How Golden Globe nominated music producer Leland came to be involved with Lulu Is a Rhinoceros (Exclusive)

Lulu Is a Rhinoceros tells the story of a bulldog who believes she is a rhinoceros. It is a warm, wholesome story about identity and being one's true self. But at the core of this inspiring and exciting story is music.

Songwriter and music producer Leland is an integral part of Lulu Is a Rhinoceros, adding his unique flavor to the animated TV special. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Leland spoke about how he came to be involved in the star-studded project.

Executive Producer and Head writer, Allison Flom, wrote the words that Leland brought to life in Lulu Is a Rhinoceros:

"I feel just so lucky to be a part of this project. And I was brought on I believe by Allison Flom, one of the Creators and Writers. I think she knew of me as a songwriter in maybe other projects that I’ve worked on."

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The Golden Globe-nominated songwriter did not hesitate in coming on board and joining the ensemble, bringing Lulu Is a Rhinoceros to life. He added:

"So, Allison through her team reached out and this is what I call like a no-brainer project. Like the second you hear about it, you wanna be involved."

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Leland wrote for a younger audience in Lulu Is a Rhinoceros

We at Sportskeeda posed the question to Leland, "How different is writing for a younger audience?" Not too different, it turns out.

"There’s such a big overlap in writing music for kids and writing music for everyone. As a pop songwriter, the biggest compliment you can get is when you write a pop song that sort of permeates culture and goes everywhere, and kids are singing it," he said.

In fact, it is his nieces and nephews who are his litmus test before Leland puts out new material into the world.

"My nieces and nephews are the biggest tastemakers and testers I would say of a song, whether or not they love a song that I’ve written. Or if they’re like (disinterested) cool. Or depending on how they respond," he said.

Leland went on to acknowledge the impact that musicals like Lulu Is a Rhinoceros had on him when he was young. He went on to talk about how they inspired his own personal journey:

"To me, it’s such an honor to write for kids because I know how impactful musical specials like this were for me as a kid. So, to be a part of one and potentially, be a part of something that, as you grow up, you look back on these fond memories and these songs bring out really special feelings of a very specific chapter of your life."

Leland hopes to have the same impact on today's youngsters that musicals back in the day had on him.

"It’s an honor to write for kids. And it is challenging but in a way where you want it to be sort of, you want to write a song for everyone, that of course kids can latch onto and carry with them for as long as they want," he added.

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Lulu is a Rhinoceros is now streaming on Apple TV+. Stay tuned for more exclusive content only on Sportskeeda.

Edited by Ameen Fatima