John Lunn (Downton Abbey, The Last Kingdom): Emotions, Creativity & Music

Thoughts on Record: Podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Music has a unique ability to evoke emotion, enhance motivation and in some cases speak without saying a word. For many, music can have a profound impact on mood and performance. Award winning and critically acclaimed composer, John Lunn, (Downton Abbey, The Last Kingdom, The White Queen, The White Princess, Shetland) joins us for a wide ranging conversation around:

• John's background & training and how he broke into the music business
• why humans might have the capacity to create and enjoy music
• a consideration of musicians of the "ear" vs. musicians of the "eye"
• the relationship between emotions and music
• how & why John works to ensure the audience is emotionally impacted by his music
• John's creative process and workflow
• John's observations around inspiration and getting around writers block
• a comprehensive breakdown of the origin and development of the theme of Downtown Abbey as well as Uhtred's Theme from The Last Kingdom
• John's creative process around the scoring The Last Kingdom and how he intentionally blended modern electronic elements with the show's historical motif
• learning how to self-edit when functioning as a solo artist
• managing “market”, external forces vs. your own, internal creative values
• navigating relationships and interpersonal dynamics within creative pursuits and the value of being cooperative, collaborative & conscientious

John Lunn is a classically trained composer whose musical scores are continuously in high demand. John is probably best known for scoring the hugely successful drama, Downton Abbey, for which he has received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two BAFTA Nominations. John has also scored the Downton Abbey Movie, which was released in September, 2019. John’s recent work includes The Grantchester Mysteries by author James Runcie; The White Queen and The White Princess (based on the bestselling novels by Phillipa Gregory), the former of which he received a Primetime Emmy nomination; Shetland; The Last Kingdom, To Walk Invisible and The Bronte Sisters. John has received critical acclaim for three adaptations of Charles Dickens classics: The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, for which he was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award (2013), Little Dorrit (2008), which garnered both a BAFTA nomination and his first Primetime Emmy nomination, and Bleak House (2006), for which he received RTS Best Score and Best Title nominations.
http://www.jlunn.com/
https://twitter.com/jlunn13