Mason Daring
Film composer Mason Daring has explored many paths on the way to his current career -entertainment lawyer, folk singer, cabbie and truck driver, commercial director, and potential rock star among them. But his professional life has always returned to the world of music.
After getting his law degree, Daring served as legal counsel to first-time filmmaker John Sayles during the production of The Return of the Secaucus Seven. Sayles had heard Daring’s recordings, and at the end of editing came to him with an offer to write the music score for the film - for a total budget of $700 dollars. The film was a critical success, and when Sayles started his next film, Lianna, he returned to Mason for both the legal and musical work. Daring turned down the legal work but eagerly accepted the job as composer. He has gone on to compose all the scores for the films of John Sayles, from The Brother From Another Planet to Honeydripper. While he has managed to leave the practice of law well behind him, he maintains his membership in the Massachusetts bar to this day.
Daring also established a record label, Daring Records (a sub-label of Rounder Records), as an outlet to release his film scores and other musical talents Daring felt deserved creative outlets of their own.
Other than the films of John Sayles, Daring’s scores include Music Of The Heart, The Old Curiosity Shop, The Great War, Prefontaine, Where The Heart Is, The Opposite Of Sex, Tru Confessions Say It Isn’t So, Cold Heart and Wallace: Settin’ The Woods On Fire.
Hey Mason,
Remember Conifer Hill? Glad to see you and John are still going strong and seem to have come up with a winner. Sorry I was not more aware of your fine work when you were in Danvers. I have lived in FL for around 12 years, but come back to Boston often. Are you still in Marblehead?
Good luck with this new film. It is something we will definitely see.
Alice
Comment by Alice Stockhamer — February 6, 2008 @ 11:28 am