On July 18th, the answers to two questions were revealed at the announcements for the 2013 Emmy Nomination: Is Netflix going to be recognized alongside traditional TV fare, and can a comedy be dramatic - the answers to both questions was a resounding yes as Netflix's Arrested Development composer David Schwartz was nominated in the Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) category.
And now Emmy nominee Schwartz has created a special treat for Arrested Development fans showing them how to play the show's theme song on the ukulele. If you don't own a ukulele already, this may make you want to go out and get one...
Schwartz says:
I am honored to be nominated in this category, my co-nominees are incredibly talented. It's especially meaningful to be recognized by my peers in the Academy for Arrested Development. I am also fortunate to have a close working relationship with the show's brilliant creator, Mitchell Hurwitz. He allows me incredible freedom to take chances and push the musical envelope.
Composer David Schwartz, previously Emmy nominated for the main themes to Deadwood, and Wolf Lake, made the journey from TV to Netflix, continuing on with the saga of the Bluths. His sojourn was rewarded by the Academy of Television Arts & Science with his third Emmy nomination.
Schwartz adds:
The music for the series has always been eclectic. From the signature Tahitian ukulele cues to the ultra mock-serious orchestra cues I always strive to do something unique with the music. Often it's more about writing fun music as opposed to funny music. And it's so important to match the comedic timing and pace of every scene.
Season Four of Arrested Development Trailer:
Schwartz attended the School of Visual Arts in New York and the Berklee College of Music in Boston. David's first scoring job was the multi Emmy award winning hit, Northern Exposure. It earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition for its memorable theme song.
Season Four of Arrested Development was unusual in many ways. All fifteen episodes are interconnected. Different viewpoints of the same scene appear in multiple episodes. One goal was to be more thematic with the score and the characters. Longer episodes and scenes have allowed me to develop musical themes and ideas. Arrested can have a ton of music, sometimes 60 to 80 cues per episode! We work very hard. We also have a fantastic time as everyone on the show is fun to be with and hysterically funny too - possibly as much fun as watching it.
The entire fourth season of Arrested Development is available for streaming on Netflix. For more on David Schwartz, check out: www.davidschwartzmusic.com