WENDELL HANES is an EMMY AWARD WINNING COMPOSER and owner of VOLITION SOUND. Wendell earned a SPORTS EMMY for his work with ESPN and scored the EMMY NOMINATED PEACOCK film, “THE SIT IN: HARRY BELAFONTE HOSTS THE TONIGHT SHOW. Hanes has scored over 2000 commercials and has won nearly every major award in advertising including Clios, Cannes Lions, LIA’s, Andy’s, Addys, Effy’s , One Shows and Golden Award of Montreaux’s. Hanes scored James Cameron’s “The Game Changers” for Netflix as well as the 6 time Award Winning NETFLIX documentary THE REMIX: HIP HOP & FASHION.
He also composed the 2021 NAACP IMAGE AWARD-WINNING HULU documentary “THE KILLING OF BREONNA TAYLOR, and the socially conscious 2020 opening theme music for the NBA FINALS featuring Jamie Foxx and Ques Love. Hanes recently wrote songs for DISNEY’S “THE GHOST AND MOLLY MCGEE and is currently the composer and songwriter for the Nickelodeon TV show “THAT GIRL LAY LAY” and NETFLIX’S EMMY nominated sitcom “FAMILY REUNION.”
He recently scored the HBO 4 hour docuseries “Black And Missing” premiering at DOC NYC and is currently scoring 3 PBS’ feature films: “STORMING CAESARS PALACE”, “AMERICAN RECKONING,“ and “HAZING.”
Hello Wendell, welcome to BrandEducation, it is an honor to have you here! You’ve worked on such a wide range of projects, from Emmy-winning films to children’s TV shows. How do you adapt your creative process when shifting between these different genres?
As a creator and a father of two teenagers and one pre schooler, my wife and I live in four different dimensions simultaneously: pre-school, tweens, young adults and full-on adulthood. I always loved every level of life and still enjoy a great Dr. Seuss book on my own. This genuine love for life at every point in my journey thanks to my parents has allowed me to revisit these moments during my creative process. I can glide between platforms with the authentic sensibility I felt when I was back home listening to authentic records and stories as a kid.
As a composer for children’s shows like Family Reunion and That Girl Lay Lay, how do you create music that resonates with younger audiences while still appealing to families as a whole?
I like to think that parents listen to the music that their kids listen to as well even if it’s not wholly true. Most parents have certain songs that both they and their kids love and that right there is the sweet spot. I like to make the in-between songs for these shows so that parents who are in control of the remote will turn on the show for their kids and keep it on for themselves.
You’ve scored powerful documentaries like The Killing of Breonna Taylor and Black and Missing. How do you approach composing for such emotionally charged and socially significant projects?
First, I believe in the message that the films I score are bringing to light. This allows me to align myself with the characters anstorylines so that my music becomes an ally in the process. Every great film needs a great team that shares the same vision and moves as one. I have been lucky to work with so many amazing directors whose visions I have shared. Fortunately, this has resulted in many award winning projects.
Having worked with iconic artists like Jay-Z and Beyoncé, how has your experience in hip-hop influenced your work in film and television scoring?
Hip Hop is the number one music in the world because everything starts with rhythm. I have always incorporated infectious beats and rhythms into my compositions as a composer. I strongly believe that this beat driven mentality is what has given me an edge over the years.
Volition Sound has been a major platform for your career. How does owning your own company influence the kind of creative freedom you have when working on projects across various industries?
Owning Volition Sound Branding puts me closer to my clients and allows me the time to create long lasting relationships that keep the engine running. At the same time, I choose to work with highly skilled good-natured people who take their career seriously and share the same goals as I do which is to make the best product for our clients. Your team is very important to your success just as who you are friends with in your personal life can affect the trajectory of your life
You’ve had major success in the commercial music world, scoring for ESPN and brands like Nike. How does working in advertising compare to your work in TV and film, and what challenges or opportunities do you enjoy most?
Advertising is the most challenging and the hardest of all because my music is going head to head with multiple other composers and companies and on top of that,,,the music is often due to the client within 1-24 hours. With television, I am given more time to work on a scene or a song and this gives me a lot more time to experiment during the creative process. Recording artists in the record industry can take a month to make one song. But in Advertising, TV, and Film, you have to respect the deadline and stir up greatness whether you have 30 days or 30 minutes.
Wendell, how did you get involved with Little Fantastic, and what inspired you to create Mr. Doodlenoodle as a musical character for the series?
Jackie and I had created a show for Tweens called TWINTASTIC and I thought that it was important for us to create a version for preschoolers so I first thought of calling it Little Twintastic. However, I also realized that it was important to reach all kids and not just twins. And since our motto for TWINTASTIC was twins with fantastic powers, I thought LITTLE FANTASTIC was a great way to show the fantastic in every kid.
The Little Fantastic stories emphasize independence and problem-solving for preschoolers. How do you integrate these themes into your songs to reinforce the messages of each story?
I have a three year old son named Dallas Amadeus, and when I create the songs I see the storylines and hear the words through his eyes and ears. Mr. Doodle Noodle came about through making up songs on the spot while teaching daily self care behaviors to all three of my kids like brushing their teeth, picking up toys, and tying their shoes. I made things more fun when I sang about what we were doing as a family and I noticed that these songs always stuck with them.
Music plays an essential role in Little Fantastic. How do you approach composing original songs for each story, and what do you hope children take away from them?
I like to start with a drum beat that incorporates claps or snaps because I think that the first instruments kids pick up are THEIR HANDS. Notice I said “PICK UP, “ because the first instrument a kid uses is their voice. I like to make sure that every song I write makes kids want to clap and sing. Then, I write warm hearted lyrics that speak from the perspective of your pre-schooler so that if they sing the song, they are actually singing from their own perspective. For Instance the lyrics from the song “FANTASTIC KETCHUP” shows one kid with a problem and another kid helping to solve that problem: “I can’t zip my jacket. What should I do? I can help you twin sister I can show you how to.”
The lyrics teach kids that their is a solution to every problem and once they learn the solution they can solve it by themselves the next time.
With each Little Fantastic Story Book being just six minutes long, how do you ensure that the music captures the essence of the story in such a short timeframe?
I listened to stories on record like “Peter and The Wolf “and “Jungle Book”when I was growing up and I remember what made those stories special to me. I like to take kids on a little journey that starts from the moment they wake up until the moment they start dreaming themselves to sleep so that by the story’s end, they have gone on so many twists and turns that they feel like they have experienced a full day of fun and adventure.
Find out more about Wendell at: www.volitionsound.com