I was in Tyler Park near my home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania on a cold, wintry day. The sun was low in the sky and the bare trees and knobby remnants of corn stalks evoked the music I had recorded a few days earlier…
Polar Ardor
I am excited to share news about the short film Polar Ardor, my musical collaboration with animator Camille Wainer.
POLAR ARDOR
A short animation about polar life and love.
Inspired by the paper cut style of early animator Lotte Reiniger, Polar Ardor incorporates the additive techniques of woodblock stamping and Chine-collé printmaking to recreate a delicate landscape threatened by division and deterioration. The whimsical music of composer/architect Sanford Bender accompanies each stage of the polar bear’s journey through a varied composition using only two symbolic forms (the heart and the puzzle piece). Simply and subtly, Polar Ardor offers an optimistic message about the importance of collaboration and compassion in the face of an uncertain future.
Release: 2021
Length: 1.33 minutes
ANIMATION BY : Camille Wainer
MUSIC BY: Sanford Bender
PRODUCED BY: Documinute Productions LLC
You can watch the trailer below and check out Camille’s other films on her website.
Music: Be Your Own Best Friend
I could hear the music in my mind as I was driving home from a disappointing meeting with an art group to which I belonged. The night was cold and clear and the sky glittered with stars. I reached for my guitar as soon as I arrived home and recorded a track. I followed by recording a second guitar track, and after listening to my improvisation was lifted out of my despair.
Gone, a musical poem
This poem with guitar accompaniment is about an unruly cat who did not come home one night. We had not really connected, but I don’t know what can be expected of a cat. I was committed to him even to the point of tumbling down the stairs when I heard his encounter with a shrieking fox.
My cat appeared to be grinning at me that morning when I returned from the hospital. I suppose that he had worked out his differences with Reynardine the fox. Now, he was meowing for a more domestic meal and a fresh bowl of water.