Seven Minute Man still missing a gold record
He does not have a single Gold Record hanging on the wall, yet his music is heard more often than that of Marco Borsato. The compositions of Stephen Emmer (51), nicknamed the 'Seven-Minute-Man', can be heard every seven minutes on national television and radio. The 'founder of the craft' has been in the business for 25 years this month.
As the Netherlands' first full-time media composer, he has hundreds of tunes to his name, from the theme songs of the NOS Journaal, RTL Nieuws, and RTL Boulevard to the jingles of television quiz shows like Waku Waku and Per seconde wijzer. Every day, millions of Dutch people hear his tunes. "It is an involuntary listening experience," says Emmer.
He stumbled into the profession years ago, half by accident. Emmer started making music full-time for TV programs when it was still common to do this in his spare time. But he also wanted to contribute to the concept behind the tune. "In eight out of ten cases, they wanted a tune that was 'different, modern, dynamic, and transparent.' I wanted to make music that matched the visuals."
NOS Journaal
In doing so, Emmer broke with a tradition regarding the tunes for the NOS Journaal. Since 1987, he has composed the opening and closing theme of the news program four times. “The News presents itself as neutral and objective, and that had to be reflected in the music as well. The first time, I kept it fairly tame and made music using herald trumpets. Like: here comes the news from the town crier. A year later, there was more drama in the music.”
From 1988 onwards, the NOS News opened with a theme tune featuring news reports such as cannons and a woman's scream, fitting the image of hotspots around the world. Later, Emmer composed a tune intended to slow things down, in contrast to the speed of the news. “I added Tibetan sounds to it, among other things, to bring some calm amidst all the misery.”
Media music
Media music slowly matured, says Emmer. “In the beginning, program makers would say: oh yes, the music still needs to be added. Nowadays, it is part of the marketing and communication strategy and has to suit the target audience.” For instance, at the launch of business channel RTL Z, the shouting of the stock market rascals was incorporated into the theme tune, fitting for viewers interested in the ups and downs of the financial markets.
With the professionalisation, others, even pop artists, began to focus on commissioned music for TV and radio programs, films, commercials, and games. According to Emmer, the craft therefore deserves more recognition now. He is the initiator of a professional award and is organising the first symposium on media music this Friday. "It is time to give media music a face of its own," says Emmer.
[ANP - Eric Wendel]