PR: Rebel in the Rye soundtrack (Bear McCreary)

COMPOSER BEAR McCREARY CHANNELS PERCUSSIVE SOUNDS OF THE TYPEWRITER TO SCORE J.D. SALINGER BIOPIC - REBEL IN THE RYE

Sparks & Shadows To Release Soundtrack On September 8th

(August 31, 2017 – Culver City, CA) Composer Bear McCreary (10 Cloverfield Lane, TV’s Outlander), known for his infectious use of percussive instruments and out-of-the-box musical approach, channels the sounds of the typewriter for the score for the J.D. Salinger biopic, Rebel in the Rye. Sparks & Shadows will release the soundtrack on September 8th.

Rebel in the Rye may very well be a score that McCreary was destined to write. The son of a novelist, the sound of a typewriter has been a companion since he was a child. “The percussive cadence of typewriter tapping has rattled around my brain since I was born,” he said. Scoring Rebel in the Rye gave McCreary the chance to channel those sounds, both figuratively and literally, into a rich, orchestral tapestry.

It took some convincing, though, for writer/director Danny Strong to see that McCreary, more known for films such as 10 Cloverfield Lane, and TV shows like The Walking Dead and Battlestar Galactica, was the right man for the job. The two however shared a connection and musical inspiration – the great Elmer Bernstein. After learning that McCreary was Elmer’s last protégé, working with him for nearly a decade, Strong was intrigued, and asked for musical demos from the composer. Any reservations Strong may have had were quickly put to rest, and the two worked closely together during the scoring process.

Inspired by the images of Salinger typing away at his greatest masterpiece, McCreary opted to use two grand pianos to represent its sound. “The close-up shots of typewriter hammers striking paper reminded me of hammers striking piano strings,” stated McCreary. “The way Salinger sits at the typewriter, blasting off furious finger movements, reminded me of how I sit at the piano when I play.” A different kind of keyboard – an actual typewriter – makes an appearance as a percussive instrument, and can be heard on the tracks “Early Writing” and “Typewriter Drums.”

Just as the song ‘Coming Through the Rye’ played an important role for Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye, it would play an important role for McCreary. A bit of a scholar on Scottish music, he arranged a new version of it, which is performed by McCreary’s wife, vocalist Raya Yarbrough. Rebel in the Rye also allowed McCreary to show off his jazz chops. Together with jazz arranger Jeff Hoeppner, he composed original numbers for the scenes set in swinging jazz clubs.

Rebel in the Rye afforded McCreary the opportunity to write perhaps his most personal score to date. “I am proud to have been a part of Danny Strong’s unique vision of J.D. Salinger’s literary gifts, and to have scored a film of such poignant beauty,” McCreary concluded.

The genius of J.D. Salinger is brought to life by writer/director Danny Strong, underscored by Bear McCreary. IFC Films presents Rebel in the Rye in theaters on September 8, 2017. Sparks & Shadows will release the Rebel in the Rye soundtrack digitally the same day, and on CD shortly thereafter.

Track Listing
• Innocence (Theme from Rebel in the Rye)
• Early Writing
• Giving the Time
• Sowing Your Wild Oats
• A True Writer
• Oonlight Serenade
• Impending War
• Celebration at the Stork Club
• Typewriter Drums
• Simply Grand
• Inspiration at War
• Wartime Anxiety
• Bananafish
• Writing Catcher
• Coming Through the Rye – performed by Raya Yarbrough
• City Without the City
• A Request From Whit
• He Was Writing
• Rebel in the Rye End Credits

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ABOUT REBEL IN THE RYE
The world of legendary writer J. D. Salinger is brought vividly to life in this revealing look at the experiences that shaped one of the most renowned, controversial, and enigmatic authors of our time. Set amidst the colorful backdrop of mid-20th century New York City, Rebel in the Rye follows a young Salinger (Nicholas Hoult) as he struggles to find his voice, pursues a love affair with famed socialite Oona O’Neill (Zoey Deutch), and fights on the frontlines of World War II. It’s these experiences that will inform the creation of his masterpiece, The Catcher in the Rye, bringing him overnight fame (and notoriety) and leading him to withdraw from the public eye for the rest of his life. Costarring Kevin Spacey and Sarah Paulson, Rebel in the Rye offers a tantalizing window into the life and times of a little-understood genius who broke the rules and redefined American literature.

ABOUT BEAR McCREARY
EMMY®-winning composer Bear McCreary is one of the most sought-after talents in the industry today. In 2017, Bear had an impressive showing at Sundance with three films at the festival: Danny Strong’s drama Rebel in the Rye, the sci-fi thriller Colossal starring Anne Hathaway, and Jennifer Brea’s documentary Unrest.

Some of McCreary’s other film credits include the critically-acclaimed Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot film, produced by J.J. Abrams, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Universal/Blumhouse’s upcoming thriller Happy Death Day, the animated feature Animal Crackers, and Disney’s Step Up 3D. His videogame credits include Sony Playstation’s highly anticipated new God of War.

McCreary burst onto the scene scoring the influential and revered series Battlestar Galactica. His music for it was lauded by Variety as “innovative,” and “like no other” by NPR. McCreary won an EMMY Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme for Da Vinci’s Demons. McCreary also received EMMY nominations for his work on Black Sails, Outlander, and Human Target. He has twice been awarded “ASCAP Composer of the Year – Television” by his peers. He currently scores AMC’s record-shattering global phenomenon The Walking Dead, as well as Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. McCreary frequently performs in concert throughout North America and Europe, including the Getty Center, the Hagen Philharmonic and Ballet in Germany, the Television Academy, and the Golden State Pops Orchestra. In July 2014, Maestro Gustavo Dudamel conducted a suite of McCreary’s music with the L.A. Philharmonic and L.A. Master Chorale at the Hollywood Bowl.