The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra

The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra is an ensemble of composers and musicians based in St. Louis, Missouri. The ensemble composes and performs original scores to accompany films of The Silent Era, and composes and records soundtrack music for contemporary films.

Origins and History

The ensemble was formed in 2003-04 in St. Louis as "The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra" during the break-up of members Robert Laptad's and Brien Seyle's band The Whole Sick Crew and members Matt Frederick's and Matt Pace's band The Baysayboos. During this time, the ensemble composed and recorded soundtrack music for local short films. In 2005, Frederick moved to the East Coast. The ensemble added former Whole Sick Crew members Luke Deichman, Beth Dill and Jeremy Quinn, and dropped the "Motion Picture Orchestra" from its name. In 2007, the Rats & People released a full-length album of songs The City of Passersby. 2007 also was the year that the ensemble premiered its Webster University-commissioned original score and live accompaniment to Buster Keaton's film Go West. Finding silent film accompaniment more rewarding than conventional bar shows, the ensemble ceased to write and perform lyrically-based music. Readopting the moniker "Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra," the ensemble focused itself primarily on composing and performing original scores to films of the Silent Era. Frederick returned to St. Louis in 2008 and rejoined the ensemble. In 2009, multi-instrumentalist Heather Rice (formerly of the Carpark Records band Light Pollution) and classical strings musician Emma Tiemann joined the ensemble. In addition to its silent film scoring and accompaniment, the ensemble continues to compose and to record soundtrack music for contemporary films.

Discography (As "The Rats & People")

  • The City of Passersby (Full-Length CD) (2007)
  • I Sang to Heather Nethereye (Split 7-inch) (2007)

Silent Era Film Scores (As "The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra")

  • Buster Keaton's Go West (Premiered 2007, commissioned by Webster University)
  • F.W. Murnau's The Last Laugh (Premiered 2008, commissioned by Webster University)
  • Buster Keaton's The High Sign (Premiered 2008)
  • Sergei Eisenstein's Strike (Premiered 2009, commissioned by Webster University)
  • F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu (Premiered 2009, commissioned by Vanderbilt University)
  • Buster Keaton's One Week (Premiered 2010, composed by Kevin O'Connor of 7 Shot Screamers)
  • Benjamin Christensen's Häxan (Premiered 2010, commissioned by the St. Louis International Film Festival)
  • Buster Keaton's The Goat (Premiered 2011, commissioned by Lee Expressive Arts Elementary School)

References