Music Mistress's very latest in unreleased media- Piccolo, sans Saxo or Compagnie
This is a (very ambitiously, as you'll see in a moment) planned animated series that got exactly two things- a theme song
and a pilot animatic
And what do I mean by "ambitious"? Why, just read some of the stuff on the website.
Pilot Logline
A quirky, friendly Piccolo searches for his place in the royal orchestra but is banished by the conductor until the Queen comes and restores him to his true destiny.
Series Logline
Once connected with his song and part in the royal Orchestra, Piccolo sets out on a musical adventure with the Queen to include and restore all lost and discarded instruments to the symphony and their chosen family in the magical land of Amoria.
Okay that's not too ambitious.
In season one our theme is togetherness. Piccolo and the Queen grow their chosen family with lessons of kindness, acceptance, advocacy and standing up to oppression in song and story. They learn to celebrate diversity and join in harmony with one another. By the end of the season, the friends realize their island has become a safe haven for all instruments to heal and find hope. Once secure in their friendship and in the Queen’s presence they leap into their next adventure. Together they brave the unknown and travel beyond the Calliope Sea to different lands with the songs of love and belonging for all. Joining forces and hands, they travel to new lands discovering the Queen is known by many other names in different parts of the world and that every instrument can hear her singing in their hearts.
The series is a collection of musical adventures for families and children ages two to ten. In each episode Piccolo meets a new instrument who seeks refuge in his fantastical, musical, wonderland of Amoria and embarks on story of self discovery and acceptance. Piccolo partners with the the Queen, the musical Land’s divine presence to help lost, discarded and excluded instruments become a chosen family. Together they confront their fears, stand up to their oppressors, forgive their bullies and find they belong in the royal orchestra through songs and meaningful lessons. With kid friendly lyrics and themes on human rights and justice, Piccolo is a modern day advocate who spreads love and compassion to help children and families develop empathy on real life issues like disability representation, racial justice, gender equity and LGBT+ inclusion to name a few. These and more important topics are explored and celebrated with catchy tunes that will get kids and adults alike, singing, tapping their toes and dancing in their living rooms.
Wordy, idealistic, don't think it'd fly in the US's current political climate... but that's not what I mean by ambitious.
S1E1: Pilot. Piccolo finds he is unwelcome in the Royal Orchestra, rejected by the conductor until the Queen finds him and restores him to his rightful place. Issue: Forgiveness, Inclusion, Belonging
S1E2: Caste Away. Piccolo meets Sami the Sitar who has been culturally deemed “untouchable”. (NOTE: If the writers actually did their research, they'd make the "untouchable" instrument a drum.) This episode tackles two of Piccolo’s questions: “Who told you this?” and “Why do you believe it?”. Sami has long pushed away the call of the Queen, feeling it must be a mistake as it went against what he’s always been told. Piccolo and Sami set out to find answers, thus challenging the status quo, and freeing Sami to live his true life and passion strengthened by the Queen in his heart. With a song by the Queen, Piccolo is affirmed in his calling to help others find and live their true identity. The Queen reveals that she glows in the hearts of all. Issue: Caste System & Belief
S1E3: Silver and Gold. Taylor, a silver trumpet is shunned from the horn section by the gold trumpets. When they hear his beautiful sound, they “allow” him to play but make him play in the back where he cannot be seen. Piccolo and friends organize a strike and the Queen is in the front row, cheering them on. Issue: Racism
S1E4: Oldy but Goody. The friends meet Anya, an elderly Organ that nobody plays with anymore. They are amazed at her beauty, but even they don’t know how to play with her. Anya and the Queen (who go way back) share wisdom and stories only the elderly would know. The Queen sings her melody assuring that all ages can find their harmony together. Piccolo realizes this is a heavy burden, but can he help Anya? He learns the value of collaboration! Issue: Ageism
S1E5: Who Am I? Piccolo meets Rain, a Rainstick, in a novelty store and embarks on a story of lost and stolen indigineous identity. Piccolo also must confront his own past and family of origin that ostracized him when he started singing his song. The Queen’s presence helps them see how much love is needed to heal the pain so many instruments have endured. Issue: First Nations Identity
S1E6 A Home for Everyone. Peter the Panflute (NOTE: Har har har.) finds himself homeless after his home (the rainforest) was bulldozed to make room for cattle grazing grounds. Piccolo helps him find a new home in their land of hope and wonder. The Queen begins to cast a vision for a greater song to be sung and played in other lands, but are the friends ready to go? Issue: Rainforest
S1E7: Oh Well! Xolani the Drum is scorched and becoming increasingly parched (visually) by the sun without clean drinking water. Piccolo is incredulous at this revelation and questions Xolani’s story. “That cannot be true! Everyone has water!” Xolani shows him what it’s like for him every day and Piccolo experiences the exhausting task of fetching water from so far away. The friends meet Divining Rod Doug who guides them to underground springs where they dig wells and celebrate the gift of clean water. With the Queen’s guidance, Piccolo and friends learn that sometimes the best way to understand someone else’s story is to walk a mile in their shoes. Issue: Clean water
S1E8: Take it to the Streets. After centuries of singing freely, recently Zsa Zsa the Harp has had her voice stolen and now she is silenced completely. The Queen encourages a new song - a song of protest. Zsa Zsa bands together with Piccolo and friends to protest unfair treatment. Issue: Protests
S1E9: Free to Be Me. XO, A rainbow Xylophone tries to fit in with the other instruments who are discussing “duets”, (aka crushes) but XO knows her crush doesn’t look quite the same as the others, even though the feelings sound the same. Piccolo partners with the Queen to sing and dance with XO to freedom and they all discover duets can come in many different forms and connections. Issue: LGBTQIA+
(I have nothing against gay people; just saying this because the next bit is me whining about something that's being used as a metaphor for queerness.) Oh come ON? Why are we trying to pretend that rainbow glockenspiels with no keys for accidentals are real, orchestral instruments and not just crappy toys?!
S1E10: Lost and Found. Piccolo discovers the Maracas and Castanets (Immigrants & Dreamers) and learns not all instruments feel welcome in every song. Piccolo befriends twin castanets, Nico and Tito who are soon separated from their deported parents (the maracas) Primo and Marta. (NOTE: Castanets are Spanish instruments, while maracas are from Latin America. The writers have committed an error no less egregious than plunking Big Ben next to the Empire State Building.) The twins are torn between staying in Amoria or being reunited with their parents in their place of origin. But soon the choice may not be theirs to make! The Queen and Piccolo assure the twins that even though the physical boundaries of our lands may separate instruments, no walls can be built in our hearts. Issue: Immigrants & DreamersIn this season
Finale: Piccolo realizes there are so many refugees coming to their land that they need to take their songs to other lands and go off on other adventures where they learn the Queen is known by many names in many different lands. Which leads to SEASON TWO.
Yeah, they planned a second season. Actually, they planned FIVE. Talk about ambitious!
Season 2’s theme is living with purpose: The friends set out to share their love and togetherness with everyone and help other lands find their song.
Season 3’s theme is appreciating differences: We dive deeper into the backgrounds of each friend’s life, as we learn about each friend’s background, their cultures and traditions, and that not all families look the same. Through it all, love persists.
Season 4’s theme is we can do hard things: Obstacles, grief and suffering are explored through the lives of the friends and their families.
Season 5’s theme is sustainability: The friends band together to protect their world for future generations.
And that's everythi- oh wait we've got a few pages of the nigh-illegible series bible to go through.
Um, those images... don't even show... the characters the entires are about.
Wow, that's an error I've legitimately never seen before.