Frank Fitzpatrick

Francis Edward Fitzpatrick (born April 13, 1961 in Detroit, Michigan) is a social entrepreneur, composer and award-winning music producer. As the founder and director of the non-profit EarthTones, he has been an advocate for the empowerment of youth, conscious leadership and a more compassionate global society, using popular music and film to support arts, health and education programs.

Fitzpatrick has also worked as a record producer, songwriter, and filmmaker.

Early career

Fitzpatrick's professional career began in Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan. While attending the University of Michigan's music and business schools, he worked for Eclipse Jazz and Major Events, producers of live shows. Fitzpatrick also performed as a guitarist and hosted his own radio show, Jazz 'Round Midnight on WCBN-FM. Through Eclipse Jazz, he helped host a series of educational workshops with many of the performing artists including Ornette Coleman and Dave Brubeck.

Fitzpatrick relocated to Los Angeles in 1983 to work for record producer Richard Perry of Planet Records' and Studio 55. Productions included the Pointer Sisters' multi-platinum Break Out album and Julio Iglesias' debut English-language duets with Diana Ross and Willie Nelson. Fitzpatrick expanded into film music by working as a music editor for the film composer Georges Delerue, going on to co-produce a 3-CD orchestral retrospective of Delerue's film scores titled, The London Sessions.^[1] Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, the collection included "Between You and Me" performed by Carl Anderson and co-written by Fitzpatrick and Delerue as the original title track for Bruce Baresford's Her Alibi.

In 1989, Fitzpatrick formed the studio group Hidden Faces with writing/producing partner David Kitay. Although Kitay left the group, Fitzpatrick continued to create some of his original soundtracks and recordings under the name Hidden Faces, on soundtrack releases for Nuns on the Run, Highway to Hell, Breaking the Rules and Friday.

Music career

Film career

In 2001, Fitzpatrick directed and produced the short film Jungle Jazz: Public Enemy #1, which premiered at the 2001 Berlin International Film Festival, winning The Silver Bear Award for best Short Film.^[8] The film played at several festivals around the world, winning additional awards in Sydney, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Kansas City and Santa Cruz.^[9][10] In 2007, Fitzpatrick completed his first animated short film The Rebel Angel.^[11]

Founder of the non-profit arts organization EarthTones, Fitzpatrick has created themes and music campaigns for many socially conscious and charitable media projects. These include, Reflections, (directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood) an AIDS awareness film which premiered on Black Entertainment Television (BET) and was distributed to high schools throughout the U.S.,^[12] Just Like You, a song and video collaboration with Middle Eastern rapper Rayess Bek broadcast as part of a United Nations sponsored peace initiative.^[13]

Social career

Fitzpatrick has teamed up with other international leaders and organizations to create influential social projects like: A Prayer for Freedom^[14] - A collaboration with humanitarian photographer Lisa Kristine, for the Enslaved Exhibitions^[15] and End Slavery Campaign^[16] led by Pope Francis; Just Like You – a United Nations sponsored project bringing awareness to the growing handicapped population resulting from weapons of war in the Middle East; Be On Our Way^[17]– an awareness and fundraising campaign to help build sustainable homes for victims of Hurricane Katrina, in collaboration with Miramax Films and Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation; Yoga Revolution – a CD series and national awareness campaign to help fund yoga and fitness programs for at-risk youth; and Beat the World – an international collaboration between the world's top conscious Hip Hop artists^[18] and dance crews spanning over 20 countries.

In 2012, Fitzpatrick was a Delegate at the Skoll Foundation's annual Skoll World Forum^[19] in Oxford, where he was joined by thought leaders, philanthropists and heads of foundations, corporations and governments all gathered to connect and collaborate on new ways to use Social Entrepreneurship to address global challenges.^[20]

In 2012, Fitzpatrick helped facilitate Singularity University's inaugural Hollywood Executive Program.^[21] Along with special guests, including filmmakers Neal Baer and Paul Lazaradus, he led a program for Singularity University’s 2012 graduates and international alumni introducing The Technologies of Emotion, a subject that would become the centerpiece of several international talks to follow, including TEDxFIAP.^[22] In the same year, he was named as a delegate to the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship.

In the Autumn of 2012, Fitzpatrick launched the WHY Music Campaign^[23] to help people better understand and apply the benefits of music for health, education and human relations. WHY Music began with a series of articles in the Huffington Post, and expanded to include a series of live talks, round tables, and workshops.

In 2013, Fitzpatrick introduced The Seven Faces of Music^[24] in his TEDx^[25] keynote at San Diego State University. His original concept using metaphor, stories and animated characters to communicate the power of music and how it can support us in all the areas of our lives, later became the curriculum framework for his WHY Music In Schools^[26] pilot program for underserved youth.

Fitzpatrick was nominated for the Gift Citizen Award^[27] at the 2013 Ciudad de Las Ideas in Puebla, Mexico for the WHY Music project's potential to positively impact the lives of 10 million people.

In 2014, his organization EarthTones partnered with the Singularity University Labs^[28] to support the WHY Music initiatives through the development of exponential technologies.

He presented a workshop to world leaders in Health and Technology on the application of Music, Meditation and Movement ("the 3M Revolution")^[29] as alternative and preventive therapies for health and wellness at the 2014 Exponential Medicine Conference.^[30]

In 2016, Fitzpatrick collaborated with humanitarian photographer Lisa Kristine to create the inspirational video A Prayer for Freedom, part of the End Slavery Campaign initiated by Pope Francis and a coalition of spiritual leaders from around the world.^[14] The video premiered at the Vatican in Rome, the House of Lords in Westminster, and opening of the Enslaved Exhibition at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Ohio.^[15]

Fitzpatrick created and piloted the first music-based Social and Emotional Learning program for at-risk middle school students at the LAUSD Incubator School in Los Angeles, collaborating with a number of leading experts and organizations including Arts and Services for the Disabled. The pilot program was called WHY Music In Schools.^[31]

As part of his commitment to integrate advanced technology with mindfulness and social impact programs, Fitzpatrick helped facilitate the inaugural Digital Raign AV/VR Leadership summit^[32] at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California.

Awards and accolades

In 2001, Fitzpatrick received the Silver Bear Award from the Berlin International Film Festival for his short film Jungle Jazz: Public Enemy #1.^[33] The film also received top prizes at film festivals in Australia and Brazil.^[34]

In 2010, Fitzpatrick's song “Soul Music”, performed by Anthony Hamilton, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance. In 2013, Fitzpatrick was honored as a Gifted Citizen by Ciudad de Las Ideas for his development of the WHY Music Initiative.^[35]

References

External links

• Official website
• Frank Fitzpatrick's Non-Profit, EarthTones
• Yoga Revolution, Produced by Frank Fitzpatrick
• Frank Fitzpatrick on IMDb