Even if you don’t have little ones in your life, there’s a very good chance you can sing the theme of the hit children’s series Bluey.
The iconic, bouncy melodica tune has just received a full orchestral glow up in the latest series album, Bluey: Up Here, which was released last week.
It features music from favourite episodes played for the first time with full symphony orchestra.
Music has been an important part of the show’s storytelling since it first aired in 2018, with original music from Bush and his team paired with delightful inclusions of western classical music, ranging from whimsical to poignant.
The early inspiration of classical music
When he was 15, Bush remembers hearing a performance of Debussy’s L’isle joyeuse (The Isle of Joy).
“I thought there was nothing more beautiful in the world… that’s what spurred me on to want to be a composer and a musician,” he shares.
Bush wishes a younger version of himself knew that classical music could be many different things, including fun and cheeky.
“You don’t have to like something just because it says Mozart,” he says.
“It’s up to you. You can find your own connection with it.“
Inspiring a new generation of music lovers
With Bluey, Bush has brought that connection to a whole new generation of listeners.
The series features music from Mozart’s Rondo alla turca (The Magic Xylophone) to Jupiter from Holst’s The Planets (Sleepytime).
One of Bush’s favourite classical moments, from the episode Ice Cream, uses Waltz of the Flowers from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, as sisters Bluey and Bingo dance around trying to lick the other’s treat.
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But inspiring a love of classical music was never the goal.
“What we were trying to do was do what was best for the story,” Bush says.
“I don’t think kids often get the opportunity to find a connection with pieces of classical music,” he shares.
“I’m very proud that a lot of Bluey is able to do that.“
The show’s reach is vast. For two years running, it’s been the most-streamed show in the US, beating long-running, international hits including Grey’s Anatomy.
But Bluey is firmly rooted in Brisbane.
This feels especially tangible as we talk with Bush in ABC Classic’s studio overlooking the river while one of the Bluey-themed ferries glides past.
“I think we’re in such a bubble here in Brisbane. It blows my mind when we get feedback from all around the world [and realise], ‘oh you guys are watching it’.”
The success is something that still surprises Bush. “We’re just all the same group of people trying to make something cool.”
Creating an orchestral Bluey sound in Brisbane
Unsurprisingly, the new album is firmly rooted in the show’s Brisbane home base.
It features more than 100 musicians, mostly based in Brisbane, including the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) and Camerata (Queensland’s chamber orchestra), as well as other musicians the Bluey team regularly work with.
For Bush, it was a special experience from the start of the recording process.
“When you go in and the symphony orchestra is warming up they’re playing all of your music.”
“It’s like some sort of weird dream where all of your music is being played by different instruments all at once,” Bush shares.
“That really shocked me. I had to sit down for a minute.“
The album is filled with “Easter eggs” for classical music fans.
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The orchestral version of the theme, by composer, orchestrator and arranger Joseph Twist, “squeezes in eight or nine references to various classical pieces, either in their style or by actually quoting them.”
“I hope to see if you can pick them!” Bush laughs.
Talking about one of the musical references, “the QSO just played that so well…They put their own flavour on it, which doesn’t often happen with orchestral musicians,” Bush says.
The orchestral sounds of Bluey: Up Here are a long way from where Bush and his team started.
“It wasn’t like we had a successful show before we started.“
The Bluey sound world was built around what the music team and their friends could do themselves.
Bush brought in a friend to play the violin, another on woodwinds, and filled it out with accordion, keyboard and himself on vocals.
“Which is actually a problem because I’m not a good singer, so I had to get really good at Auto-Tune,” he jokes.
The art of making music for kids
Bluey’s fan base stretches across age ranges, including the adults who love watching it with the little ones in their lives.
But Bush says he’s not deliberately writing the music for kids or adults. That can be dangerous.
“You end up putting yourself in a box and are unable to do what you think is going to be the best for the story.”
He treats it as he would scoring any show, “bear in mind that it’s seven minutes, so that’s got its own characterisation.”
Meeting the emotional needs of children is however still front of mind.
Bush is very aware of avoiding anything that might “just genuinely have a sensory shock to young ears.”
He’s also very focused on clarity.
“If you’re really clear on the intention of the music, and it supports the story, it helps kids feel safe watching it.“
Bluey: Up Here, featuring the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Camerata, conducted by Joseph Twist, is available now on vinyl, CD and streaming.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.abc.net.au ’
