User blog:Kuzlalala/Danny Jacob featured in Music-Related Magazine

Although late news is late, I want to tell this. Danny Jacob's being featured in the February issue of Music Connection Magazine. He even shared his phone number. *feels rather stalk-ish* Here's what I've got from a digital version:

You've probably heard the music of three-time Emmy-nominated composer and performer Danny Jacob even if you aren't a big fan of animation. Before he began doing the music for Disney's Phineas and Ferb TV show, as well as music for the movie Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension, Jacob was lending his guitar talents to major musical acts like Tower of Power, George Michael and Bette Midler. It is something he still does.

"My career as a guitar player made me more focused," Jacob says. "Focus" is, of course, a relative term in the Los Angeles music scene, and particularly in the world of animation. "You have to be versatile," Jacob points out. "In the cartoon world, one minute you're channeling Lord of the Rings and the next you're creating something silly. You have to able to do it all.

Each animated film is 11 minutes in length, which means Jacob has to wrap through themes very quickly, but that doesn't mean his cues are short. "It's music all the time," he notes. "All I do is set up for the jokes."

To prepare for his job, Jacob studied serious scores, especially those for the James Bond series. He learned by listening to other composers and genres, pointing to Passion of the Christ composer John Debney as a particular influence.

His music background also allowed him access to some big collaborations. Phineas and Ferb's rocking score has seen appearances by Slash of Guns N' Roses, Kate Pierson of B-52s and Aretha Franklin.

Jacob is a unique breed of composer, yet he still holds himself to the demands faced by any working musician. "Deadlines made me a good composer," he says. "Given deadlines, some people are going to crash and others are going to do their best work."