Alex Watrous is proud to
announce his new business Preserving Nostalgia.
Located in Bristol, Rhode Island, the multi-media firm digitally
converts VHS, 8mm film, photo negatives, cassette tapes,
and slides. 'We restore and archive all your precious memories,'
says Alex. Visit
the website now!
In 2011, Alex
Watrous released the acclaimed keyboard-based dreamscape
score for the film 'I
Can Fix This' that evokes the early '70s classical
masterworks of Walter Carlos (Switched-On Bach / A Clockwork
Orange) and the avant-garde musings of Philip Glass (Songs
from Liquid Days). The soundtrack is a family affair. 'I
Can Fix This' was directed by brother Elisha Watrous, and
the track 'Death Is Not Forever' features vocals by sister
Esther Watrous. The original motion picture soundtrack album
was placed on the Official Ballot for the 54th Annual
Grammy Awards by The Recording Academy in multiple
categories.
This was Al Gomes and Connie Watrous' very first creative project together.
Stream or Buy 'I Can Fix This' now!
The Recording
Alex Watrous : Piano, keyboard synth, all arrangements
Song sequencing by Al Gomes and Connie Watrous
Recorded at Watrous Brothers Studio, Warren, RI
All songs composed by Alex Watrous
The Recording Academy placed
Alex Watrous and 'I Can Fix This :
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'
on the Official Ballot for the
54th Annual Grammy Awards
in the following categories:
Album of the Year
'I Can Fix This : Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'
Producer / Engineer / Mixer : Alexander Watrous
Mastering Engineers : Tony Ricci and Phil Greene
Art Directors : A. Michelle and Al Gomes
Photographers and Illustrators : Rebecca Fontes,
Alexander Watrous and Juji Watrous
Executive Producer : Connie Watrous
A&R Direction : Al Gomes
Best New Artist
Alex Watrous
Best Pop Solo Performance
Alex Watrous - 'Fix it' and 'Rainy Summer'
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
'I Can Fix This : Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'
Best Song Written for Visual Media
Alex Watrous and Esther Watrous -
'Death Is Not Forever'
Songwriter : Alex Watrous
Best Short Form Music Video
'Slipping'
Directors : Alex Watrous, Elisha Watrous
and Ron Sadlier
Producer : Alex Watrous
- Watch the video for 'Slipping'
and the trailer for the film -
Filmography, clips, songs,
photos, news, contact info,
press, CD and DVD purchase, merchandise, and more
Filmmaker and Composer
Alex Watrous hails from the state of Rhode Island.
From a young age, he appreciated listening to music. He
loved repetitive noises, beats and patterns. His mother
remembers the times in the car where he would be kicking
the back seat to the music, humming along to the songs.
As he grew older, he gained more of an interest in instruments.
When it was time to decide whether to play baseball like
his older brother or learn the piano, he chose the piano.
Four and a half years of practicing
songs and learning the notes didn't do much for his creativity,
but did serve as a base for his future in music. It wasn't
until a year after he stop taking lessons that he began
to write pieces of his own. The music flowed through his
fingers. The songs he wrote were from his heart.
These songs he memorized through
and through. Each song had its own story, its own background,
and mood. The songs helped him get through tough times in
his life. In freshman year of high school, he completed
his first album of original compositions. It was a group
of sixteen songs that had been waiting to be recorded for
years.
Being the ambitious young man
he was, he brought CDs of his music to school to try and
sell to other students. He went on to make a second album
the next summer, with more songs he had written that he
had not yet recorded. He spent a good whole year after that
summer perfecting the sounds that he had to work with to
create yet a third album that would sound closer to the
way he envisioned.
After trying out for a few bands,
he realized quickly that his talents were better suited
for cinematic and film purposes. He wanted to use these
emotions in a setting that would be appreciated because
classical music is less appreciated today.
Just before his last year of
high school, he sat down with his older brother, Elisha
Watrous, and wrote a script for a movie that they filmed,
produced and sold DVDs of at their big world premiere in
Pawtucket, RI. The movie featured all tracks and score written
by Alexander. He spent three months editing the film, and
weeks working on the musical score of the movie. This is
where he found that his talents were best put to good use.
Since then the brothers have written,
directed and produced dozens of short films including 'I
Can Fix This,' and Alexander now sees his future completely
immensed in the world of moviemaking.
A few
words with Alex about his music
Give us a one-paragraph description
of your compositions:
I can only describe my music as a moment in time. Every
piece that I write is separate and to its own. Each song
is a different emotion or feeling that I have had, expressed
through my music. Thoughts of joy or sadness - all depending
on my mood. I like to be able to capture a moment and share
it with the world. So I find that my music can be easily
translated among many kinds of different people.
People who like my music
are people who listen to soundtracks and instrumentals.
People who let music touch them the most are most likely
to be affected by my music. I have had many people come
up to me and tell me that they could feel a strong emotion
within themselves when listening to me play. It brings me
happiness to hear them speak those words.
What makes your music different?
What makes my music different is the style of music I compose.
I don't try to be a classical composer, or a singer/pianist.
I play from the heart and stay away from being too concerned
about the details and techniques, and just let loose and
break rules. I find this is where true inspiration comes
from.
How and when you started
loving making music, why is it important for you to connect
with music and film fans, and what do you have to offer
them as an artist?
I feel it is important to show other people that it is possible
to live your dreams. I started recording and performing
all on my own without anyone's help. There was never anyone
standing behind me telling me what to do. I have met a lot
of talented people along the way, but not everyone has the
determination to put themselves out there and fulfill there
dreams. I believe that anyone can do anything they set their
minds to, regardless of any problem that stands in their
way. So I wish to be an example, and hopefully ten years
down the road, I will still be doing what I love.
Filmmaker Alex Watrous
Lands Where Water and Fire Meet
Rhode Island College News
'I think sitting around a fire
at night creates a sense of community. It's something human
beings have been doing since the beginning of time,' said
RIC film major Alex Watrous.
Last semester, the junior had
the good fortune of landing an internship at WaterFire Providence,
one of the most popular public art spectacles in the state.
Created by RIC honorary degree recipient Barnaby
Evans '00, WaterFire Providence comes alive in the evening
with over 80 bonfires lighting up the downtown rivers. The
event has lured over 10 million visitors and was cited by
the Providence Journal as 'the most popular work of art
created in the capital city's 371-year history.' But turning
basins into full blaze, adding torch-lit vessels and mesmerizing
music and managing massive crowds along the bridges takes
a full-time staff and hundreds of volunteers.
Last semester when WaterFire
was looking for an intern to produce film and audio, Watrous'
advisor, Associate Professor Vincent Bohlinger, suggested
he apply. Bohlinger told him that Tim Labonte would be running
the internship. Labonte is associate media producer of WaterFire
and a former student of Bohlinger's who graduated from RIC
in 2007 with a film studies degree.
'Tim actually interviewed a
bunch of kids from different colleges and universities,'
Watrous said. 'But he wanted someone who had a lot of experience
behind the camera.'
At only 20, Watrous has already
shot over 80 short films. He has also been a freelance photographer
for East Bay News and produced promotional films for a local
nonprofit. His kinetic energy is not only physical but audible
in the rapid-fire way he speaks.
'My older brother and I started making films in 2010, my senior year in high school. The first one was a post-apocalyptic action flick about kids who are left to fend for themselves after all the adults die from a disease. We shot part of it in a factory in Pawtucket and premiered it there. About 100 people came to see it. Even the Valley Breeze did a write-up on it. It was a cool first project.'
Since then, Watrous and his brother have made two
short films a month. They also created a Rhode Island film
festival so that other filmmakers could share their own work.
'We accepted kids who had been in the film business for
a while as well as newbies,' he said. 'On average, we premiered
half-a-dozen to a dozen entries a month. We charged $2 for
tickets, plus we sold candy. I bought additional cameras
and lighting equipment from the ticket sales.'
By the time Watrous was hired
by WaterFire Providence, he was more than prepared for the
long hours of a cameraman. His job included setting up and
filming events, learning audio engineering and mixing, filming
and editing for WaterFire's promotional needs and creatively
capturing the mood of each event.
'Alex was an extremely hard
worker,' said Labonte. 'He was by my side at every weekend
event from 6 am to 2 am. He was, and still is, one of the
best workers I've seen come through WaterFire's doors. I
am very thankful to Professor Bohlinger for sending him.'
Watrous said he isn't sure where his camera will take him after RIC. 'I know I want to stay in Rhode Island. I know my strength is the technical side of filmmaking, and I like the idea of a film festival,' he said. 'I admire the way Barnaby took an idea he liked and turned it into something big. Today, other states in the U.S., and even other countries, want their own WaterFire, but Barnaby has it trademarked so you have to work through him. I like the idea of connecting filmmakers with each other and providing a community service. Who knows? Starting a film festival on a large scale might be a nice gig.'
