Varèse Sarabande will release the I Am Big Bird – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack digitally June 30 and on CD July 31, 2015. The album features the original music composed by Joshua Johnson.
"Though Big Bird exists on Sesame Street, this film is not a Sesame Street film; it is a film about Caroll, the character Big Bird, and the love between Caroll and his wife Deb," said Johnson. "The music is the perfect accompaniment to the emotions throughout the movie," said Spinney. "My wife Deb and I listen to the soundtrack on our travels."
"There was a big emphasis put on making themes for both Caroll and Big Bird, and I remember trying a handful before we settled into the two main themes of the score: Caroll's theme (Prelude/Main Titles) and Big Bird's theme (Rise To Fame, Big Bird Peaks)," explained Johnson. There are aspects of the themes that are interchangeable, and that is intentional; Caroll and Big Bird are, essentially, the same."
"In the film, Frank Oz mentions that Caroll gives Big Bird's character a 'child-like innocence,'" Johnson explained. "This was particularly apparent to me throughout the scoring process, and I was careful to infuse that sense of wonderment, emotion, and sentimentality into the music of the film. I only hope I did Caroll and Big Bird justice!"
I Am Big Bird is currently available on iTunes, and will be in theaters across the US this summer.