Crafting the sounds of sentiment : : Jen Anderson interviewed about The Sentimental Bloke dvd score

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Jen Anderson used her musical,compositional and productions skills to create a folk-rock score for the 1918 silent film, The Sentimental Bloke. After 15 minutes of extra footage were discovered and restored to the film, she expanded and reworked the score. In collaboration with the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Anderson recorded this revised score. In an extended interview, Anderson reflects upon the musical, logistical and technical challenges she encountered, and the aesthetic decisions she made in representing, via original music, an iconic Australian film. She also discusses performing live accompaniment, with two other musicians, for screenings of the film around the world. The process of recording the score allowed her to alter theinstrumentation, adding extra session musicians to obtain a fuller sound. However, the trio who had performed on the film’s tours was able to maintain a ‘natural’sound, similar to a live performance, in part through improvising while recording.