Q: How are the montage scenes built? Is the song chosen first, then film assembled, or the other way around? [Sandee, Pu]A: With the exception of the first season (and maybe the second? I can't remember), the script describes the action and content of the montage but does not indicate the musical choice. The editor starts piecing together the sequence and we try a lot of different pieces of music against it. Season 3 for a while was set to "Voodoo Chile" by Jimi Hendrix, but David was never quite convinced, and the Hendrix estate was typically wary about licensing the music to anything which included drug references. As with most of the musical choices, everyone working on the show is free to make suggestions, and we do try a lot of different cues. But in the end David Simon always has the final pick. I was pleased that the Season 4 montage piece ended up being one that I suggested, but I think all three of the previous montages were David's finds.
Q: As a white guy who grew up in the UK, how do you choose music that's credible in a black urban culture? [Jim King]
A: Well, there are a lot of thorny issues of cultural authenticity to sort through whenever creating fiction that attempts to depict real people and places, not just music. I personally believe that someone with my exact qualifications who happened to be black and from Baltimore would probably be a better choice for the job than me. I guess I'm just glad that the producers of The Wire didn't hire that person! But I don't believe that specific race, class or nationality requirements are necessary to do a good and credible job, with the possible exception of actors. Research and experience can go a really long way, as I think The Wire shows in many areas other than music as well. Also, while much of the music in The Wire is contemporary hip-hop, there's a pretty wide range of other stuff as well - lot's of classic R&B, lot's of crappy pop music from the 50's - 80's, jazz, Greek music, some classical, even Chinese music and Korean pop in Season 4. A music supervisor ideally needs to have a deep knowledge of many genres of music, in addition to experience with music licensing and an aesthetic sense of how to tell stories with music. While I'm stronger in some areas than others, I do in fact have a very broad musical taste and interest, and know a lot about most genres of music.
I live in Harlem and pay a lot of attention to what music is playing on the street, and what my friends and neighbors are listening to, which has been another good source for ideas. I've been known to confiscate the mp3 player of my 16-year-old neighbor Shantelle and examine her playlists. She first suggested Chris Brown to me for one of the classroom scenes in Season 4.
De'Rodd Hearns, the apprentice editor on The Wire, has lived in Baltimore his whole life and knows the city and the music scene like nobody's business. Some of his family members are the real people who were the basis for the characters in The Corner. De'Rodd has been an invaluable resource for years on the show. I often consult with him about what people in Baltimore are listening to. De'Rodd recommended Bossman to me last season, and I really wanted to use Bossman's track "Hand Clap," but his music is ensnared in sample clearance issues at his label.
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