Darrell Alexander

As well as gaining a first class music degree and studying the violin at the Royal Academy of Music, the Leipzig Conservatoire, and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Darrell gained an insight into the world of music having studied and had master classes with some of the world’s greatest composers and musicians including Olivier Messiaen, Gyorgy Ligeti, John Willliams, Pierre Boulez, the Amadeus Quartet, Anne Sophie Mutter and Itzhak Perlman. He went on to record and perform at the highest musical level and in many of the finest concert halls around the world as a member of the Sir Neville Marriner’s internationally renowned chamber orchestra, The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. He also performed with many of the top conductors, soloists and orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, The Leipzig Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra. It was with the Academy that he worked on the soundtrack to the Oscar winning film, The English Patient.

This film sparked his love of film music, which he feels bridges the gap between symphonic and more contemporary popular music. In 1996 he formed COOL Music Ltd (COOL stands for Chamber Orchestra Of London) to provide composers/artists with a new generation of musicians talent and went on to contract musicians on numerous films, games and TV dramas, as well as acting as string MD on several tours for Madonna. At this time he was also honoured to be asked by Sir George Martin, the Beatles manager, to consult and organise his last album In My Life, featuring the speech and vocals of Sean Connery, Jim Carrey, Goldie Hawn, Celine Dion, Jeff Beck etc.

In 2000, COOL Music Ltd, as well as contracting musicians, formed a composer agency and now represents many of the finest award winning Film, TV & Games composers working in the industry today. As the owner, senior agent and music consultant at COOL Music Ltd, he has been involved in the music production on hundreds of films, television dramas and records, from Jan Kaczmarek’s Oscar winning score to Miramax’s Finding Neverland (starring Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Dustin Hoffman) to Warner Bros Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, scored by Nicholas Hooper.

Christopher Gutch

Now a recovering drummer, Chris's deep interest in all forms of music composition led him to forgo other possibilities in order to study music at college. Through his session musician work in the early nineties he hooked up with a UK rap/rock act who signed to Steve Lamacq's Deceptive Records and went on to have a series of top ten hits in the early 90's; the most successful of which enjoyed a secondary level of success as a media track being licensed to a major Coca-Cola and European Championship Football commercial campaign, whilst also subsequently receiving various forms of further media licensing placements up to the present day. Chris continued his session playing whilst also concentrating his efforts as a formative member of a pop/rock act picked up by Trevor Horn's/Jill Gascoigne's ZTT, and A&R'd by Paul Morley. At the same time he took up the position of managing a 2xAMS Neve 48 track recording studio, rehearsal room, midi suite, tour bus and equipment storage music production complex in Clerkenwell, London. A place which became the spiritual and creative home for many bands including, Coldplay, Primal Scream, Elastica, Bluetones, Boo Radleys, Kenickie, Placebo, Ash, Fridge/FourTet, Future Sound of London, Dodgy and The Beta Band.

Having at the same time built up his connections within the world of music for media, Chris eventually decided to concentrate his future ambitions on media composer management, media music production and score production. As part of the team at Water Music Ltd, Chris worked with most of the major advertising agencies in the UK, Europe and the US on original music production for many award winning commercials including Levi's, Bacardi, British Airways, Virgin, Lynx, Mercedes, Orange, The Premiership, Whirlpool, C.O.I, BBC, Volvo, and Bank Of America. In 2004 Chris decided he would like to try his hand at a fresh challenge, that of composer management within Film and TV drama music, and joined with Darrell Alexander at Cool Music Ltd as Senior Agent. In his eight years at COOL, (having been involved with agenting composers on projects ranging from feature films, much of the UK 's serial TV drama, and commercials of all shapes and sizes), Chris has worked hand in glove with Darrell and COOL's roster to develop client careers whilst at the same time helping Darrell guide COOL Music Ltd forward as an agency and orchestral fixer.

Chris is passionate about and has a wide knowledge of film music, pop/alternative music and film & TV itself. He is 100% driven to do the very best possible for every COOL Music client and works tirelessly on a daily basis to research and source commissions, tailor show reels, formulate and update all promotional and web material, negotiate commissioning deals and co-ordinate publishing deals. He is always on the lookout for the next commission. Always endeavouring to promote COOL composers and do everything possible to further each client's career, whilst at the same time fully protecting client's interests, building new connections, and securing existing relationships. He sleeps on Sundays and respectfully asks, 'No drummer jokes please?' At least, until you get to know each other a bit better...! Twitter = @cgutch

Gareth Griffiths

Gareth studied the violin from a young age and was awarded music  scholarships to Wells Cathedral School, Chethams School of Music and finally the Royal College of Music in London studying with professors Roger Raphael, Mauricio Fuks, Yeahfra Neaman, Zvi Zeitlin, Zaka Bron and Ithaki Rashkovsky. At the Royal College of Music he won numerous prizes that included The Countess of Munster and the Emily English Awards.

From the Vienna Konzerthaus to the Carnegie Hall in New York, he went on to perform in many of the worlds great concert halls with orchestras including The Philharmonia, The Royal Opera House, The London Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra (where he was a member for six years). During this period he was fortunate to be able to work and record with many highly respected composers and conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Pierre Boulez, Henryk Gorecki, John Adams, Malcolm Arnold, Tan Dun, Thomas Ades, Bernard Haitink, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir George Solti, Semyon Bychkov and Lorin Maazel.

This background brings a wealth of experience to the recording studio and an in depth knowledge of the finest London musicians.