Music for 'The Visitor'

"The Visitor" took me by surprise in how quickly and unexpectedly it took shape musically in my mind. In part, I think it was because at the core it is a musical film with a drum as its heartbeat. The drum sets the pace. It creates the basis that brings Walter Vale (played by Richard Jenkins) out of his empty life. His first tentative taps on the djembe were to me like his sputtering heart waking up again. So with the beat already strong, I simply followed it to its musical conclusion. I sought to evoke Walter's transformation from a man skirting the edges of everyday life to a man part of a community fighting for its survival.

January 7, 2009