A Scene of Hearts by JM Musique – The Heart Session
Discover the behind-the-scenes of the filming, the handcrafting of the set and the connection with the song Under the Clouds, the theme song of W+M magazine.
Exclusive music report on the music video The Heart Session by Jeff Maheux (JM Musique).
Hello,
In July 2024, in the quiet of a night shoot, over 2,000 pieces of cardboard were meticulously assembled to bring to life a poetic and immersive scene: The Heart Session.
A white wall, hundreds of hearts, a radio turned on, a guitar lying open on the couch... and suddenly, the music comes alive through images.
This animated video accompanies Under the Clouds (Instrumental), a rock track composed by Jeff Maheux under the JM Musique banner. Remixed to become the official theme of W+M Magazine, the piece inspired this signature video, produced in collaboration with W+M Services.
In this exclusive report, we take you behind the scenes of the shoot—where cardboard becomes emotion, and each note is illustrated through dance and movement, guiding the listener toward the rock and
Discover the making of—from set design to filming—in this second part of the video feature
This audiovisual project stands out with its soft visuals and handcrafted structure. It poetically illustrates the song’s imaginary chorus — even though the track is instrumental — by bringing the lyrics to life through images, with an approach that is both creative and authentic. It’s an invitation to feel, imagine, and explore the sonic world of JM Musique through a production that intimately blends music and design.
The official musical theme of the W+M digital magazine: Under the Clouds
Under is a song that was written spontaneously. At the time, placeholder words were used in the studio to dress up the music during the recording session... A rhythmic pop rock track with a story that makes you smile! It’s pure W+M!
Under the Clouds (The Cat Demo) - Jeff Maheux - Tome 1/3 - #Pop #Rock. When everything goes bad, just #DANCE!
Link to come
Under the Clouds (Long Instrumental) - Jeff Maheux - Tome 2/3 - #Pop #Rock. The Heart Session.
Link to come
Under the Clouds - Jeff Maheux - Tome 3/3 - #Pop #Rock. Official Video and Single Release.
Under the Clouds (Long Instrumental) - Jeff Maheux - Tome 2/3
The Heart Session — The Making of
Behind the Scene: Over 2,000 Cardboard Pieces
The concept for The Heart Session set started as a simple sketch in a notebook: to represent a beating heart through an explosion of shapes and colors. The challenge? Create a 100% handmade set with no digital effects.
More than 2,000 pieces of cardboard were hand-cut to build this heart wall. Each heart was glued individually, playing with depth and curves to create a sense of movement. The set was then lit with soft, directional lights to enhance the paper’s texture without flattening it.
Filming took place in the evening, in a peaceful atmosphere, with one goal: to capture the visual emotion that echoes the music. A tripod-mounted camera, a few simple movements, and a clear intention: to let the music breathe through the image.
Visual elements like the wall, the guitar, sheet music, and cardboard props were arranged to emphasize the human and intimate nature of the project. Nothing was left to chance, yet everything unfolds naturally on screen.
Set Preparation
It all began by placing cardboard petals and colorful plants around the couch, glued to the walls. Then came the black vase and the stylized radio—based on the Under the Clouds single cover—set on each side of the scene.
The heart itself was formed from dozens of small red hearts, patiently glued together to create one large organic shape. Once the props and guitar were placed and the guitar case laid open on the sofa, the heart was “dismantled” visually—shot frame by frame as little hearts fell into the case, one by one. A painstaking stop-motion animation process.
The following night, the music led the way: three 20-minute takes were filmed with a fixed camera, looping the track while the performer improvised in space. Close-ups, fluid gestures, and dancing movements were then selected during editing to reflect the song’s energy and softness.
A simple set, full of intention. A living room serving an invisible chorus we can only imagine.
The inspiration for this scene comes from a line in the song’s verse. Here’s the literal translation:
Isn’t a part in everyone?
Looking for the couch all around
We must rest on something to feel comfortable.
The Heart Session set is far from digital. Everything is real, handmade, and designed to live at the rhythm of the track.
It’s a clip in two tempos: the set falling, the body rising.
W+M exclusive music features — That’s Rock!
Conclusion
The Heart Session reminds us that you don’t always need to sing to move someone. Sometimes, a wall, a heart, a gesture is enough to express what music holds inside. That’s why the soundtrack is the instrumental version of the piece. The mix is the long version of the song, with a 32-bar intro that features the guitar riff right from the start—this segment is not included in the vocal mix, which is much shorter and more compact to suit radio standards.
It’s a work that leaves room for imagination, memory, and interpretation. A piece that, like a forgotten chorus, stays with you long after the last note.
Watch the full clip: https://youtu.be/VjuB3yl2aVg
Read the press release: https://www.jmmusique.com/media-jmmusique/heart-session-under-the-clouds
Discover JM Musique: www.jmmusique.com
Thank you,
Jeff Maheux
Production and writing: Services W+M.
About JM Musique
For years, I had been looking for a way to integrate my personal passion for music creation into my professional career as a producer and marketing editor.
A passion pursued on evenings and weekends
By day, I was behind the screen, and by night, I was doing something entirely different—writing music, mixing, composing, and singing. I still rehearse my vocals and phrasing outdoors, in parks and open fields, so as not to drive my neighbors mad. Especially during the interpretation phase of a song, when phrasing and articulation are refined—and a single line might be repeated for 10 minutes straight. I’ll go through the entire song text that way, over the course of an afternoon.
As you can imagine, this work was done part-time, and often paused for months at a time—especially during the pandemic years. Some of my songs date back to between 1998 and 2006 and have yet to be properly recorded in studio. Others exist only as musical drafts—no mix, no vocals yet.
The arrival of JM Musique
Since then, I’ve moved to Québec City with all that creative baggage—literally—and I’ve been able to channel it into something usable: professionally, for myself, my businesses, and others. The idea is to produce compelling marketing material and versatile soundtracks—crafted entirely here in Québec, in Montréal and Québec City—to help other local professionals stand out in their own campaigns, videos, podcasts, or promo clips.
I took the time to do things right by creating an official structure for this project—JM Musique, my personal music production house. It was founded on July 2, 2024, and now lives online at www.jmmusique.com.
I invite you to visit the website and follow the new social platforms to discover the ongoing journey of #demoTalkMusicArt, the musical storytelling project that’s already underway, along with many compositions to come.
Thank you,
Jeff Maheux, Founder of W+M and JM Musique.
Visit the JM Musique Instrumental Tracks Gallery! Enjoy!
Info Links.
Music Production: JM Musique
Media and Contact: https://www.jmmusique.com/contact
Follow the Socials of JM Musique - Jeff Maheux
Exclusive music report. Discover the behind-the-scenes footage of the shoot and the handcrafted set design for the video "Under the Clouds."