Orin Isaacs is the man behind the music that makes the Olympics sing

“I do music,” is how Orin Isaacs describes himself, apt for an artist who has created memorable themes for countless Canadian moments, including for the CBC and the Olympic broadcasts for this month’s Milano-Cortina Olympics.

When he first picked up a double bass, he was already familiar with great music. His mother, Joy, filled the home with soul and gospel music. He was brought up with legends like the Poynter Sisters and Johnny Nash.

He knew the bass was the foundation of music and he wanted in on that. Even at a young age he knew he wanted to change people’s perception of how bass is played. He not only did that, he would be the one to create sounds that would be the soundtrack of Canada’s most poignant moments in sports. His musical vision has been boundary-breaking and exposed Canadians to new sounds. I chatted with Isaacs and he told me his secret is, “I never say ‘no’ to anything.” 

Isaacs, 56, was born in Toronto and spent his childhood in different neighbourhoods with rich cultural heritages: Parkdale and its immigrant influence in the west end; “The Village” near Church and Wellesley; Oakwood and St.Clair and its Italian shops and restaurants.

He attended schools with strong music programs and honed his craft. He cites his mother as being the catalyst for his love of music and creativity. Joy wasn’t proficient in bass, in fact, she had no idea how to play it. But Joy, who passed away in January, took him to the music store and told him simply, “Take it. Plug it in!”

Isaacs was inspired by some great artists and when I asked him who he was the most influential in his life, “Stanley Clarke. Full stop,” he replied emphatically.

WATCH | CBC Paris Olympics theme:

Clarke, a bassist and composer, was so important to Isaacs that after only hearing his records, Isaacs, then 17, tried to attend a performance at the fabled Diamond Club but was denied entry by the manager becase he was under-age. So Isaacs decided to camp out in front of the door of the club days before Clarke’s concert. The manager had to step over him to get in and out of the building. “I’ll think about it, kid, ” the manager finally said.

But it was not soon enough for Isaacs. His mother called the manager and assured him that Orin was not there to get drunk, but simply to listen and learn from a musical genius. The call worked and Isaacs was given a VIP ticket to the balcony which kept him away from the bar but afforded him the chance to meet Clarke and take in the show. 

That exact passion and dedication to his craft has served Isaacs as a musician, composer, producer and a contributor to major media projects. His ability to create music for different genres of shows and productions is unmatched. He composed the themes for Open Mic with Mike Bullard, Big Brother Canada, The Amazing Race Canada, the Juno Awards and the NHL Awards among others. The first three notes of the Big Brother Canada became so recognizable Isaac says it “touched people.”

I was interested in how he was able to create something so critical to the productions with very different sounds. “Vibes,” he said. “People respond to vibes. I started brainstorming on the music and really just went with the vibes.”

This meant creating main parts, revamping and remixing themes as well. “I just know what I want to hear,” he said. He sits at his piano or his work station and “goes for it.” Isaacs said there is a particular feeling and although he has a routine to his creative process it’s very much rooted in the aforementioned vibes. 

Sherali Najak can confirm the vibes. Najak is CBC’s executive producer of the Olympics and first met Isaacs more than 30 years ago when Najak was executive producing the NHL awards. He wanted to change up the feel of the awards and was looking for a house band.

“We needed somebody with the vibe,” Najak said. “Orin knew about live music and he knew about broadcasting. So he was special in that way. We’ve been friends and working together ever since.”

Najak describes Isaacs work as “a gorgeous mess” and respects Isaacs as a creative. Their collaborative process is like muscle memory. 

Isaac is open to hearing about ideas and plans for a project be it film, television or documentary. He understands the medium very well, and Isaacs said he needs to see the pictures first.

“In TV music there are four main things: picture, dialogue, sound effects then music,” Isaacs said. Being able to identify key moments in the visual helps him create the music that goes alongside the pictures. That is essential with sports because there are moments that are critical in the execution of a beat, a crescendo or a flow of melody.

In 2019, Isaacs wrote music for a promo featuring the Toronto Raptors. “It was magical,” Isaacs recalls. “The visuals were stunning, I felt pumped. It was the ultimate in sport.” The Raptors went on to win the NBA championship that year and the energy was infectious, something Isaacs is proud to have contributed to. 

What Isaacs has mastered is the ability to bring people together through music and moments. Showing emotion through music and exposing Canadians to new sounds is a powerful tool in connecting people. Najak appreciates how Isaacs brings contemporary sounds to tradition. 

“When we started the Olympics for Paris I said, ‘Orin, this is an iconic Olympic theme. It’s iconic.’ And he looked at me and goes: ‘Iconic to who?’ and that keeps us thinking,” Najak said. “We’re not doing this just for ourselves and the people that we have. And it’s not for a shallow commercialness of trying to get more viewers. That’s not what it is. We want to create the space to have anybody, to have everybody feel something on their own terms.”

The public feeling music on their own terms is something Isaacs can get behind. He is not precious about his own pieces of music but knows that if he likes it someone will. 

As the Olympics begin, the sights will be accompanied by some incredible sounds. If his music helps tell a story, and people catch the vibe, Isaacs has won gold again.