If you have read the Da
Vinci Code, Digital Fortress and Dan Brown’s other novels, you know
that he is a master of plot twists and gasp-inducing surprises. But do you know
that he has been hiding another secret for all these many years?
It turns out that Brown is
a composer, and a very accomplished one too. As a young man, he wanted to be a
composer and songwriter. Somehow, his phenomenal success as an author caused
him to set those dreams aside for a time. But now he has taken the wraps off
his musical abilities, and has produced an exceptional work, Wild Symphony,
which, in our view, will become a classic of both children’s literature and music.
Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Saint Saëns’ Carnival of the
Animals come to mind as the historical precursors to what Brown and his
team have created in Wild Symphony, to be released in September by
Rodale Books in conjunction with PARMA Recordings. But Wild Symphony is something
quite new.
The story pairs with an
app. In creating it, Brown partnered with a team that includes illustrator
Susan Batori (who has illustrated books that include Is It a Tree and Letters
from Space) and the Zagreb Festival Orchestra, which recorded the musical
tracks. The Rodale publishing group and PARMA were also intimately involved in
the creative and technical development, creating a digital book experience that
is uniquely interactive. As readers move through the story, they can use the
app to play the musical selections that tie to the events in the story.
And it is an adorable
story about Maestro Mouse, who recruits other animals to play in his orchestra.
Each of these animals – a dancing boar, a ray, a bouncing kangaroo, a brilliant
bat and more – has its own musical theme that the app will play. These musical selections,
composed by Brown, are incredibly charming, full of life, and well done.
For example, let’s meet
Dan Brown’s Dancing Boar . . .
That’s wonderful, right? Can
you think of a seven-year-old who won’t be enthralled by this music? Can you
think of one who won’t fall in love with the Dancing Boar? And to further
engage children, Maestro Mouse and his animal friends leave puzzles through the
story for readers to solve. One of these puzzles is a coded message for readers
to solve. (A code? This, after all, is a work by Dan Brown.)
Live Concerts Are Planned
Too
Concerts of the orchestral suite from Wild Symphony
are planned for more than two dozen countries around the world – including a
world premiere in Croatia and events in Germany, Spain, Italy, New Zealand, and
Argentina, among others. The American premiere is planned for the historical
Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, near where Dan Brown makes his home.
Prepare to be charmed. Visit PARMA Recordings online to stay on top of everything that is happening about Wild
Symphony.