We’re pleased to share that Rupert Hine’s book on the art of songwriting, production and distribution is shaping up well, with many interviews now complete and more underway. Before long we’ll need to draw the line—within the next couple of months we’ll turn our attention to compiling the final manuscript from the wealth of stories and insights gathered covering his life and work. These span from early school bands, through Rupert's decades-long heyday as a producer and artist, to his stil recent role as an industry luminary and technologist.

At its heart, the book reflects Rupert’s greatest passion: giving a voice to those who have something to say. Whether newcomers to the industry, artists facing career challenges, or simply seeking an outlet for expression, Rupert’s gift was to help people communicate through the art of song. In many ways, this book is his legacy—created so that current and future generations can benefit from the same skill, wisdom, and even-handedness.

This new page will share background to the book from Rupert’s own perspective, alongside reflections from those who knew and worked with him—stories of how he inspired, supported, and enabled their creative journeys. Compiler and editor Jon Collins is weaving these voices together with Rupert’s distilled wisdom, thus illustrating Rupert’s approach, process, energy, and passion, showing just how deeply effective and influential he was, and ensuring his impact continues for years to come.

CONCEPT MOCK-UPS FORFOUR MINUTES LATER COVERVERSION I

"My original intention here was to situate Roop and a series of four clocks in the place he most loved to visit: Connemara, West Ireland (the quiet, lush, Edenesque clearing pictured here is near Loch Na Fooey which is located in the region). Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—I could not get the idea to work as every attempt I made with the desired photo of Roop had him looking like a tourism spokesperson: hardly the presentation I wanted for the concept (or the man!). Thus, in the interest of simplicity and added mystique, I used a single clock reading four minutes past nine (a reference to Roop’s birth month of September). The dial features Roop’s initials as a monogram with the minute-hand appearing as the weighted pendulum bar of a metronome. To this end, we have time keeping tempo: the translation of fluidity to the discrete base language of music. Additionally, the whole apparatus resembles a pendulum, adding a “meta” flavour to the illustration (i.e., a clock that swings in keeping time). Wood and rope were used for the device as Jon once mentioned that Rupert was an “organic” producer and so, the use of materials found in nature for added referential significance only made sense (e.g., as a nod to Roop’s work on the “One World One Voice” project). Finally, the text for the title utilizes the same distinctive font as is used for his wordmark on the Rupert Hine website and for the title typography of “The Wildest Wish To Fly.”

Christoper Pavlik … cpavlik@forcetendesign.com … https://www.forcetendesign.com