Serie - Black lightning : Let's talk with Kurt Farquhar

By Mulder, Los Angeles, 29 january 2018

Q: hi, Can you make short presentation from yourself to our audience that don”t know you yet ?

Kurt Farquhar : I am a 6 time BMI award winning composer for “King of Queens”, “The Game” and “Being Mary Jane”. I’m also known for music on “Girlfriends”, “Moesha”, “Soulfood”, “Stitchers”, “Sister Sister”, “The Quad” and the new hit DC superhero series “Black Lightning” on The CW. I’ve done well over 1,300 episodes of TV and numerous feature films. I’m currently working on the Lionsgate/Codeblack feature, “Two Minutes of Fame” and BET’s new courtroom drama, “In Contempt” (premiering in April)

Q: You have worked on 3 movies with the director Bill Duke (Dark Girls (2012), Not easily Broken (2009), Cover (2007)). Can you tell us few words about this collaboration ?

Kurt Farquhar : I, also recently finished a film with Bill called “Created Equal”. It’s a courtroom drama about a young catholic nun who sues the church for the right to become a priest. Bill tends to bring me these very emotionally charged stories. He knows that I’m a sucker for stories with layers of emotion and pathos! I like complicated stories and I think Bill and I connect in that way. He’s always challenging you to go deeper beneath the surface and to do it in an original way. I love working with Bill!

Q: You have scored more primetime television series than any other African-American composer throughout your over 30-year career. In the past you created the scores for The King of Queens, Girlfriends, Sister, Sister, Moesha, Being Mary Jane, The Game, Black Lightning, and Real Husbands of Hollywood. How do you choose your projects ?

Kurt Farquhar : The projects choose me and I’ve learned to just say YES! ? Nothing good ever came to my career from saying no! I’ve been very fortunate to have worked on numerous, hit shows, but I have no crystal ball. The only choice I make is…being the best that I can be everytime. DO MY JOB!!! That’s the choice I make if I’m lucky enough to get one.

Q: What does a great series score must have?

Kurt Farquhar : An identifiable sound. I believe great TV scores are unique to that singular show. Can you imagine “Law and Order” without that particular music? Mike post is great with that! Can you imagine “Seinfeld”, “King of Queens” or “Being Mary Jane” without their unique sounds? It’s a big deal in what we do!

Q: Black Lightning Premiered on the CW on January 16th featuring original music that you composed. How have you approached the creation of this score and the main theme ?

Kurt Farquhar : Because there is a very liberal usage of songs in this show, (provided by the amazing music supervisor Kier Lehman) I find it important to create a seemless transition from songs to score and back again. Sometimes you don’t know where songs end and the score starts and vice versa. Also, the score has two distinct sides to it. The sound for his home and school life which is supported by warm, contemporary vocals (provided by Trevion Stokes) and a seriously dark and edgy electronic/orchestral sound for his transition to Black Lightning. As a team, I think we (along with series showrunners Salim and Mara Brock Akil) have created a truly unique sound for “Black Lightning”. Salim and Mara (as usual) had a very definite vision for music on this show and it’s been fun to be a part of bringing that vision to life!

Q: Did you know the character Black lightning before working on this serie ?

Kurt Farquhar : No, I did not. It’s been a lot of fun getting to know him though! I hope the audience has as much fun as I’m having discovering Black Lightning!

Q: Where have you recorded mainly its score ?

Kurt Farquhar : We have a studio in Hollywood and it’s run by my right hand guy Rene Van Verseveld. Rene and Matthew James are a big part of the process of creating this unique score. Along with my music editor Josh Winget. My hat is off to all the musicians, engineers, music editors and programmers working with me on this and all my projects! They make me look like I know what I’m doing! ?

Q: Do you watch on TV the other DC series as The Flash, Arrow and Supergirl and what do you like on these ones ?

Kurt Farquhar : Yes! All these shows are composed by Blake Neely and he’s just amazing! He’s giving a Master Class in how it’s supposed to be done…every week!

Q: Who is you favorite DC super-hero and why ?

Kurt Farquhar : The Flash! I’ve always liked him and with all the work I’m doing now…I could use his particular super power!

Q: What other projects do you have at this time?

Kurt Farquhar : Black Lightning , The Quad, In Contempt, Being Mary Jane, Love Is , Saints and Sinners and Two Minutes of Fame

Synopsis:
Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) is a man wrestling with a secret. As the father of two daughters and principal of a charter high school that also serves as a safe-haven for young people in a neighborhood overrun by gang violence, he is a hero in his community. Nine years ago, Pierce was a hero of a different sort. Gifted with the superhuman power to harness and control electricity, he used those powers to keep his hometown streets safe as the masked vigilante Black Lightning. However, after too many nights with his life on the line, and seeing the effects of the damage and loss that his alter ego was inflicting on his family, he left the superhero days behind and settled into being a principal and a dad. Choosing to help his city without using his superpowers, he watched his daughters Anissa (Nafessa Williams) and Jennifer (China Anne McClain) grow into strong young women, even though his marriage to their mother, Lynn (Christine Adams), suffered. Almost a decade later, Pierce’s crime-fighting days are long behind him…or so he thought. But with crime and corruption spreading like wildfire, and those he cares about in the crosshairs of the menacing local gang The One Hundred, Black Lightning returns – to save not only his family, but also the soul of his community.

Black Lightning
Based on Black Lightning by Tony Isabella, Trevor Von Eeden
Developed by Salim Akil
Starring Cress Williams, China Anne McClain, Nafessa Williams, Christine Adams, Marvin "Krondon" Jones III, Damon Gupton, James Remar
Opening theme "Black Lightning" by Godholly
Composer : Kurt Farquhar
Executive producers: Sarah Schechter, Greg Berlanti, Mara Brock Akil, Salim Akil, Oz Scott, Pascal Verschooris
Producer : Robert West
Running time 42 minutes
Production companies : Berlanti Productions, Akil Productions, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television
Distributor : Warner Bros. Television Distribution Release
Original network The CW (USA), Netflix (France)