Owen Pallett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Owen Pallett
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Pallett performing at the Coachella music festival in 2010.
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| Birth name | Michael James Owen Pallett-Plowright |
| Born | September 7, 1979 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |
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Owen Pallett (born Michael James Owen Pallett-Plowright on September 7, 1979) is a Canadian musician, composer, and singer. They are known for playing the violin and keyboards and for creating complex, beautiful music.
Pallett first became famous under the stage name Final Fantasy. With that name, they won the important 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album He Poos Clouds. Pallett is also well-known for working with the band Arcade Fire. They create string arrangements for the band's songs and sometimes tour with them.
In 2014, Pallett and William Butler from Arcade Fire were nominated for an Academy Award. This was for the music they wrote for the movie Her.
Pallett began studying classical violin at age three and wrote their first piece of music at 13. They have written music for orchestras, ballets, and even video games.
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Musical Career
Starting as Final Fantasy
Pallett was inspired by electronic bands like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) and Eurythmics. The name Final Fantasy was a tribute to the famous video game series.
Pallett's first album, Has a Good Home, came out in 2005. One song, "An Arrow in the Side of Final Fantasy," uses music from the video game Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.
Their second album, He Poos Clouds (2006), was a big success. It won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize, a major Canadian music award. The album's songs are based on the schools of magic from the game Dungeons & Dragons. Pallett gave the prize money to other bands who needed it.
Performing as Owen Pallett
In 2009, Pallett decided to stop using the name Final Fantasy and began releasing music under their own name. The first album as Owen Pallett was Heartland in 2010. This was followed by In Conflict in 2014 and Island in 2020.
Pallett is famous for their live shows. They use a special tool called a loop pedal. This pedal records their violin playing and then plays it back in a loop. This allows Pallett to build many layers of sound, making it seem like a whole orchestra is playing.
Working with Other Artists
Besides their solo work, Pallett is a talented arranger. An arranger helps decide how all the different instruments in a song should sound together. Pallett has created string arrangements for many famous artists.
Some of the musicians Pallett has worked with include:
- Arcade Fire: Pallett helped write the string parts for their famous albums Funeral and Neon Bible.
- The Last Shadow Puppets: This is a band with Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys. Pallett arranged and conducted the orchestra for their first album.
- Pop Stars: Pallett has worked with huge names like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Duran Duran, and Pet Shop Boys.
- Rock Bands: They have also arranged music for bands like R.E.M., Linkin Park, and Franz Ferdinand.
Pallett also wrote music for movies, including The Box and The Wait.
Personal Life
Pallett was born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and grew up in the town of Milton. In 2002, they earned a degree in Music Composition from the University of Toronto.
Pallett identifies as gender-queer and uses they/them pronouns.
Selected Discography
As Final Fantasy
- Has a Good Home (2005)
- He Poos Clouds (2006)
As Owen Pallett
- Heartland (2010)
- In Conflict (2014)
- Island (2020)
- Her (Original Score) (with Arcade Fire) (2021)
See also
In Spanish: Owen Pallett para niños
