Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Kurt Farquhar.
Television & Film Composer, Founder of Fall Crop Productions and True Music Pro
Notable Credits: The King of Queens, Girlfriends, The Parkers, Being Mary Jane, The Proud Family, The Neighborhood, Black Lightning
Awards: 10 BMI Awards
Tenure: 38+ years in television
Purpose of the Interview
The purpose of this interview is to educate and inspire creatives, entrepreneurs, and professionals about longevity, adaptability, and wealth-building behind the scenes. Kurt Farquhar’s journey highlights how sustainable success comes from mastery of craft, relationship-building, and treating creativity as a business—not chasing visibility or fame.
Rushion McDonald uses Kurt’s career as a blueprint for:
- Building mailbox money through residuals
- Staying relevant across decades of industry change
- Monetizing intellectual property
- Leveraging relationships to sustain opportunity
Core Themes Discussed
- Longevity vs. “getting on”
- Behind-the-scenes success
- Residual income (“mailbox money”)
- Adaptability in changing industries
- Creative originality
- Relationship capital
- Diversifying income through ownership
- Treating art like a business
Key Takeaways 1. Staying In Is Harder Than Getting In
While many focus on breaking into the industry, Kurt emphasizes that lasting success requires constant reinvention.
“The continuing it for the 30-plus years has been way harder than the getting in in the first.”
Insight: Longevity requires discipline, humility, and evolution.
2. Behind-the-Scenes Roles Can Be More Sustainable
Kurt chose composing over performing, allowing him to age into his career rather than age out of it.
“In television and film… all I’ve got to say is John Williams is in his 90s and still composing.”
Insight: Choose lanes that allow long-term relevance and recurring income.
3. Residual Income Is Real Wealth
Rushion and Kurt discuss “mailbox money”—recurring payments from past work.
“If you just had the mailbox money for King of Queens, you’d be fine.”
Insight: True financial freedom comes from owning work that keeps paying.
4. Adaptability Is Non‑Negotiable
Kurt has survived massive industry shifts—from analog tape to digital production—by embracing change.
“Sustain that good idea, change it, polish it up, and mold it for the changing times.”
Insight: Talent without adaptability becomes obsolete.
5. Originality Comes From Listening, Not Forcing a Style
Kurt avoids creative stagnation by serving the story, not his ego.
“I don’t come in every day trying to force the singular style I’ve done for 38 years.”
Insight: Longevity depends on collaboration and humility.
6. Relationships Are Career Currency
Kurt credits long-term success to consistently showing up for people—before they’re powerful.
“If you only call someone once you read they’ve got something coming up, it’s already too late.”
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to my show. I'm Rashon McDonald, a host of
Money Making Conversations Masterclass, where we encourage people to stop
reading other people's success stories and start planning your own. Now.
You don't want to miss an episode, so please take
a moment right now to follow or subscribe to Money
Making Conversations Masterclass. It's free. You can follow me on
the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
(00:22):
to your podcast. New Money Making Conversations Masterclass episodes drop daily.
I want to keep you on alert because my guests
provide tips on how you can uplift your community, improve
your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be
a successful entrepreneur. Now, let's get this podcast started. My
guest is a ten time BMI Award winner, four for
(00:43):
his work on the King of Queens, two for Being
Mary Jane which was on b ET, three for the Neighborhood,
and one for the Game. His Far Crop Production is
a full service music for picture company. They offer music composition,
music vision, music editing, music clearance and usage. Are over
(01:04):
ten thousand plus songs in his library. Please welcome to
Money Making Conversations Magic Last allegend a star far call.
How are you doing, Kirk?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Too good to be true? How about yourself?
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Don't go to the Kirk. It's been like I think
twenty eighteen last time I was able to sit you
down and interview you about your success. Man, you're a
very special brother man in the industry. So as we
can start tell people exactly what you do, Kirk.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Well, I've started out as a composer for television. Means
I write the themed songs and underscore for numerous TV
shows going all the way back to Mosha and the
Parkers and Girlfriends and one on one and stuff.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
A lot of stuff that's really culturally rooted in our memories,
like of great TV shows. Like when you say girlfriends,
like I said, uh, you know being Mary Jane. Uh,
these are shows the neighborhood. Let me just go back
right here. Let me say some more names your girlfriends
which I didn't have, black Lightning, Uh, the Proud Family,
(02:16):
Abraham Lincoln not easily broken, the perfect match. How you know,
everybody trying to figure out everybody want to be on
stage to be Michael Jackson. You know, everybody wanted to
be up there to be Prince everybody wants to be
the performer on America's Got Talent. You are making your
money and being very successful, successful being behind the scenes.
(02:37):
How are you doing that?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Well, I've been doing it in spite of mine. I
started doing it in spite of myself.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Okay, okay. So he was in front music.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
You wanted to be wanted to Yes, I wanted to
be every musician grew up, wanted to be the lead singer,
wanted to be this that you know, and uh, you
know in that in the recording business. Uh, once you
turn twenty nine, it's like it's over with a lot
of folks don't really want to know about what you
(03:06):
what your gifts are, ye know. Whereas in television and film,
all I've got to say to you is John Williams
is in his mid nineties and still composing, has been
still composing films.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
So give people a little history of John Williams. Like,
you know, John Williams some great movies that he's done.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
John Williams is the composer who did all of the
Star Wars movies, all of the virtually everything that you
see with with Harrison Ford. It's just he's done so
many films it's hard to.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Those type of movies. You do them and did you
give residuals on them? Correct? Now? So that's all the
famous mailbox money.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, yeah, that's that's a big part of television. You
would if you just had the quote unquote mailbox money
for King and Queen's you would be you. You'd be fine. You,
you wouldn't be you wouldn't be complaining very much, you
(04:19):
know the things that the thing is it is not
to just do it one time, but to do it
again again. You'll find that when so many people are
are trying to figure out how to get in and
trying to to get get the work happening for them
on ourselves on a on a constant basis. But it's
(04:42):
it's I've been I'm in my thirty eighth season of television.
I will tell you that the continuing it for the
for the thirty plus years has been way harder than
the getting in in the first. Isn't that true?
Speaker 1 (04:58):
You know? I think about my life, you know, and
and the journey to get in and and but sometimes
the journey to stay in is like really even tougher,
you know, because it's so competitive and then people going yes, I've.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Never gotten a single job where somebody else didn't didn't
want to want to be sitting in that seat instead
of me. Most of my jobs, after I get it,
they're still trying to get me.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Absolutely, Absolutely, that's.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
That's a real thing. Uh Uh. But you can't let
you can't let you can't let that stop. You can't
let the fear of it stop you. It's like what
you were saying in your intro. Uh. Even the folks
around you who will constantly, especially when you're in entertainment,
and that they constantly tell you that this isn't a
real job. You know, I said, Well, and when they
(05:52):
when they say that it's not a real job, I
want to take them out the bird Bank and I
want to go to that green and white building with
the black ears on top of it and tell and
tell all those folks at Disney that they have to
get out because they're not working in a real job.
And when I'm finished with them, I should walk across
the street to Warner Brothers and say, get out because
(06:14):
you're not doing a real job. You're getting a real
check every week, but you're not doing a real job.
That's uh, That that fear of it because most people
don't do this for a job. That fear is what
keeps people out and this fantasy that it's that that
that can only happen to this person. You know, if
(06:37):
you treat it like a business, it might treat you
in kind.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
You know, you know, and now and now I admire
what you're saying, because you are a unique talent and
some and you have a unique skill and when you
and that's a very small group of people, and that's
when people kind of minimize it because they can't understand
everybody in the sta what a mail box a postman does,
or bank teller does, cashier does because he sees on
(07:03):
a regular basis a composer, would that be the proper
title for you? Okay, a music composer you're giving Let
me just reiterate everybody who I'm talking. I'm talking to
Kirk Farquhar. Some of this work you're very familiar with,
being Mary Jane, the Neighborhood. He's won ten BMI's and
the bm MY Award is what be.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
And my high awards are for composers. The top composers
is essentially you are You're the person that's putting more
music more music or your show is more popular, and
you're think of it like the Billboard Awards. You sell
more records an award. I've been blessed to be on
(07:45):
a number of really big hit TV shows and thankful
for it. But the continuing it, as we were saying,
is the big deal that is too to be in
the game thirty eight years and still coming at it
hard and fresh and having and still being relevant something
(08:08):
that people actually do want. You know, It's not I'm
not just there because I because I still like me,
but because people are still requiring and still want what
it is that I have to do. I've changed with
the times, getting in that first flash. Everybody gets that
one good idea, you know, and then and then want
(08:30):
to run with it. Well, sustain that good idea and
change that good idea and polish it off and molded
and modeled for for the changing times. If you think
about all the things that I've seen my time, how
different music is to them. When I started out, you
(08:52):
put you delivered music on quarter inch tape and fifteen niphs.
You know today you you're sitting in a dark room
by yourself on a computer pad. You know, Pump pump,
you know, and and you should shoot the team when
when you and I worked together, if I forgot the
music on the way over to the to the mix,
(09:13):
there's no way. I have to get back in the
car and go back across town, grab the music and
and meet you back there.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
And when you say work together, you know, I met
him on Mosha. That was my good friend Vita Spears
and Sheriff Finny Johnson introduced me to this man's talent.
Then I went over to the Parenthood, did the Parenthood
with you? I did Sister Sister, the Twins, Tea and
Tamar Miley with our girl Felicia Anderson.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
And and the Big Big Time, Yes, Steve Big Time.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
When the w B did that, I brought him over
there relationship, and then we went over to UH then
then the Parkers with Monique, and then I got out
of the sitcom business, and when made Steve Harvey's career.
But all the while you've just been still building your catalog.
I got to ask you this question because originality and
(10:09):
not being a victim of copy catty, copy catty your success.
How do you pull that off?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
You know, first of all, you know it's it's it's
not just my idea. I have to when you when
you're in music, the picture you are, it's not you're
just doing an album, you're doing I'm doing music to
a story that you came up with, Sorr. I work
(10:40):
with somebody else and I do music to a story
that Michael Whitehorn came up with. Or I'm doing a
story to what Ralph Barkoor, Abta Spirits and Sarah Finny
Johnson come up with. And if you're really really taking
the job seriously, you're listening to what they're saying. You're
listening to the vision that they have, and you're co
(11:01):
opting that and bringing that into your train of thought
and you say, okay, this is something else. Let me
go about that in a different way. I don't come
in every day thinking, okay, now, let me force force
feed the singular thing that I've done and the style
that I've done and force feed it to everybody for
thirty eight years. If that was the case, I wouldn't
(11:23):
be here for thirty eight years later. I don't believe.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
But you know, because every one of your concepts are different,
and that makes you special. Now you're an African American,
and so a lot of people feel that your talents
were probably leaning that direction. What have you done to
make sure people understand the diversity of your music skills.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
I've done shows like King of Queens to make which
I was doing at the same time as Moasia and
The Parkers, you know, at the exact same time, and
I actually created I believe that around the same time
as the as The Parkers, and on the I had
meetings for him on the same day, you know, and
(12:03):
you I took what Michael Whitehorn was saying he wanted
for his story and came up with thoughts that were
reverberated around that. And then I walk over and talked
to Ralph and Vida and Sarah about what they wanted
for the Parkers and which was a total different thing,
(12:25):
you know, and see what they're see what they're creating,
and see if you can allow yourself to be a
part of the entire story and the world that they're creating.
They created a whole other world. And look, I've always
from the beginning of my life as a musician, I've
(12:48):
always been attracted to different sounds in different styles. I
wrote my first symphony when I was twelve. I went
to the National Conservatory music in Belsize, France. I toured
with Freddie Hubbard doing jazz in my twenties, I you know,
uh and and I put out R and B and
hip hop records of myself with myself as a singer.
(13:09):
You know, I'm all over the place. And some of
my favorite music to ever do is country in Western
which a lot of people don't know you. You know,
you know Kurk Parker, you know he loves his country
in Western So, you know, the root stuff.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
The thing that I remember last time I interviewed you,
I'm telling ever about a long time ago because the
brother's busy. I'm so fortunate to have him in my
Atlanta studios, was talking about black Light. Yeah, and you
were you were so used. What did you hear the music?
I dropped that it was like it was like it
was like an R and B hit song from back
(13:43):
in that day, and you were just so excited of
the song's placement in that episode. So that's a certain
amount of energy that's real tied to your creativity. So
when you look into it, because music does play a
major role in trans musicians and emotions and drummers, whether
it's a stinger or the up and down tones of
(14:06):
music when they walk in the room. If you took
away that music, it really can take away the tone
and the development of scenes and stories. Correct.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah, and that that's a show where it all elements
of music were important to it. The songs that are
here Caro Lemon would do, would put in and to
the the score. They really really let me do some
interesting things. And you told me that, and we were
(14:36):
I remember we were talking about before how I was
taking hip hop beats and and and taking it apart
and putting it in more of an orchestral point of view.
So the so the trombones and tubas were doing where
the kick drum and the trumpets would be the snare
and and you say, I like this feel. I don't
(14:58):
know why. It's comfortable to me. It's that classical stuff,
but it's not, you know, right, So we try to
put together again, allowing yourself to be influenced, you know,
by the world around you. The creatively creatively creatively is
a thing because the world keeps changing and interesting things happen.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Please don't go anywhere.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
We'll be right back with more money making.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Conversations, masterclass. No, I need for you to do me
a favor right now to follow or subscribe to money
Making Conversation. It's free and you can find it on
the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcasts. Please do me that favor, follow or subscribe
money Making Conversations. Welcome back to Money Making Conversations master
(15:52):
Class hosted by me Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversation master
Class continues online and Moneymaking Conversations dot com and follow
money Making Conversation master Class on Facebook, x and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I remember earlier in my career recording in a in
a studio that was in this gentleman's garage and it
wasn't the most sound pool place that we ever heard.
And I kid you not, we were. I had the
band playing all live and they were going through all
of the changes that I had written for them to do.
(16:25):
And then in the distance while we're recording, I heard
a dog barking. I kept hearing this dog barking in
this other tonality, and he kept doing it at the
same place, and I said, and in the same key.
I said, Oh my goodness, guys, this is what we're
(16:45):
gonna do. And I changed up the piece of music
to go in the in the in the key and
the register of of where the dog was barking at it,
and everybody, all my producers thought, oh, what a great idea,
what a great What made you think to go and
make that shift at that point? That's so cool, I said,
(17:06):
if I told you, you wouldn't believe me.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
So let's talk about some current stuff, Kirk. You know,
I want to keep talking about you. You're stuck in
the past because this brother right here. The Proud Family
season four premieres in July. Yeah, okay, The Proud Family.
Christmas Brown is coming up. Okay, Beyond the Gates, the
hit soap opera, I think it has been renewed for you
season three.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
We're we're one and a half months into our second season, right,
and then they picked us up for another two seasons
beyond that, so it'll be three years from now for us.
Before before we're talking about what's new and a brother?
Speaker 1 (17:44):
And that was that your search first soap opera genre?
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Yeah, it was interesting there. That's five days a week, right, yeah, yeah, yeah,
two hundred and thirty five episodes a year and moving
up from there. Sheila Duxworth that to me about it
and almost five years before it started, and she says,
I got this thing that's coming up, and her vision
(18:11):
was that she wasn't going for the typical soap opera,
daily daytime drama sort of sound. And as you'll find out,
a lot of the people that are working on the
show come out a nighttime. You know. I had never
done anything in terms of a daytime so in my
entire life, and I thought, why not? You know, she
(18:33):
told me that they were going to be trying to
make it special and try to do something different with it.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
The power relationships really tells a part, a major part
of your story.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
It's a big deal.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Yeah, talk about relationships and how people need to understand
you can have a talent, but relationships can be a
major asset to the longevity of your career, delivering quality
work and people making recommendation.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
I always tell people I only work for Steven Spielberg.
You know, I say, I see my producer, come in,
my director, come in. I see Steven Spielberg, and act accordingly.
If you if you were working with Steven Spielberg and
you were and he said, oh, well, guys, it's going
to be really late tonight. Where it's going to be well,
I don't know when we're going to get out of here.
(19:21):
Half of you would not would not think to have
called your significant other to say I'm not coming home
you just I'm working for Steven Spielberg.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
You know we'll do that for all your other producers.
I give my whole heart and soul to them. I am.
I am there for them one and and it's in
the good times and the bad times that producers have.
Some of my biggest producers are people that came up
to me earlier in their career and needed something, needed
(19:55):
some music, and I said yes, then as well, my
my whole thing is the power of I figure I
could say yes more than you and and and end
up making more and doing better. I don't. Most people
in the arts can't always tell you what is going
to be that success. So I got out of the
(20:18):
business of trying to figure out which one is going
to be the winner. I said, if I actually knew
they would, they would have me bronzed and sitting out
in front of Sony Seguards the way. You know, it's
it's that's not the case. I do a simple thing
that my uh my producer brother Ralph told me, I said,
(20:40):
I do I do my job. I do it the
best that I can, and I move on to the
next one.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
There's a more project, bull Run tempted to Love the
number two Love single Black Female the best you can.
It's Kevin Bacon's movie.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Yeah, yeah, that was Kevin Bacon. Again, not not of
a film that most people would have thought of this,
the older black composer would have been the one to
that they choose to do this music. But I I
believe that I did something that was different, that was pertinent,
(21:19):
and again it was a relationship that I've had, you know,
that goes back years. I keep these relationships going even
when I am not working with folks. If you only
want to call someone and talk to them once you've
read in the trades that they've got something coming up,
(21:40):
it's already too late. I'm I'm seriously because I seriously
care about them. I'm seriously reaching out to people and
seriously letting it be known that I'm there for them.
So that because by the time when it's getting going,
if you're not top of mind, probably not going to
(22:01):
be in the mix.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Absolutely a couple more projects. Ruth and boys.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
That was a big one for us.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Number one on Netflix, number one, number one on Netflix.
You know again, now a great project you've been tied
to the neighborhood with starring Cedric Entertainment comes to an end.
What are your feelings and did you compose any special
music in the last season or the final episode there?
Speaker 2 (22:26):
The final episode is very very special and there is
some special music right taking you right to the end.
That kind of shows the emotion that I think everybody
was feeling on that show. That show has been on
eight years straight and then it has been in the
top of the rankings throughout that whole time. Yes, even
(22:51):
today it's one of the top shows. Even as they're
going off the air, it is one of the top
shows to be on TV. That doesn't happen by accident.
That happens with a lot of a lot of solid
work and care. The executive producer, Jim that first started
(23:13):
the show. When Jim first talked to me, he said
what he wanted to do with the show. He made
an interesting thing, he says. He says, Kurt, I don't
I'm not trying to make a party that's so cool
that only the cool kids come in he says, I'm
trying to make I'm trying to make a big party
(23:34):
for everybody to come and and and it seems like
that they accomplished that. Sedjac Entertainer has been an amazing
person to work with. A musical ear he has, oh,
he has a very musical ear. You know. He has
come into the studio with me a number of times,
not only with the Neighborhood, but with Proud Family. He
(23:57):
plays Uncle Bobby on Proud Fam. He's he's that that
that glue, thatd essentral thing, his vision of how this
is supposed to be and what sort of comedy this is,
and what sort of stories we're telling, which is sometimes
some very very tough and important stories that he's telling
(24:18):
that are very uh linked to what's going on. And
that's why I think so many people appreciate that show.
But he finds a funny way to put it. But
he's been decent and supportive of everybody in the cast.
I feel like he was supportive of what I did musically.
He's supportive of all of the other acts and all
(24:39):
the people that are behind the scenes.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
I have a couple of questions before I'll let you
go Kurk. Your music library, I mentioned it earlier. Tell
us about it, and how can one gain access to
licensed music in your library?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Well, I had noticed years ago that other companies were
licensing music into I said, jeez. And I looked at
one company. You had licensed more music in my more
minutes of music in my my TV show than I
had in it, And I said, okay, that's crazy. You
know I can make one of those. If I had
(25:16):
known how hard it was and listen to the naysayers,
I might not have done it. But I went on
and blindly went moved forward and got a library of
my own, and I not only used it to license
in my TV shows, but it's in TV shows on
virtually every single network out there, NBC, ABC, Fox, We're
(25:40):
on b E T, We're on HBO, We're on all
the streamers, all of the streamers. It's you know, you
just have a website. Yes, it's called true Music true
musicpro dot com.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
To true musicpro dot com.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Yes, and you can reach out to the folks that
True Music Pro and they can help you license a
piece of music.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
I'll be remissed if I sat down here and you
have the last named far quah and not bring up
your brother Ralph. Well, yeah, true mentor of mine in
their business when I was a writer in Hollywood, A
ment of so many, so many writers in black and
white in this business. A true legend in this business.
(26:26):
As you stated ear just started on happy Days as
an a sister, right. Uh, talk about tell us what
he's doing. And I know he's part of Proud Family. Yeah,
not like you know, he's not. He's not busy, but boy,
he is a special guy.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Yes, he and his partner Bruce Smith are developing a
ton of new projects that you'll hopefully be seen soon
over at at Disney and Disney Plus. And as as
you said earlier, we have the new Proud Family Louder
and Router that'll be coming up this summer. Just last
(27:04):
week and I think this is just amazing. They have
Disney had a live action figures of Proud Family, Penny
Proud walking around Disneyland, and I said, I don't think
that that's ever happened before. And my hat is off
(27:27):
to Ralph and Bruce and what they've achieved. Proud Family
is a historical piece of work. And these guys work
their tails off to bring you some interesting and special stories.
All I can say is, everybody, if you love Proud Family,
(27:48):
if you've only heard of Proud Family, you have got
to see this season four of Proud Family, Louder and
Prouder coming in mid mid July. It is the best yet.
It is absolutely amazing and I can't say enough about it.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Well, Kirk, I have Can it not be almost another
decade before we sat down again? But of course if
I do, the resume ain't gonna be even longer working
on that. You special man, because you've been a special
in my life. I've been able to share our relationships
and the industry, whether it's a reality show with Steve
Harvey on Big Time or sitcoms on The Parkers or
(28:26):
Sister's Sister. But you've been a special brother, and you've
always been the same, always been the same, right there
and dead on. You're gifted man, and when you share
your story, it comes with a lot of humbleness, a
lot of thank you for coming on Money Making Conversations,
master Classes, thank you, thank you for having me, thank
you for listening to this episode. No, I need for
you to do me a favor right now to follow
(28:48):
or subscribe to Money Making conversation. It's free and you
can find it on the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts. Please do me that faith, follow,
or subscribe money making conversations keep winning
Welcome to my show. I'm Rashon McDonald, a host of
Money Making Conversations Masterclass, where we encourage people to stop
reading other people's success stories and start planning your own. Now.
You don't want to miss an episode, so please take
a moment right now to follow or subscribe to Money
Making Conversations Masterclass. It's free. You can follow me on
the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
(00:22):
to your podcast. New Money Making Conversations Masterclass episodes drop daily.
I want to keep you on alert because my guests
provide tips on how you can uplift your community, improve
your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be
a successful entrepreneur. Now, let's get this podcast started. My
guest is a ten time BMI Award winner, four for
(00:43):
his work on the King of Queens, two for Being
Mary Jane which was on b ET, three for the Neighborhood,
and one for the Game. His Far Crop Production is
a full service music for picture company. They offer music composition,
music vision, music editing, music clearance and usage. Are over
(01:04):
ten thousand plus songs in his library. Please welcome to
Money Making Conversations Magic Last allegend a star far call.
How are you doing, Kirk?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Too good to be true? How about yourself?
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Don't go to the Kirk. It's been like I think
twenty eighteen last time I was able to sit you
down and interview you about your success. Man, you're a
very special brother man in the industry. So as we
can start tell people exactly what you do, Kirk.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Well, I've started out as a composer for television. Means
I write the themed songs and underscore for numerous TV
shows going all the way back to Mosha and the
Parkers and Girlfriends and one on one and stuff.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
A lot of stuff that's really culturally rooted in our memories,
like of great TV shows. Like when you say girlfriends,
like I said, uh, you know being Mary Jane. Uh,
these are shows the neighborhood. Let me just go back
right here. Let me say some more names your girlfriends
which I didn't have, black Lightning, Uh, the Proud Family,
(02:16):
Abraham Lincoln not easily broken, the perfect match. How you know,
everybody trying to figure out everybody want to be on
stage to be Michael Jackson. You know, everybody wanted to
be up there to be Prince everybody wants to be
the performer on America's Got Talent. You are making your
money and being very successful, successful being behind the scenes.
(02:37):
How are you doing that?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Well, I've been doing it in spite of mine. I
started doing it in spite of myself.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Okay, okay. So he was in front music.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
You wanted to be wanted to Yes, I wanted to
be every musician grew up, wanted to be the lead singer,
wanted to be this that you know, and uh, you
know in that in the recording business. Uh, once you
turn twenty nine, it's like it's over with a lot
of folks don't really want to know about what you
(03:06):
what your gifts are, ye know. Whereas in television and film,
all I've got to say to you is John Williams
is in his mid nineties and still composing, has been
still composing films.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
So give people a little history of John Williams. Like,
you know, John Williams some great movies that he's done.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
John Williams is the composer who did all of the
Star Wars movies, all of the virtually everything that you
see with with Harrison Ford. It's just he's done so
many films it's hard to.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Those type of movies. You do them and did you
give residuals on them? Correct? Now? So that's all the
famous mailbox money.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, yeah, that's that's a big part of television. You
would if you just had the quote unquote mailbox money
for King and Queen's you would be you. You'd be fine. You,
you wouldn't be you wouldn't be complaining very much, you
(04:19):
know the things that the thing is it is not
to just do it one time, but to do it
again again. You'll find that when so many people are
are trying to figure out how to get in and
trying to to get get the work happening for them
on ourselves on a on a constant basis. But it's
(04:42):
it's I've been I'm in my thirty eighth season of television.
I will tell you that the continuing it for the
for the thirty plus years has been way harder than
the getting in in the first. Isn't that true?
Speaker 1 (04:58):
You know? I think about my life, you know, and
and the journey to get in and and but sometimes
the journey to stay in is like really even tougher,
you know, because it's so competitive and then people going yes, I've.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Never gotten a single job where somebody else didn't didn't
want to want to be sitting in that seat instead
of me. Most of my jobs, after I get it,
they're still trying to get me.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Absolutely, Absolutely, that's.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
That's a real thing. Uh Uh. But you can't let
you can't let you can't let that stop. You can't
let the fear of it stop you. It's like what
you were saying in your intro. Uh. Even the folks
around you who will constantly, especially when you're in entertainment,
and that they constantly tell you that this isn't a
real job. You know, I said, Well, and when they
(05:52):
when they say that it's not a real job, I
want to take them out the bird Bank and I
want to go to that green and white building with
the black ears on top of it and tell and
tell all those folks at Disney that they have to
get out because they're not working in a real job.
And when I'm finished with them, I should walk across
the street to Warner Brothers and say, get out because
(06:14):
you're not doing a real job. You're getting a real
check every week, but you're not doing a real job.
That's uh, That that fear of it because most people
don't do this for a job. That fear is what
keeps people out and this fantasy that it's that that
that can only happen to this person. You know, if
(06:37):
you treat it like a business, it might treat you
in kind.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
You know, you know, and now and now I admire
what you're saying, because you are a unique talent and
some and you have a unique skill and when you
and that's a very small group of people, and that's
when people kind of minimize it because they can't understand
everybody in the sta what a mail box a postman does,
or bank teller does, cashier does because he sees on
(07:03):
a regular basis a composer, would that be the proper
title for you? Okay, a music composer you're giving Let
me just reiterate everybody who I'm talking. I'm talking to
Kirk Farquhar. Some of this work you're very familiar with,
being Mary Jane, the Neighborhood. He's won ten BMI's and
the bm MY Award is what be.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
And my high awards are for composers. The top composers
is essentially you are You're the person that's putting more
music more music or your show is more popular, and
you're think of it like the Billboard Awards. You sell
more records an award. I've been blessed to be on
(07:45):
a number of really big hit TV shows and thankful
for it. But the continuing it, as we were saying,
is the big deal that is too to be in
the game thirty eight years and still coming at it
hard and fresh and having and still being relevant something
(08:08):
that people actually do want. You know, It's not I'm
not just there because I because I still like me,
but because people are still requiring and still want what
it is that I have to do. I've changed with
the times, getting in that first flash. Everybody gets that
one good idea, you know, and then and then want
(08:30):
to run with it. Well, sustain that good idea and
change that good idea and polish it off and molded
and modeled for for the changing times. If you think
about all the things that I've seen my time, how
different music is to them. When I started out, you
(08:52):
put you delivered music on quarter inch tape and fifteen niphs.
You know today you you're sitting in a dark room
by yourself on a computer pad. You know, Pump pump,
you know, and and you should shoot the team when
when you and I worked together, if I forgot the
music on the way over to the to the mix,
(09:13):
there's no way. I have to get back in the
car and go back across town, grab the music and
and meet you back there.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
And when you say work together, you know, I met
him on Mosha. That was my good friend Vita Spears
and Sheriff Finny Johnson introduced me to this man's talent.
Then I went over to the Parenthood, did the Parenthood
with you? I did Sister Sister, the Twins, Tea and
Tamar Miley with our girl Felicia Anderson.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
And and the Big Big Time, Yes, Steve Big Time.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
When the w B did that, I brought him over
there relationship, and then we went over to UH then
then the Parkers with Monique, and then I got out
of the sitcom business, and when made Steve Harvey's career.
But all the while you've just been still building your catalog.
I got to ask you this question because originality and
(10:09):
not being a victim of copy catty, copy catty your success.
How do you pull that off?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
You know, first of all, you know it's it's it's
not just my idea. I have to when you when
you're in music, the picture you are, it's not you're
just doing an album, you're doing I'm doing music to
a story that you came up with, Sorr. I work
(10:40):
with somebody else and I do music to a story
that Michael Whitehorn came up with. Or I'm doing a
story to what Ralph Barkoor, Abta Spirits and Sarah Finny
Johnson come up with. And if you're really really taking
the job seriously, you're listening to what they're saying. You're
listening to the vision that they have, and you're co
(11:01):
opting that and bringing that into your train of thought
and you say, okay, this is something else. Let me
go about that in a different way. I don't come
in every day thinking, okay, now, let me force force
feed the singular thing that I've done and the style
that I've done and force feed it to everybody for
thirty eight years. If that was the case, I wouldn't
(11:23):
be here for thirty eight years later. I don't believe.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
But you know, because every one of your concepts are different,
and that makes you special. Now you're an African American,
and so a lot of people feel that your talents
were probably leaning that direction. What have you done to
make sure people understand the diversity of your music skills.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
I've done shows like King of Queens to make which
I was doing at the same time as Moasia and
The Parkers, you know, at the exact same time, and
I actually created I believe that around the same time
as the as The Parkers, and on the I had
meetings for him on the same day, you know, and
(12:03):
you I took what Michael Whitehorn was saying he wanted
for his story and came up with thoughts that were
reverberated around that. And then I walk over and talked
to Ralph and Vida and Sarah about what they wanted
for the Parkers and which was a total different thing,
(12:25):
you know, and see what they're see what they're creating,
and see if you can allow yourself to be a
part of the entire story and the world that they're creating.
They created a whole other world. And look, I've always
from the beginning of my life as a musician, I've
(12:48):
always been attracted to different sounds in different styles. I
wrote my first symphony when I was twelve. I went
to the National Conservatory music in Belsize, France. I toured
with Freddie Hubbard doing jazz in my twenties, I you know,
uh and and I put out R and B and
hip hop records of myself with myself as a singer.
(13:09):
You know, I'm all over the place. And some of
my favorite music to ever do is country in Western
which a lot of people don't know you. You know,
you know Kurk Parker, you know he loves his country
in Western So, you know, the root stuff.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
The thing that I remember last time I interviewed you,
I'm telling ever about a long time ago because the
brother's busy. I'm so fortunate to have him in my
Atlanta studios, was talking about black Light. Yeah, and you
were you were so used. What did you hear the music?
I dropped that it was like it was like it
was like an R and B hit song from back
(13:43):
in that day, and you were just so excited of
the song's placement in that episode. So that's a certain
amount of energy that's real tied to your creativity. So
when you look into it, because music does play a
major role in trans musicians and emotions and drummers, whether
it's a stinger or the up and down tones of
(14:06):
music when they walk in the room. If you took
away that music, it really can take away the tone
and the development of scenes and stories. Correct.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah, and that that's a show where it all elements
of music were important to it. The songs that are
here Caro Lemon would do, would put in and to
the the score. They really really let me do some
interesting things. And you told me that, and we were
(14:36):
I remember we were talking about before how I was
taking hip hop beats and and and taking it apart
and putting it in more of an orchestral point of view.
So the so the trombones and tubas were doing where
the kick drum and the trumpets would be the snare
and and you say, I like this feel. I don't
(14:58):
know why. It's comfortable to me. It's that classical stuff,
but it's not, you know, right, So we try to
put together again, allowing yourself to be influenced, you know,
by the world around you. The creatively creatively creatively is
a thing because the world keeps changing and interesting things happen.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Please don't go anywhere.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
We'll be right back with more money making.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Conversations, masterclass. No, I need for you to do me
a favor right now to follow or subscribe to money
Making Conversation. It's free and you can find it on
the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcasts. Please do me that favor, follow or subscribe
money Making Conversations. Welcome back to Money Making Conversations master
(15:52):
Class hosted by me Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversation master
Class continues online and Moneymaking Conversations dot com and follow
money Making Conversation master Class on Facebook, x and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I remember earlier in my career recording in a in
a studio that was in this gentleman's garage and it
wasn't the most sound pool place that we ever heard.
And I kid you not, we were. I had the
band playing all live and they were going through all
of the changes that I had written for them to do.
(16:25):
And then in the distance while we're recording, I heard
a dog barking. I kept hearing this dog barking in
this other tonality, and he kept doing it at the
same place, and I said, and in the same key.
I said, Oh my goodness, guys, this is what we're
(16:45):
gonna do. And I changed up the piece of music
to go in the in the in the key and
the register of of where the dog was barking at it,
and everybody, all my producers thought, oh, what a great idea,
what a great What made you think to go and
make that shift at that point? That's so cool, I said,
(17:06):
if I told you, you wouldn't believe me.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
So let's talk about some current stuff, Kirk. You know,
I want to keep talking about you. You're stuck in
the past because this brother right here. The Proud Family
season four premieres in July. Yeah, okay, The Proud Family.
Christmas Brown is coming up. Okay, Beyond the Gates, the
hit soap opera, I think it has been renewed for you
season three.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
We're we're one and a half months into our second season, right,
and then they picked us up for another two seasons
beyond that, so it'll be three years from now for us.
Before before we're talking about what's new and a brother?
Speaker 1 (17:44):
And that was that your search first soap opera genre?
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Yeah, it was interesting there. That's five days a week, right, yeah, yeah, yeah,
two hundred and thirty five episodes a year and moving
up from there. Sheila Duxworth that to me about it
and almost five years before it started, and she says,
I got this thing that's coming up, and her vision
(18:11):
was that she wasn't going for the typical soap opera,
daily daytime drama sort of sound. And as you'll find out,
a lot of the people that are working on the
show come out a nighttime. You know. I had never
done anything in terms of a daytime so in my
entire life, and I thought, why not? You know, she
(18:33):
told me that they were going to be trying to
make it special and try to do something different with it.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
The power relationships really tells a part, a major part
of your story.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
It's a big deal.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Yeah, talk about relationships and how people need to understand
you can have a talent, but relationships can be a
major asset to the longevity of your career, delivering quality
work and people making recommendation.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
I always tell people I only work for Steven Spielberg.
You know, I say, I see my producer, come in,
my director, come in. I see Steven Spielberg, and act accordingly.
If you if you were working with Steven Spielberg and
you were and he said, oh, well, guys, it's going
to be really late tonight. Where it's going to be well,
I don't know when we're going to get out of here.
(19:21):
Half of you would not would not think to have
called your significant other to say I'm not coming home
you just I'm working for Steven Spielberg.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
You know we'll do that for all your other producers.
I give my whole heart and soul to them. I am.
I am there for them one and and it's in
the good times and the bad times that producers have.
Some of my biggest producers are people that came up
to me earlier in their career and needed something, needed
(19:55):
some music, and I said yes, then as well, my
my whole thing is the power of I figure I
could say yes more than you and and and end
up making more and doing better. I don't. Most people
in the arts can't always tell you what is going
to be that success. So I got out of the
(20:18):
business of trying to figure out which one is going
to be the winner. I said, if I actually knew
they would, they would have me bronzed and sitting out
in front of Sony Seguards the way. You know, it's
it's that's not the case. I do a simple thing
that my uh my producer brother Ralph told me, I said,
(20:40):
I do I do my job. I do it the
best that I can, and I move on to the
next one.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
There's a more project, bull Run tempted to Love the
number two Love single Black Female the best you can.
It's Kevin Bacon's movie.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Yeah, yeah, that was Kevin Bacon. Again, not not of
a film that most people would have thought of this,
the older black composer would have been the one to
that they choose to do this music. But I I
believe that I did something that was different, that was pertinent,
(21:19):
and again it was a relationship that I've had, you know,
that goes back years. I keep these relationships going even
when I am not working with folks. If you only
want to call someone and talk to them once you've
read in the trades that they've got something coming up,
(21:40):
it's already too late. I'm I'm seriously because I seriously
care about them. I'm seriously reaching out to people and
seriously letting it be known that I'm there for them.
So that because by the time when it's getting going,
if you're not top of mind, probably not going to
(22:01):
be in the mix.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Absolutely a couple more projects. Ruth and boys.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
That was a big one for us.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Number one on Netflix, number one, number one on Netflix.
You know again, now a great project you've been tied
to the neighborhood with starring Cedric Entertainment comes to an end.
What are your feelings and did you compose any special
music in the last season or the final episode there?
Speaker 2 (22:26):
The final episode is very very special and there is
some special music right taking you right to the end.
That kind of shows the emotion that I think everybody
was feeling on that show. That show has been on
eight years straight and then it has been in the
top of the rankings throughout that whole time. Yes, even
(22:51):
today it's one of the top shows. Even as they're
going off the air, it is one of the top
shows to be on TV. That doesn't happen by accident.
That happens with a lot of a lot of solid
work and care. The executive producer, Jim that first started
(23:13):
the show. When Jim first talked to me, he said
what he wanted to do with the show. He made
an interesting thing, he says. He says, Kurt, I don't
I'm not trying to make a party that's so cool
that only the cool kids come in he says, I'm
trying to make I'm trying to make a big party
(23:34):
for everybody to come and and and it seems like
that they accomplished that. Sedjac Entertainer has been an amazing
person to work with. A musical ear he has, oh,
he has a very musical ear. You know. He has
come into the studio with me a number of times,
not only with the Neighborhood, but with Proud Family. He
(23:57):
plays Uncle Bobby on Proud Fam. He's he's that that
that glue, thatd essentral thing, his vision of how this
is supposed to be and what sort of comedy this is,
and what sort of stories we're telling, which is sometimes
some very very tough and important stories that he's telling
(24:18):
that are very uh linked to what's going on. And
that's why I think so many people appreciate that show.
But he finds a funny way to put it. But
he's been decent and supportive of everybody in the cast.
I feel like he was supportive of what I did musically.
He's supportive of all of the other acts and all
(24:39):
the people that are behind the scenes.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
I have a couple of questions before I'll let you
go Kurk. Your music library, I mentioned it earlier. Tell
us about it, and how can one gain access to
licensed music in your library?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Well, I had noticed years ago that other companies were
licensing music into I said, jeez. And I looked at
one company. You had licensed more music in my more
minutes of music in my my TV show than I
had in it, And I said, okay, that's crazy. You
know I can make one of those. If I had
(25:16):
known how hard it was and listen to the naysayers,
I might not have done it. But I went on
and blindly went moved forward and got a library of
my own, and I not only used it to license
in my TV shows, but it's in TV shows on
virtually every single network out there, NBC, ABC, Fox, We're
(25:40):
on b E T, We're on HBO, We're on all
the streamers, all of the streamers. It's you know, you
just have a website. Yes, it's called true Music true
musicpro dot com.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
To true musicpro dot com.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Yes, and you can reach out to the folks that
True Music Pro and they can help you license a
piece of music.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
I'll be remissed if I sat down here and you
have the last named far quah and not bring up
your brother Ralph. Well, yeah, true mentor of mine in
their business when I was a writer in Hollywood, A
ment of so many, so many writers in black and
white in this business. A true legend in this business.
(26:26):
As you stated ear just started on happy Days as
an a sister, right. Uh, talk about tell us what
he's doing. And I know he's part of Proud Family. Yeah,
not like you know, he's not. He's not busy, but boy,
he is a special guy.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Yes, he and his partner Bruce Smith are developing a
ton of new projects that you'll hopefully be seen soon
over at at Disney and Disney Plus. And as as
you said earlier, we have the new Proud Family Louder
and Router that'll be coming up this summer. Just last
(27:04):
week and I think this is just amazing. They have
Disney had a live action figures of Proud Family, Penny
Proud walking around Disneyland, and I said, I don't think
that that's ever happened before. And my hat is off
(27:27):
to Ralph and Bruce and what they've achieved. Proud Family
is a historical piece of work. And these guys work
their tails off to bring you some interesting and special stories.
All I can say is, everybody, if you love Proud Family,
(27:48):
if you've only heard of Proud Family, you have got
to see this season four of Proud Family, Louder and
Prouder coming in mid mid July. It is the best yet.
It is absolutely amazing and I can't say enough about it.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Well, Kirk, I have Can it not be almost another
decade before we sat down again? But of course if
I do, the resume ain't gonna be even longer working
on that. You special man, because you've been a special
in my life. I've been able to share our relationships
and the industry, whether it's a reality show with Steve
Harvey on Big Time or sitcoms on The Parkers or
(28:26):
Sister's Sister. But you've been a special brother, and you've
always been the same, always been the same, right there
and dead on. You're gifted man, and when you share
your story, it comes with a lot of humbleness, a
lot of thank you for coming on Money Making Conversations,
master Classes, thank you, thank you for having me, thank
you for listening to this episode. No, I need for
you to do me a favor right now to follow
(28:48):
or subscribe to Money Making conversation. It's free and you
can find it on the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts. Please do me that faith, follow,
or subscribe money making conversations keep winning
The Steve Harvey Morning Show News
Hosts And Creators
Steve Harvey
Shirley Strawberry
Thomas "Nephew Tommy" Miles
Carla Ferrell
Kier "Junior" Spates
Popular Podcasts
Hey Jonas!
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com