ross, Alex Kovacs and Jerome Leroy
  • Soundtrack Music Supervisor
  • Lindsay Fellows
  • Soundtrack Executive Producers
  • Steven Sawalich, Natalee Watts, Melinda Cea

"Operation Change is like nothing I've ever seen. ... The fact that what you're looking at is the real emotional ups and downs of people somewhere in the world... this isn't a director calling 'cut,' this is somebody eavesdropping with their camera. That has a powerful effect. What they're doing is incredibly profound and meaningful."
~ William Ross


The Film

The series follows Bill & Tani Austin and their son Steven Sawalich from the Starkey Hearing Foundation, a global non-profit organization that gives free hearing aids to those in need, as they are joined by celebrities and philanthropists to tackle some of the most challenging issues plaguing our world today.

"Operation Change" gives viewers unprecedented access to some of the world's most dangerous, desolate and poverty-stricken places. The series features former President Bill Clinton, Sir Richard Branson, Sir Elton John, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Donna Karan, and Harry Connick, Jr. among many others, each working to benefit a different region and local organization. From the West Bank of Palestine to the wilds of Papua New Guinea, this documentary series reveals the untold stories of some of the world's seemingly insurmountable challenges, as well as its greatest heroes.

"Hearing loss is a global epidemic, impacting more than 360 million people worldwide, yet it can often be helped. Hearing aids empower people to better connect with their families, communities, and the larger world," said President Bill Clinton. "I have seen first-hand the amazing impact that the Starkey Hearing Foundation and Starkey Hearing Technologies are having on people all around the world. I am lucky to call Bill and Tani Austin as well as Steven Sawalich my friends. And I am proud of the Clinton Foundation's relationship with them and this work. It's empowering people to live more independent, prosperous, joyful lives."

"Working with this family, and supporting their efforts through the Starkey Hearing Foundation, has been an incredibly uplifting experience for me," said Sir Elton John. "When people are cared for and not forgotten, their human spirit comes alive, and that's why when they approached me, I had to be a part of 'Operation Change.' I know everyone who watches this series will want to be a part of it as well. My friend Oprah Winfrey's network, OWN, is the perfect vehicle for this groundbreaking series."

"Our family has always found fulfillment in helping others," said Steven Sawalich, of Starkey Hearing Foundation and CEO/President of Articulus Entertainment. "Through our charitable efforts, we have seen firsthand the needs and challenges people face all over the world. With the help of some of our celebrity supporters and local partners, "Operation Change" chronicles how together we can make a difference in the lives of people around the globe. We are thrilled to share this emotionally-compelling series with OWN viewers."

Each week, Bill Austin, his family, volunteers and a different celebrity/philanthropist will partner with local organizations that are working to empower their community. Throughout the hour, they work together to complete a sustainable project that will help enhance the lives of people in need. The family will immerse themselves in local cultures and experience firsthand what life is like for people in that region.

The series is produced by Articulus Entertainment. Executive produced by Steven Sawalich, Natalee Watts and Teri Weinberg. Melinda Cea is co-executive producer.

Operation Change: Tanzania

The last remaining traditional tribe of Africa, the Maasai, is battling lions and hyenas for one resource: water. Far removed from modern-day conveniences, volunteers work to obtain a sustainable supply of water and are supported there by football players Greg Jennings, Tommie Harris, Larry Fitzgerald, Ray Lewis and the non-profit organization WorldServe.

Operation Change: Colombia

The team immerses themselves in one of the most dangerous slums in Bogota, Colombia. They focus their efforts on building a community center out of plastic bottles for displaced refugees, who fear for their lives at the hands of guerrilla militia. Here, the team works with former President Bill Clinton, actress Marlee Matlin and the non-profit organization Nukanti Foundation for Children.

Operation Change: Lebanon

Beneath the bombed-out shell that hides the 'Paris of the Middle East,' thousands fear that tomorrow will never come. As the team fights for sustainability, they join local activists to build a skate park and save an endangered community outlet on the brink of being shut down. The team works with non-profit organizations including Ayadina and Lebanese Skateboarding Association.

www.operationchange.com


William Ross Bio

www.williamrossmusic.com

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William Ross is a prolific award-winning composer and arranger whose work has spanned feature films, the recording industry and television. He has composed music for such films as The Tale of Despereaux, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, Touchback, Ladder 49, Tuck Everlasting, and My Dog Skip. He also adapted and conducted the score to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

His work in television includes the score to Lifetime’s Steel Magnolias, to the critically acclaimed mini series Me and My Shadows, Life with Judy Garland as well as the Emmy-winning music for the Tiny Toon Adventures’ episode “Fields of Honey.”

Mr. Ross has arranged music for a remarkable list of artists including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Kenny G., Sting, Seal, Quincy Jones, Rod Stewart, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, David Foster, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston, to mention just a few. The records on which he has worked have sold over 250 million copies combined in the United States.

He has served as Music Director and Conductor for many artists and occasions, including Barbra Streisand’s historic 2006, 2007 and 2012 concert tours, and the 79th Academy Awards ceremony in 2007, for which he received his second Emmy Award. He reprised this role three times, for the 83rd, 85th, and 86th Academy Awards.

His arrangements have been featured in many films and include such hits as Andrea Bocelli’s “God Bless Us Everyone” from Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Celine Dion’s Grammy-winning “My Heart Will Go On,” from the motion picture Titanic; “Believe,” sung by Josh Groban in the film The Polar Express; “The Prayer” with Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion from Quest for Camelot, for which he received a Grammy nomination; and the Academy Award Nominated song “Run To You” sung by Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard.

Arrangements by Mr. Ross have been a part of the opening ceremonies of several Super Bowls along with the opening and/or closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Calgary (1988), Atlanta (1996), Salt Lake City (2002), Torino (2006), Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014). He was awarded an Emmy Award in 2009 for Outstanding Original Music for his work on the song “Hugh Jackman Opening Number,” featured during the 81st Academy Awards ceremony.

Mr. Ross is the recipient of four Emmy Awards, two BMI Film Music Awards and was nominated for an Annie Award and two Grammy Awards.


Alex Kovacs

www.alexkovacsmusic.com

Alex Kovacs has experience in composing music for virtually all forms of media. Alex most recently co-composed and produced the score to Operation Change, a docuseries currently airing on the Oprah Winfrey Network. He recently completed the score to Suzanne Doran's drama, Just Like We Used To Do, and Greg Popp's thriller, Last Shot.

Other recent works include Ramin Niami's romantic comedy, Shirin in Love, Scattered, a personal documentary by Lindsay Lindenbaum, Bananas a short film by Aaron Rosenbloom, and Sony Entertainment short series The Arrival and El Dorado by director Curtis Clark.

Alex has provided services for film and television such as: additional music (The Prince, iKllr, Alone Yet Not Alone, To Have and To Hold...), score production (Think Like A Man), score programmer (Marvel's one shot series, Agent Carter, Hallmark Hall of Fame's In My Dreams, Lifetime's Steel Magnolias, Jim Willson's 50 to 1), and as project coordinator, most notably on the 85th and 86th Academy Awards ceremony as well as on numerous arrangements for artists such as Mary J. Blige, Michael Bublé, Barbra Streisand, Josh Groban, Celine Dion, and Andrea Bocelli.


Acknowledgments

Special Thanks from Articulus Entertainment to Bill and Tani Austin, Team Momentum, OWN, Candice Hanson, Stephen Breimer, Maria Machado, Gavin Ridling, Drew Roder and the entire Operation Change team.

William Ross and Alex Kovacs would like to thank Bill and Tani Austin, Steven Sawalich, Natalee Watts, Melinda Cea, and Lindsay Fellows; Maria Machado and the Gorfaine Schwartz Agency; Matt Ward, Claude Guecia and the team at Advanced Audio Rentals; Mary Webster, Courtney Blooding, and Carl Schroeder.

Also Available

Credits
Operation Change - Volume 1
Credits
Operation Change - Volume 3
Credits
Operation Change - Volume 4
Credits
In My Dreams
Credits
50 To 1


All rights reserved © Momentum RLP Records 2014
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