Bill Berry and Adam Gorgoni
FAMILY MOVES TO ITS OWN BEAT ON ABC SERIES “SONS & DAUGHTERS” COURTESY OF SONGWRITERS BILL BERRY AND ADAM GORGONI
Merging music with kin, Los Angeles songwriters Bill Berry and Adam Gorgoni have created a unique musical voice for the new ABC series “Sons and Daughters.” Debuting Tuesday, March 7 at 9:00 PM (8:00 CST), the quirky family comedy offers a hybrid of improvisational and scripted humor while featuring dozens of original songs from Berry and Gorgoni ranging from high-octane metal to low-down Chicago blues.
Series creators Fred Goss and Nick Holly knew that the show required a songwriting team that could create a diverse musical soundtrack to help guide the viewer through the episodes. “We wanted the music to fit in naturally,” says Goss. “‘Sons and Daughters’ has a true to life feel and the music needed to contribute to that. The bumpers and segues that work in a scripted show would feel out of place in this format. We needed the music to be as effortless to the characters as it would be in real life.”
Having grown up together in Torrance, Calif., Goss and Berry have a strong personal and professional relationship. While developing the show, Goss contacted Berry, then a resident of New Orleans and a veteran of that city’s eclectic music scene, knowing that he would bring a fresh perspective to the show. Simultaneously, Goss and Holly were interviewing local composers and took a liking to the organic musical qualities of BMI film and television veteran Adam Gorgoni (Waiting, Happy Family). With the unique team of Berry and Gorgoni, the producers knew they had found the voice they were looking for.
When they finally met, Berry and Gorgoni recognized their similar tastes and compatibility as co-writers. “Once we found out that we could both quote Eddie Izzard, Sweeney Todd and Spinal Tap word for word, the music came easy,” said Berry.
“Sons and Daughters” features a multi-generational extended family and the producers instructed their new writing team to approach the show with that in mind. “People listen to music all the time, but it’s not usually played that way on TV,” says Gorgoni. “This soundtrack is different in that we are tailoring original source material to the characters and situations. Classic rock plays on the radio in the kitchen while the family is starting their day, later an older character might listen to a jazz CD, while in the next scene their grandchild has alternative-rock song on their iPod. It makes for a really interesting mix.”
On “Sons & Daughters” composers Bill Berry and Adam Gorgoni bring a fresh perspective to television by allowing the thoughts and feelings of the show’s characters to resonate through the music that fills their world.
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