Composer Mark McKenzie’s film score to MAX AND ME has been voted by the International Film Music Critics Association as BEST ORIGINAL ANIMATED SCORE OF THE YEAR winning over Michael Giacchino’s INCREDIBLES 2, Alexandre Desplat’s ISLE OF DOGS, and Daniel Pemberton’s SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE.

MAX AND ME was also nominated as BEST SCORE OF THE YEAR by the IFMCA along with Ludwig Göransson’s BLACK PANTHER, Justin Hurwitz’s FIRST MAN, Marc Shaiman’s MARY POPPINS, and John Powell’s SOLO.

Thank you to Dos Corazones and Sony Classical for the congratulatory add on the inside back cover of Variety’s final Oscar issue. Thank you also to the IFMCA critics who wrote positively about the music. We are very happy to see Polish priest Maximilian Kolbe’s sacrificial love at Auschwitz honored.

Maximillian Kolbe, tortured at Auschwitz asked those around him to not be overcome with hatred but to love for “Only love is creative.” His compassion lead him to sacrificially die in Auschwitz’s starvation bunker to help a man with children survive. The film makers, musicians and I wish for this message of hope, love, and beauty will be enjoyed by many and spread widely. A portion of each sale goes to the Shoa Foundation, Word Vision and Catholic Relief Services. The Sony Masterworks soundtrack is available everywhere digital music is sold. Max and Me is dedicated to the memory of choral master and mentor Robert Salvatore Ruberto 1932-2016.

A sincere thank you to those who performed the music and those who made it possible; Joshua Bell, conductor Gordon Johnson, Robert Prizeman and the Libera Boys Choir, Isobel Griffith and the London symphony orchestra, Ben Parry, Terry Edwards and the London Voices, soloist Clara Sanabras, boy soprano Issac Thomas engineers Peter Cobbin and Armin Steiner, music editor Marc Perlman and copyist Gregg Nestor. Thank you to Producer Pablo Barroso, writer and director Bruce Morris, Associate producer Claudia Nemr, animators Paty García Peña, and Gregorio Núñez.

“A triumphant ravishing masterwork…finest film music yet for 2018” American Music Preservation
“Transcendent…an incredible tour de force.” Ave Maria Radio
“Staggeringly beautiful…score of the year” Movie Music UK
“Boundless expression of joy…score of the year” Movie-wave.net
“Tender, heartfelt, soaring, gorgeous…score of the year” Score Zone
“profound…inspiring and haunting…stunningly beautiful.” Movie Music International
“You’re going to have goosebumps…one of the best scores of the year.” Cinematic Sound
“An ode to symphonic beauty…do not miss this celebration of life and love” Soundtrack Dreams
Brought to tears…the more I hear it the more I believe it is a truly theophanic work.” The Click Track

MAX AND ME

1. I Am (w/ Joshua Bell on violin) 1:13
2. Two Crowns Vision 1:22
3. Head in the Clouds Over You 2:16
4. You Could be Anything 2:44
5. In the Trenches 2:29
6. If You Are So Intelligent Why Don’t You Believe? 5:22
7. Ask and it Will Be Given to You 1:25
8. When I’m Saying Me I Mean You   :51
9. Dare To Dream Bigger  1:51
10. A Mother’s Prayer (w/ Joshua Bell on violin) 3:10
11. Dapper Duds   1:50
12. Sunset Hug 1:49
13. I’m Sorry 3:02
14. Nazi Brutality 3:17
15. Prayer For Peace 3:40
16. Auschwitz Cries  2:56
17. Only Love is Creative 2:37
18. I Love You (w/ Joshua Bell on violin) 4:00
19. Triumph Over Fear   3:20
20. He Was Always With Me 1:50
21. I Believe in You 4:12
22. Heaven’s Welcome 2:28

Violin Soloist: Joshua Bell
Soundtrack Available on Sony Masterworks
Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London
Recording Engineer: Peter Cobbin
Mixed at 21st Century Fox Newman Scoring Stage
Mixing Engineer: Armin Steiner
Conductor: Gordon Johnson
Choir:  London Voices
Chorus Masters: Terry Edwards and Ben Parry
Solo Vocalist:  Clara Sanabras
Boys Choir: Libera
Libera Choir Director: Robert Prizeman
Orchestra Leader: Thomas Bowes
Piano: Dave Arch
Boy Soloist: Issac London
Wooden Recorders: Helen Keen
Guitar: John Parricelli
Orchestra Contractor: Isobel Griffiths
Assistant Orchestra Contractor: Susie Gillis
Supervising Music & Scoring Editor: Marc S Perlman MPSE
Additional Music Editing:  David Lai
Music Preparation: Gregg Nestor
Mastering Engineer: Patricia Sullivan
Assistant Recording Engineer: John Barrett
Assistant Mixing Engineer: Christine Russell

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Composer Mark McKenzie’s film score to MAX AND ME has been honored with the Sammy Award as BEST ANIMATED SCORE OF THE YEAR. View  The Sammy Awards are the longest running awards for film music recordings and is named after the famed 4 time Oscar winning lyricist Sammy Cahn. It is awarded by FILM MUSIC REVIEW which also has the most detailed and carefully researched review of MAX AND ME written by Steve Vertlieb. View

Polish priest Maximillian Kolbe, tortured at Auschwitz asked those around him to not be overcome with hatred but to love for “Only love is creative.” His compassion lead him to sacrificially die in Auschwitz’s starvation bunker to help a man with children survive. The film makers, musicians and I wish for this message of hope, love, and beauty will be enjoyed by many and spread widely. A portion of each sale goes to the Shoa Foundation, Word Vision and Catholic Relief Services. The Sony Masterworks soundtrack is available everywhere digital music is sold. Max and Me is dedicated to the memory of choral master and mentor Robert Salvatore Ruberto 1932-2016.

A warm thank you to those who performed the music and those who made the music possible; Joshua Bell, conductor Gordon Johnson, Robert Prizeman and the Libera Boys Choir, Isobel Griffith and the London symphony orchestra, Ben Parry, Terry Edwards and the London Voices, soloist Clara Sanabras, boy soprano Issac Thomas engineers Peter Cobbin and Armin Steiner, music editor Marc Perlman and copyist Gregg Nestor. Thank you to Producer Pablo Barroso, writer and director Bruce Morris, Associate producer Claudia Nemr, animators Paty García Peña, and Gregorio Núñez.

[liner_player id=”125,119,110,132,115,129″]

Composer Mark McKenzie’s film score to MAX AND ME has been nominated by the International Film Music Critics Association as the 2018 BEST FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR along with Ludwig Göransson’s BLACK PANTHER, Justin Hurwitz’s FIRST MAN, Marc Shaiman’s MARY POPPINS and John Powell’s SOLO. MAX AND ME has also been nominated as BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FILM by the IFMCA. The composer is grateful to the many fine film music journalists and critics from the international community, many of whom are composers in their own right.

Polish priest Maximillian Kolbe, tortured at Auschwitz asked those around him to not be overcome with hatred but to love for “Only love is creative.” His compassion lead him to sacrificially die in Auschwitz’s starvation bunker to help a man with children survive. The film makers, musicians and I wish for this message of hope, love, and beauty will be enjoyed by many and spread widely. A portion of each sale goes to the Shoa Foundation, Word Vision and Catholic Relief Services. The Sony Masterworks soundtrack is available everywhere digital music is sold. Max and Me is dedicated to the memory of choral master and mentor Robert Salvatore Ruberto 1932-2016.

A warm thank you to those who performed the music and those who made the music possible; Joshua Bell, conductor Gordon Johnson, Robert Prizeman and the Libera Boys Choir, Isobel Griffith and the London symphony orchestra, Ben Parry, Terry Edwards and the London Voices, soloist Clara Sanabras, boy soprano Issac Thomas engineers Peter Cobbin and Armin Steiner, music editor Marc Perlman and copyist Gregg Nestor. Thank you to Producer Pablo Barroso, writer and director Bruce Morris, Associate producer Claudia Nemr, animators Paty García Peña, and Gregorio Núñez.