A Collaborative
Who is The Next Humanity?
In order to learn who are the people behind the music, we need to answer what is The Next Humanity.
It is not simple or easy to write the obligatory bio of an artistic collaborative. That is what The Next Humanity is. It is like revealing the ingredients of a recipe, while trying to reach for the taste, without being able to begin to describe that combination. One may be inclined to just use lots of adjectives. But no, collaboratives are meant to be experienced. We hope you like the taste.
Bill Mullin, Producer >
The Next Humanity extends beyond a musical group, though music is the primary medium for the stories, messages and impressions within the overall experience. The work took on a theatrical nature with a narrative, giving greater context to reach for the meaningful. This experience was not mapped out after a big-bang inspiration. More like the early explorer’s expeditions, the map was revealed in the evolving journey. Following the lyrics and story imagery via the VISION BOOK Musical Playbill (digital and hard copy versions for VIP & V-VIP members) becomes an added dimension of the experience. Get tactile with the Collector’s Edition 3 Vinyl Record Set and Vision Book together. .
As a collaborative, The Next Humanity assembly of cast and crew create a synergy to have the work gain a life of its own. The origin of the work starts with Bill Mullin, who is a life-long producer of marketing campaigns, music for media application, tech solution application dev and creative living. From his song writing, he’s found orchestrators and arrangers to complement the intended emotional moments to portray.
Ric Flauding was a gifted orchestrator, having studied cinema scoring and performed arranging for jazz artists like David Benoit, John Patitucci, Eric Marienthal and Russell Ferrante. As a jazz guitarist he played with key contemporary figures; Bob James, Richard Elliot, Rick Braun and Michel Camilo. Bill and Ric met through a mutual client of each other’s music, the Campus Crusade for Christ. Bill offered to license Ric’s music into media and from that grew a friendship. Twenty years later, they reconnected with one song Bill had co-written with an old bandmate, Mark Burton. Ric wrote an engaging string chart for “Reminding Me Of You”, that told them they really should work together more.
Carl Marsh was contacted by Bill when the first session loomed and Ric was busy with the six numbers he was given. Bill had another song to tag on to the session. It was the slow reopening time, coming out of the pandemic. Carl was available and was receptive to the tune. While the recording session took a break to prepare for “Alison”, Carl came through the control room. As he entered the studio, Kent Hooper, a leading orchestral engineer in Nashville, leaned over to Bill and said “You didn’t tell me you had Carl too! Fifteen years ago he owned this town.” Well, Carl’s interpretation showed he could still own it. While Bill thanked Carl at the end of the session, Carl remarked, how Bill had a good sense of melody and had very poetic lyrics, adding he should come back to Nashville to “run with the big dogs”. That southern kindness was the inspiration for the song “One of a Kindness”. Pat Coil was one of those big dogs who would join Bill’s collaboration.
Pat Coil, Piano Arranger >
Bad News
Phillip Keveren, Conductor & Orchestrator
Very suddenly the completion of what was shaping up to be an album project came to a screeching halt with the news that Ric suffered a massive heart attack and died. This was devastating news to Bill. The only thing to do was document his response to Ric’s passing in a song titled “Brokenhearted Rejoicing”.
Numerous people who knew Ric came around to introduce others who Bill could work with to pick up where Ric and he had left off. Phillip Keveren was suggested by the orchestra leader David Angell. Phillip was given Brokenhearted and he made it take off. Later, Bill imagined it as a vocal group spotlight to make it complete, with Tim Davis casting. The instrumental arrangement made it’s mark and Bill was back on track. Phillip would conduct the next sessions.
Robin A. Smith was also brought to Bill’s attention from a fellow Ric Flauding associate who had worked with him and the Bucharest Orchestra. That contact knew an orchestrator in England named Robin A. Smith who had worked for Tony Visconti, the legendary producer of David Bowie, T-Rex & Roxy Music, who led Robin to The Moody Blues and Stevie Wonder. Bill had no song immediately ready, so he wrote lyrics for one of Robin’s solo songs as an introduction. Robin was touched by how suitable it was and so, “Lullaby for a Little Boy” was their first collaboration. At the end of two more numbers together, Robin wrote Bill as the songs came from mixing, “It’s been beyond a pleasure… really. I have felt like a McDonald’s employee at times now with low creativity in the industry. You, however, are what it’s all about”. You see? What happens inside a collaborative becomes a mutual admiration society.
It gets better.
Bill was shopping a smaller studio than Ocean Way’s big orchestral floor, to assist a Kansas City jazz pianist with a trio. Bill called Kent to find he was helping a studio get back online that had sold during the pandemic. Bill asked for any demo of the piano and received a video of Pat Coil playing at Wildwood Studio. Having both of Pat’s early Sheffield Labs records, produced by Lyle Mays, Bill immediately inquired if Pat would be interested in smaller ensemble pieces. Boom, the magic ignited what you hear on the non-orchestra tracks with solo piano as well as trio treatments featuring Danny Gottlieb and Brian Allen. Pat also plays on several orchestra tracks.
Doug Thiesen, a long time friend and partner in the Signature music-for-media publishing business with Bill, consulted throughout the planning and creation, having 40+ years in music ministry and production.
Doug Thiesen, music quality assurance and spiritual guidance