Mark your calendars for noon PST, June 25 because a jaw-dropping line-up of stars are coming together for Soundtrack of our Lives: A Celebration for the Film & TV Music Community, an online benefit event for MusiCares®COVID-19 Relief Fund. This fund was created by MusiCares® to provide support to the music community during the pandemic crisis. The music industry has been essentially shut down during the crisis resulting in loss of income for much of the music community. Since the fund’s establishment in March, over 14,000 clients have been served, with many more still needing help.

Composers, songwriters, music editors, music supervisors, studio executives and actors are coming together for some seriously amazing programming. Let’s start with listing the confirmed performers and special guests: Sting, Catherine O’Hara, Ming-Na Wen, Patti LuPone, William Shatner, Elisabeth Moss, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Marla Gibbs, Jane Levy, Mandy Moore, Richard Kind, Alex Newell, Zachary Levi, Paul Reubens, Kiernan Shipka, Harvey Fierstein, Ginnifer Goodwin, Anika Noni Rose, Kasi Lemmons, Ted Danson, Auli’i Cravalho, Darren Criss, Drew Carey, Ray Romano, Holly Hunter, Reba McEntire, Bob Saget, Ken Page, Lucy Lawless, Mary Steenburgen, Dave Coulier, Kevin Smith, Peter Gallagher, Naomi Scott, Annie Potts, Clive Davis, Jodi Benson, Harvey Mason Jr., Susan Egan, Paige O’Hara, John Stamos, Andra Day and Rita Wilson.

Composers and songwriters participating include Michael Abels, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Angelo Badalamenti, Glen Ballard, Lesley Barber, Nathan Barr, Tyler Bates, Jeff Beal, Marco Beltrami, Alan Bergman, Terence Blanchard, Jongnic Bontemps, Kathryn Bostic, Kris Bowers, Jon Brion, Nicholas Britell, Bruce Broughton, BT, Carter Burwell, Sean Callery, Joshuah Brian Campbell, Lisa Coleman, John Debney, Tan Dun, Fil Eisler, Danny Elfman, Charles Fox, Germaine Franco, Harry Gregson-Williams, Hildur Gudnadóttir, Alex Heffes, Joe Hisaishi, James Newton Howard, Justin Hurwitz, Ashley Irwin, Mark Isham, Steve Jablonsky, Amanda Jones, Laura Karpman, Christopher Lennertz, Joe LoDuca, Robert Lopez, Mark Mancina, Gabriel Mann, Clint Mansell, Dennis McCarthy, Bear McCreary, Alan Menken, Bruce Miller, John Murphy, Starr Parodi, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Daniel Pemberton, Michael Penn, Heitor Pereira, Rachel Portman, Mike Post, A. R. Rahman, Tim Rice, Lolita Ritmanis, Dan Romer, Anna Rose, Jeff Russo, Arturo Sandoval, Lalo Schifrin, Marc Shaiman, Teddy Shapiro, Richard M. Sherman, David Shire, Rob Simonsen, Mark Snow, Tamar-kali, Dara Taylor, Pinar Toprak, Brian Tyler, Nick Urata, Benjamin Wallfisch, Diane Warren, Mervyn Warren, Paul Williams, Austin Wintory, Alan Zachary, Geoff Zanelli, Marcelo Zarvos, David Zippel and Hans Zimmer. 

Now, pick your jaws up off the floor and let’s take a look some of the highlights they have planned:

  • Danny Elfman, Catherine O’Hara, Paul Reubens and Ken Page will perform a song from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
  • Zachary Levi, Patti LuPone, Alex Newell, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Peter Gallagher and Harvey Fierstein will perform “a humorous musical tribute” to the Film and TV music community. 
  • William Shatner will explore how different scores can give the same film a different meaning as an exasperated director, played by Richard Kind, leads a composer in multiple directions for a short film starring Kiernan Shipka and Christian Coppola.
  • Tony Award winner and Disney Legend Anika Noni Rose will highlight the history of African American composers, songwriters and artists who have contributed to the Film & TV Music industry through the years.
  • Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist actor Jane Levy invites us into the dreamworld of her Extraordinary Soundtrack Playlist.

The above are just a few of the highlights listed in the official press release for the event. 

“Thousands of music professionals and creators are struggling during this pandemic and remain in desperate need of assistance,” says Debbie Carroll, Vice President Health and Human Services MusiCares®. “The continued support from the music community during these turbulent times has been heartwarming and inspiring. The power of music unites us all and gives us hope for better days ahead.”  

Show co-creator Peter Rotter says: “When the pandemic tragically hit our world and began to shut down our film music community, I felt that something needed to be done to help those who were in need of support and care. Through MusiCares® we have found the charitable vehicle that can come alongside our hurting musical family.

“Music has always helped transport, uplift and inspire us through wars, economic hardships, health crises and societal upheavals,” says show co-creator, Richard Kraft. “When COVID-19 hit, it threatened the lives and livelihood of much of our Film & TV Music community. So, we decided to create an online special that both celebrates the soundtrack of our lives and benefits, via MusiCares®, the artists who create it.”   

Soundtrack of our Lives: A Celebration for the Film & TV Music Community debuts June 25th, 2020, at noon pacific on YouTube. You can check out the official website, here. 

 

Note: Geek Girl Authority co-editor and senior contributor Leona Laurie is an executive producer for Soundtrack of Our Lives, and Geek Girl Authority contributor Dara Gholston serves as public relations coordinator.

This was originally published 6/16/20