SMU Songbook Library

SMU had three great songs, but lacked strong recordings of their three primary songs; their Alma Mater, Fight Song, and University Anthem.

We created the “SMU Songbook Library.” 60+ recordings of songs, audio logos, and underscore cues incorporating the melodies of these three songs.

Songs

• We recorded, arranged and produced multiple full versions of their songs by the SMU Symphony Orchestra (one of the most celebrated university symphonies in the world); the SMU Mustang Marching Band; and the SMU Chamber Choir.
• Tapping into numerous studios in Los Angeles and with dozens of musicians and singers, we recorded additional ‘song’ versions in various styles.
• We augmented many of the recordings from Dallas with additional orchestral and acoustic parts in Los Angeles — and created final mixes.

Audio Logos

• SMU, as with all major universities, creates 500-1,000 videos a year, celebrating the stories of its various schools.  Some are for students, some for alumni/fundraising, some are for particular groups.   They are distributed on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, through graphic emails, in online newspaper and magazine publications, and on the university’s Youtube Channel.
• With creating a library of audio logos (5-second triumphant expressions of the brand), they will now bookend all videos — starting the videos and ending the videos.  In most cases, a graphic, animated logo of SMU will appear over the audio logo.
• They can also be used to introduce university leadership in speaking events, at live sports events, commercials on radio and TV, PowerPoint presentations, as the sound in elevators… many possibilities to express the SMU brand.

Underscore

• Imagine any of your favorite TV series or films…  They all share in common music that has been composed that ‘sounds’ like the show.  Picture “Star Wars.”  Or “Law and Order.” Or “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”  For most universities, while they have clearly identifiable musical melodies that their students and alumni know, they rarely use them in the myriad videos they produce.  Instead, they use non-descript track music that the university licenses every time they use it.  Why wouldn’t universities create their own library of music using their musical themes — never having to pay license fees again?
• That’s exactly what we did; creating a library of underscore cues for videos — in every style and tempo imaginable.