BBC Radio Theme Tune Composition

BBC Ouch! Work Based Learning

I read an article describing a very lucrative gap in the market where instead of traditional songs or long pieces of music, short, catchy songs can be composed very cheaply. Apparently, there is a surprisingly large market for writing this kind of music, and this avenue I have already explored.

I had already contacted the BBC in the final year of my National Award. I noticed an opportunity where the theme for their radio show, called The Ouch! Talk Show, was a little dated and had the wrong lyrics in it.

Disabled journalists present the show, and features issues and information primarily of interest to the disabled community and their carers. I felt this would be a good opportunity for myself, being disabled, to show that people with disabilities can be as valid in the workplace and successful as anybody else.

I had the idea after listening to the show. I noticed they had changed the name of the broadcast from ‘Podcast’ to ‘Talk Show’, but still used a song with the lyric ‘Podcast’ in the signature tune. I decided to write in to the producer, who was very interested in listening to a jingle that I had written with better fitting lyrics, called the Ouch! Talk Show.

The URL for the show is here, where you can also download older episodes of the show, in which I was featured, in October 2009.

www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ouch/

 I gave some information about myself, where I was studying and that this music project would help further my course. I was pleased to hear in their next broadcast that they spent a few minutes on an item featuring my song. They wrote to me, stating they would not be able to use the theme at this time, because they had already commissioned someone else to do a song before I managed to get my jingle to them. It took me many weeks to write produce and record the song.

I was pleasantly surprised, however, that last month (October 2010), they closed their show with my jingle once again, and so I wrote in to them a second time, because I am going to re-record the song in higher quality and with slightly amended words. This is because they are changing the program format from once monthly, to twice monthly, and the words need to reflect this.  I am now hoping that when I submit this new song, they will use it on a regular basis. I have already told them that I will not charge a fee for this song and they are very happy with this. I have constructed a package of the song, with shorter, and instrumental versions of the tune, for inserting during the show as well, for voice over purposes.

 I have learned that in order to gain a start in any profession, there is a need to give away some of your work, in order to secure a position in which you can make a living, in the long term this pays off.