Last fall while 8 months pregnant, I got a call from a friend who works with Woody Allen's editors. They were looking for French accordion music for his latest film, Midnight In Paris, and knew my friend had an accordionist friend in Paris....moi. So she put us in touch. When they asked me if I had any recorded music in this genre I promptly said "Totally. I have tons."
CUT TO: FRANTIC PHONE CALL TO FB
ME: Come home right now.
FB: Why? Is everything ok?
ME: Yeah yeah, the baby is fine. I just need you to lift my accordion onto me and set up my studio.
FB: Why?
ME: BECAUSE I JUST TOLD WOODY ALLEN'S EDITORS THAT I HAVE TONS OF FRENCH ACCORDION MUSIC AND I NEED TO WRITE AND RECORD SOME RIGHT NOW, AS IN RIGHT NOW THIS VERY SECOND. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I CAN PHYSICALLY PLAY THE ACCORDION ON MY BELLY SO I NEED YOU TO COME HOME RIGHT NOW. EMERGENCY.
FB: What? Woody Allen? How did that....
ME: I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS! JUST. COME. HOME. Oh, and pick up some duct tape.
A few hours later teetering in a semi-reclined position with FB's help and some creativity duct taping a 50 lb. accordion onto me, I pulled myself together, went to my quiet place and said "YOU GOT THIS. YOU'RE GETTING IN THAT MOVIE. RIGHT NOW." To my unborn child I explained, "Look pal, I'm about to play accordion basically on your face soooo....I'm not sure if you'll like this or not but this is who I am and I gotta get this job and this is what trying harder means so you'll just have to sit tight in there and enjoy the new sounds....cause it's gonna be loud."
And with that, I spent the next weeks in a constant stream of hobbling in and out of my accordion, writing and sending songs, revising others, pitching new ones. Every time I played, the baby would kick like crazy inside, putting me in a constant state of burping. Play, kick, burp, play, kick, burp. In the end, Mr. Allen asked me to cover the French classic "Parlez Moi d'Amour". Three versions later, I got the email at midnight.....my piano and accordion version is in the final cut featured under the romantic scenes.
I stood up, one pregnant transplant New Yorker, went to my window, leaned out far enough to see the Eiffel Tower and just smiled and rubbed my belly. It seemed the perfect culmination of my time in Paris. Sometimes life makes a perfect sweet circle. Today I can say I am in the opening film at Cannes.
Score. :)
43 comments:
When I read your blog, I am in jealous awe of how awesome your life is. You've got a cool baby with a rockstar name, the most incredible birth story ever, you play the accordian, AND movie stars want to work with you. Just.. wow.
Congratulations on such an amazing achievement!
aw thanks! :)
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO proud of you (and ZED! and JB!) - quite the family all hands on deck situation. Love you and can't wait to hear more details.
xo
Where's the gawldamn "like" button?!
Hooray for you, dd !!
The magic of Ninjas UNITE!!!!
SQUEEEEEEEEEE!! This post gave me the good kind of goosebumps and I grinned a lot as I read it!
And I feel like Amber, yanno. *And* now I am all like, "I helped the famous Woody Allen accordion lady move her stuff out of her apartment." Hahahahahaha! ;-)
Sometimes life in Paris is kinda cool. :D Many, many congratulations!
Total score! Loved this post. And what a great story to tell the born child. "This is why you became a football star. Because I continued to play the accordion. You owe me."
LOVE!!!
love it! hope to see you next week! xoxox
Fantastic news! (It's Joanna from LA) Love your blog post and the music and I'm very excited to see the movie.
Congratulations!
Your life just gets better and ever! Sort of how I imagine my Paris life. If I lived in Paris. Or was married. With a child. And had talent to spare! Now I have another reason to see the movie, which I was planning on seeing anyway.
Yeah, Karin, sometimes life in Paris is kinda cool. Rub it in, chica! But hey, I know the chick who helped the famous Woody Allen accordion lady move her stuff out of her apartment. Six degrees and all! ;-)
I've just seen the film and I never post comments in blogs. But the firts thing I've done when I arrived home is to search in internet who played that piece of music that impact me so much.
I've kept my breath as long as you hold that long beautiful note.
Thank you for the music and congratullations for your baby.
Congratulations! That is truly amazing... and it happened 'cause you're such a hard worker!
I'm always late with the news when I don't go to Facebook for months. This is so fantastic! :)
I always enjoy reading your blog and am glad to see things working out for you.
Hi
Is there any way I can buy this music. It´s not on the soundtrack right?
/Jon
Hi KFD!
Are there any way to get your version of "Parlez Moi d'Amour". It's for private use. Since I saw Midnight in Paris I've been thinking that is the perfect music for the picture and the city.
Thank you very much and regards from Spain!
There's no official soundtrack release for this film but if you leave me your email I can send you the track if you like for personal use. :) xx Dana
Dana, it would be perfect if you send me that wonderful version :) I'll thank you very much 'cause I couldn't take it off of my mind in two days since I saw the film on the theatre.
Seriously, I love your 'cosmopolitan' vision of classic french music for accordion.
xx Alvaro :)
alvarodominguezv@gmail.com
PS Sorry for any mistakes :S
Your version of "parlez moi d'amour" is stunning!! If there is any way I could access it just for personal listening purposes, that would be outstanding! And now that I know your music, I would love to see you in the Big Apple sometime.
If it is possible to hear that track, my e-mail address is byronohanlon92@safe-mail.net
Your accordion version of "parlez moi d'amour" is absolutely stunning!! Is there any way I can get access to that recording just for personal listening purposes, because I've searched far and wide for it! Now that I know your music, I hope to see you in the Big Apple sometime in the future. Keep it up!
-Byron O'Hanlon
P.S. - i just read the comment where you said you could e-mail the track. If you would be willing to do that, my e-mail is byronohanlon92@safe-mail.net. Thank you so much!!!
Hello Wonderful Dana! please I've just seen the movie in my country, and I fall in love with your version of Parlez Moi d'Amour! It makes me really happy every time my ears reach the sound of the acordion and wow! I think it's happiness in a melody, if you could send me your version I would be honor, it's for private use only, it woul be great to take a walk arround at nigth and listen it all the time! please if you could share it you'll make me happier :D
my mail is fresiasuvi@gmail.com
Thanks any way for that magnificent melody.
I went to see the movie for a second time last night. I love it. I've been trying to find your version of Parlez Moi d'Amour all over the web with no luck:/ Would be fantastic if you could send it :) I have no intention to publish it or anything. I just want to enjoy it while working in the office:) If you decide to send it, my email is daydream@planet.ee
All the best to you! ;)
Well this explains why I can't find this track anywhere! I've listened to almost every version on iTunes with no luck! It's absolutely beautiful, and what an out of this world experience to be featured in a Woody Allen film! I know others have asked for a copy, and I don't mean to be a bother but if at all possible my email is ashmonsterrrr@gmail.com and I would be so thrilled to get a copy!
I have just been trying to track down every song to put together the soundtrack since there seems to be no official one out. Thank you :)
Oh, I am so glad I found this- I have also been looking for your beautiful version of Parlez Moi d'Amour. I couldn't find it anywhere either and would love to get it:
hbrown98@gmail.com . It is only for private use. I used youtube but didn't like any other version!
And what a great story for you and your child!
Hello Dana!
I´ve just just seen "Midnight in Paris" in Portugal and I would like to congratulate you as I have appreciated very much your version of Parlez Moi d'Amour! (I think that´s the sound of your accordion that I have listen also during the film, playing other themes). However I think there's no official soundtrack release for this film. It would be possible to receive from you the music you have played on "Midnight in Paris"? Thanking you in advance your kind attention! Keep the good work and (he)art! Carlos Borges Ferreira
I hope I'm not imposing asking if you could consider emailing me your version of Parlez-moi d'amour? I find it superb, and fully understand why Mr Allen has chosen it. Of course it would only be for my personal use.
My email address is: andre_socha@hotmail.com
Thank you for the great song for the wonderful movie.
Andre
Hi, as others before me I found your blog after hours of searching for the Midnight in Paris tune. I was so surprised to find an actual blog post about how it came to be! Your accordion interpretation of Parlez-moi d'amour seems to fit the movie even better than Sidney Bechet! It would be wonderful if you could send me the song, thanks so much for helping make that film great! my email is vlado91[at]yahoo.com
I spent hours trying to get Parlez Moi D'Amour, and here's your blog! Congrats for all of your achievements
If you could email me the track, that would be so splendid
haewona.love@gmail.com
Loved the film and your song!!!!! Could i get a copy for personal use (joshmoyersfilms@gmail.com) im a film student and was inspired by how well ur music set a mood :))
Loved the film and your song!!!!! Could i get a copy for personal use (joshmoyersfilms@gmail.com) im a film student and was inspired by how well ur music set a mood :))
Loved the film and your song!!!!! Could i get a copy for personal use (joshmoyersfilms@gmail.com) im a film student and was inspired by how well ur music set a mood :))
Whats the name of the accordion theme on the scene of Wilson and Cotillard walking togheter by midnight, its a very slow theme
I kinda like this episode.
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OMG what a fantastic story!
Isn't it amazing how the best things in life happen by accident or chance!
OMG what a fantastic story!
Isn't it amazing how the best things in life happen by accident or chance!
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