PBS
Sonic Identity

Agency: Expansion Team
Role: Music Creative Director

It had been a decade since PBS had updated their sonic identity when we were hired to create a fresh approach, ushering the brand into the 21st Century.

Before composing a single note, we embarked on a nine month strategic process in collaboration with design agency Eyeball. We interviewed PBS stakeholders and conducted sound research to establish insights that would shift audience perception.

Our strategy groundwork with PBS enabled a wonderfully free creative phase. Once we began composing, the feedback was so overwhelmingly positive that we received no revisions to the music. The resulting package included a range of new network themes and a new brand audio logo mnemonic.

We produced demos in LA and NYC but to create a distinct sonic palette for the final product, I felt it was important to record live instruments in a setting that would inspire creativity and emphasize the personality of each musician.

We chose to record in the attic studio of Olivia Tremor Control's Bill Doss (RIP) with players from the Athens, Georgia music scene that included a string quartet, horn section, vibraphone, and an arsenal of toy instruments from Bill's storied collection.

Selected recordings (4 of 10 themes)