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BETTER TIMES
From the motion picture JACOB THE BAKER
FOR YOUR GRAMMY® CONSIDERATION IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:
BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENT AND VOCALS
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WATCH
THE SONG
BETTER TIMES
One of the highlights of the inspiring and thought-provoking motion picture JACOB THE BAKER (Amazon Prime) is its theme song BETTER TIMES. Written by Pulitzer- prize nominee Noah BenShea (lyrics) and award- winning composer Sharon Farber (music), BETTER TIME is a song of hope and encouragement in times when we all need it and a testament to the power of words, music, and the creativity of two artists who have come together as one to give the gift of comfort and uplifting to the listener.
Highly touched by Noah’s uplifting lyrics, Sharon brought to life a journey of emotions that leaves the listener yearning for more: More hope, more encouragement, in other words - BETTER TIMES
Sung by Sharon’s daughter, Eden, BETTER TIMES was recorded when Eden was only 11, portraying emotional maturity and vocal chops way beyond her years.
The song brought about a unique collaboration between mother and daughter that can be heard in and between the notes. Knowing her daughter’s vocal abilities, Sharon directed Eden through the soft, gentle parts as well as the belting and whistle notes.
It was truly an inspiring recording session.
Spirit of David gospel choir was invited to lend their outstanding voices to the song, and mixing engineer Michael Stern added his magical touch, bringing the song to the highest level.
BETTER TIMES music video, directed by the film’s director Gev Miron, captured the uplifting message of the song, creating a mystical and visually stunning landscape that conveyed the spirit of the song.
Noah benShea, lyrics
Noah benShea is one of North America’s most respected and beloved poet-philosophers. He is the international best-selling author of 30 books translated into 18 languages and embraced around the world. He is a scholar and theologian who has spoken to numerous prestigious universities, America’s biggest brand companies, and famed institutions including: The Library of Congress, and the US Department of Defense. He has been published by Oxford University Press and the World Bible Society in Jerusalem. And in his new feature film, Jacob the Baker - www.JacobtheBaker.com - now streaming on all the major platforms, and based on his historic book series, Noah benShea is described as “a national treasure."
From Noah benShea:
״The song BETTER TIMES is a beautiful song, beautifully written and beautifully sung, inviting you to come home to hope. And never, never has there been a time when hope is more needed by all of us. And when BETTER TIMES sings to us, WOW! In its last line, when you come hom eot hope…”The song of life has now been sung”. Amen!
Sharon Farber, Music
GRAMMY® winning, Four - time Emmy® Award Nominated, A member of the Executives Committees of both the Motion Pictures and TV Academies, ASCAP Board member, Winner of the Society of Composers and Lyricists Award for “Outstanding work in the Art of Film Music” and nominee for the SCL award for BEST SONG FOR A DRAM”, the Visionary Award in Music by The Women’s International Film & Television Showcase, winner of the Telly Award, and ASCAP Composer Choice Award nominee, Sharon Farber is a celebrated Film, TV and concert music composer.
She has been working with networks /cable broadcasters like NBC, CBS, Showtime, Lifetime and the WB as well as writing music for feature films. Sharon is one of 8 female composers featured on the Grammy Award® winning album “Women Warriors- The Voices of Change”. The International Film Music Critics Association wrote: "Composer Sharon Farber wowed the crowd with a suite of music from three of her scores: "Children of the Fall", When Nietzsche Wept" and "The Dove Flyer"...
In the concert music world, Sharon has many national and international credits to her name, including The Los Angeles Master Chorale, The Northwest Sinfonietta, Juilliard School of Music and many more.
From Sharon Farber:
"Sometimes, you truly feel inspired. As soon as I was introduced to the legendary Noah benShea, I knew that the music and song for Jacob the Baker would be different from anything I’ve ever composed before. Jacob’s spirit was everywhere and BETTER TIMES, which was written and arranged in two days, conveys Jacob’s wisdom, wrapped in the warmth of lyrics and music."
Eden Kontesz, Singer
13 years old Eden Kontesz is a singer/actress who has already made a name for herself in Hollywood. Eden has been performing in concerts, shows, TV, sporting events, musicals and galas since she was 5, in venues such as the Beverly Hilton, The Saban theater (Beverly Hills), the Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA and more.
Eden, who has a perfect pitch, was featured as a soloist in Director Catherine Hardwicke’s (“Twilight”) series “Don’t Look Deeper”.
At age 9, Eden participated as a lead singer in a global project for Corona Relief- a collaboration between OSCAR® winner iconic songwriter Diane Warren, composer Sharon Farber, Director Gev Miron and the United Nations. The project featured lead singers from 6 continents and an orchestra/choir of 200 musicians.
From Eden Kontesz:
״Recording BETTER TIMES- the words, the notes, the harmony-everything that makes this song so powerful- was one of the highlights of my career. Although I’ve performed the song numerus times, it never fails to make me and the audience emotional. Time and time again I witness how much it impacts the listeners and I know they will remember the message it conveys for a long time.
Collaborating with my mom was another highlight, along with working with Noah and with director Gev Miron, filming the music video. It was an absolute pleasure and I look forward to many more collaborations like this one.״
Gev Miron,
Director
Film & Music Video
Award-winning director Gev Miron has been directing and producing projects that range from commercials and narratives to documentaries and virtual reality. He has helmed many projects for major international clients, featuring well known talent such as Gal Gadot, Denise Richards, Brian Austin Green, Tom Cruise, Gordon Ramsay, UFC announcer Bruce Buffer and others. Together with the immersive entertainment studio STX-Surreal, Gev produced and directed content for some of the largest studios in the world including: YouTube, Facebook, Nickelodeon, Universal Pictures and FOX. He developed and produced content for the launch of YouTube’s 360 platform featuring Snoop Dogg.
Among some of his works are a virtual reality experience for Universal Pictures featuring Tom Cruise, an immersive series for Facebook with world famous chefs Gordon Ramsay and Wolfgang Puck, as well as content for The Oscars®, The Golden Globe® Awards, The PGA Pro-Am Tour, The Grammy® Awards, The Primetime Emmy® Awards and more.
In 2017, he won the Real-Time Academy’s 9th Annual Shorty Award for Best 360 Video for the production of the 68th Emmy® Awards in 360, together with host Jimmy Kimmel and Executive Producer for the Emmy’s Don Mischer.
Credits
"BETTER TIMES"
Lyrics By NOAH BENSHEA
Music By SHARON FARBER
Arranged and Produced By SHARON FARBER
Performed By EDEN KONTESZ
Mixed By MICHAEL STERN, C.A.S
Piano SHARON FARBER
Guitar MICHAEL STERN
Drums TAL BERGMAN
Gospel Choir SPIRIT OF DAVID GOSPEL CHOIR
Choir Musical Director PATRICK BOLTON
Recorded At ARDENT AUDIO PRODUCTION
Recording Engineer RICH WENZEL
Assistant Engineer TYRONE NIBBLETT
Better times music video Directed by GEV MIRON
Executive Produced by NOAH BENSHEA
Executive Produced by SUMMER XINLEI YANG
Produced by NOAH BENSHEA
Produced by SUMMER XINLEI YANG
Produced by WENCHUN "CATHERINE” CHENG
Produced by SHARON FARBER
Designed by GraphicMad