ASCAP Cues Next Generation of Television and Film Composers With 20th Anniversary Workshop
Twelve Aspiring Composers Selected From an International Field of Applicants to Participate; Renowned Guest Speakers Include: Doug Frank (President of Music, Warner Bros. Pictures), Tom Shadyac (film director) and John Debney (composer)
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - July 8, 2008) - The American Society of Composers, Authors and
Publishers (ASCAP) has selected 12 aspiring composers to participate in the
20th Annual ASCAP Television and Film Scoring Workshop with legendary
composer, arranger and mentor Richard Bellis. The Workshop begins today in
Los Angeles and runs through July.
For twenty years, the ASCAP Television and Film Scoring Workshop has been
the premier learning experience for emerging composers. The Workshop gives
participants a hands-on opportunity to work and learn in a professional
composer's environment.
Richard Bellis, an Emmy Award-winning composer, is a member of ASCAP's
Board of Directors and author of "The Emerging Film Composer." This year
he celebrates his eleventh year with the program and once again led a panel
selection of the Workshop's 12 participants, who were selected from more
than several hundred applicants worldwide. This extremely talented and
promising group will take part in a series of seminars and training
sessions provided by a cadre of industry professionals, agents, music
attorneys and veteran music composers.
This year, guest speakers include Doug Frank, President of Music Operations
for Warner Bros. Pictures, Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning
composer John Debney, along with director Tom Shadyac and music editor Jeff
Carson. Industry veterans who regularly contribute their time and talent to
the program include: music editor Michael Ryan, co-founder of Mad 4 Music,
Jo Ann Kane Music Services, legendary recording engineer Armin Steiner,
orchestrator David Slonaker and concert master Endre Granat.
As part of the annual Workshop, ASCAP selects scenes from contemporary
films and challenges the participants to create an original musical score
to dramatically enhance the scene.
The most exciting moment for participants (if not the most anxiety-ridden)
comes when they take the podium to record their original compositions on
the historic Alfred Newman Scoring Stage at Twentieth Century Fox. Each
composer will conduct a 60-piece LA studio orchestra contracted by Peter
Rotter (De Crescent & Rotter, Inc.). And not just any orchestra, but one
comprised of members of the RMA (Recording Musicians Association) --
world-class musicians, many of whom performed the original scores for these
assigned films.
"The 20-year mark for this program is a major milestone achievement," said
Bellis. "This is a one-of-a-kind workshop which provides aspiring
television & film composers a chance to hone their crafts with the help of
top industry professionals and state-of-the-art resources. There is not
another program quite like it -- it is the gold standard for those who
aspire to join the ranks of television and film composing."
Keeping Score for Two Decades
Initiated in 1988, the intensive month-long program has gained
international recognition, and is widely known as a major educational and
networking opportunity for aspiring composers. At its 20th year, the
Television and Film Scoring Workshop remains one of the most successful and
prestigious programs offered by ASCAP.
The Workshop has guided talent in taking their craft to the next level and
has produced a large number of success stories. In previous years the
Workshop has featured industry professionals as speakers including: Hans
Zimmer (composer of the upcoming "Frost/Nixon," "Pirates of the Caribbean,"
"Gladiator"), Michael Giacchino (composer of "Ratatouille," "The
Incredibles," "Lost") John Debney (composer of "Dreamer," "Passion of the
Christ," "Sin City") James Newton Howard (composer of "Michael Clayton,"
"Blood Diamond," "The Sixth Sense"), Randy Newman (composer of "Ragtime,"
"Toy Story," "A Bug's Life").
"This annual workshop is one of the key activities of ASCAP's Film &
Television Music Department," said Nancy Knutsen, Senior Vice President of
Film & Television Repertory. "The multifaceted curriculum offers a
one-of-a-kind experience for aspiring composers to receive hands-on
training,
real-world knowledge and advice from professionals at the highest levels of
the film and television music industry."
"The ASCAP Television and Film Scoring Workshop with Richard Bellis is an
invaluable experience for any aspiring composer lucky enough to attend,"
said Mike Todd, Senior Director of Film & TV Music. "It presents real world
information and experiences that can't be learned any other way. ASCAP has
always been a leader in providing opportunities and programs for new
generations of composers and songwriters, and the Workshop is another
outstanding example of this kind of career development."
The Future Composers
This year's finalists come from seven different countries and represent a
vast array of different disciplines and composing genres and backgrounds.
The following are the selected participants for the 20th Annual ASCAP
Television and Film Scoring Workshop:
Marc Baril -- From North Vancouver, B.C., Canada, Marc has a diploma in
Music Composition/Jazz Guitar Performance from Vancouver Community College,
and a BA in Music Composition/Minor in Film from University of British
Columbia.
Eric Hachikian -- Based in New York, NY, Eric studied Nadia Boulanger's
methods in Paris, France with Dr. Philip Lasser of the Juilliard School,
and has also studied composition at the Aspen and Tanglewood Music
Festivals, as well as at Northwestern University and Oberlin Conservatory.
He received his Bachelor of Music with highest honors from the University
of Michigan and his Master of Arts from New York University.
Jaebon Hwang -- Originally from Seoul, Korea, Jaebon has been in New York,
NY for the past two years. She is currently in an NYU Masters Program, and
received her BM in Music Composition from Korea National University of
Arts.
Jeff Kryka -- Based in Los Angeles, CA, Jeff received his BM in Music
Composition from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and also received
his MA in Music Composition in June 2008 from the University of California,
Los Angeles.
Adam Langston -- From London, UK, Adam graduated from the Royal Academy of
Music, London with an honors degree in Media and Applied Music Composition.
Patrick Murray -- From Austin, TX, Patrick has studied jazz trumpet at
Manhattan School of Music and Sound Recording Technology at Texas State
University.
Sascha Peres -- From Vienna, Austria, Sascha has studied at the
Conservatory in Vienna, Austria and has a diploma in Harmony and
Counterpoint, Contemporary Composition, Classical Piano and Jazz Piano. He
also took a film music master class with Luis Bacalov.
Anna Rice -- From Ireland and currently Dublin/London based, Anna has her
Composition for Screen PGDip from the Royal College of Music, London and a
Certificate: Film & TV Scoring Program from UCLA Extension. She earned her
MA in Ethnomusicology from Irish World Music Centre, University of
Limerick, and a BA in Music from Trinity College, Dublin.
Luke Richards -- From London, UK, Luke received a scholarship to Tonbridge
School in England where he studied music. He is currently undertaking a BA
in Music at the University of Nottingham, UK.
Tilman Ritter -- From Berlin, Germany, Tilman has attended sessions at the
Musician's Institute, and studied in composition at the Academy of Music in
Berlin, Germany.
Austin Wintory -- Based in Los Angeles, CA, originally from Denver, CO,
Austin has a degree in Composition from the University of Southern
California where he also completed the USC Scoring for Film & TV Program.
He studied for 2 years in the NYU film scoring program and attended the
NYU/ASCAP Foundation Film Scoring Workshop in Memory of Buddy Baker.
Gerrit Wunder -- From Vienna, Austria, Gerrit has studied classical
composition & orchestration, scoring for motion pictures, and jazz piano at
the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna.
This year's Workshop is partially funded by ole, the Recording Musicians
Association, and The ASCAP Foundation. The Workshop will culminate with the
presentations of three ASCAP Foundation awards: the David Rose Scholarship,
the Steve Kaplan TV and Film Studies Scholarship and the Harold Arlen Film
& TV Award. Each award will be given to selected Workshop participants
based on their excellence and professionalism, musical ability and career
potential.
For more information on the ASCAP Television and Film Scoring Workshop with
Richard Bellis visit: http://www.ascap.com/about/workshops.html#film
About ASCAP
Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights
Organization (PRO) representing the world's largest repertory totaling over
8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more
than 330,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. ASCAP has
representation arrangements with over 90 similar foreign organizations such
that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the
world. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by
licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and
distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances. ASCAP is the only
American PRO owned and governed by its writer and publisher members.
www.ascap.com.
About The ASCAP Foundation
Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization
dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their
development through music education and talent development programs.
Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants, scholarships, awards,
recognition and community outreach programs, and public service projects
for senior composers and lyricists. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by
contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers throughout the
United States. www.ascapfoundation.org.
About Mad 4 Music
Mad 4 Music is an established film music editing company with a number of
Oscar-nominated films to their credit. Founded by award winning veterans of
the music editing business, Mad 4Music has grown to now include a diverse
pool of talented music editors who work with many of the major film and
television production companies. The company is an industry leader in the
art and craft of music editing, while maintaining the smaller, boutique
atmosphere that sets it apart from other music editing companies.
www.mad4music.biz.
About ole
ole is a globally competitive, Canadian-owned, full-service music
publisher. ole boasts a team of 27 experienced industry professionals
focused on acquisitions, creative development and administration worldwide.
The ole catalog includes over thirty-five thousand songs and thirty
thousand hours of TV music across all genres. ole is an expert in
administrating television music copyrights and in licensing songs for TV &
Film. ole is committed to being the best and most innovative global
destination for world-class songwriters, composers, and management talent,
and the first choice music source for creators in all media. ole has
offices in Toronto, Nashville and Los Angeles. www.majorlyindie.com.
About The Recording Musicians Association
Recording Musicians Association (RMA) representatives are directly involved
in every aspect of the American Federation of Musicians that affects studio
musicians. Their goal is to represent the best interests of the finest
studio musicians in the world while creating and maintaining the highest
standards they rightly deserve. http://www.rmaweb.org/.