Composing : What would you like to learn? by Joanna Karselis

Yes, please share your “snippets”. I would be very interested in your material and thoughts on things. I tend to gravitate to harmony and with film music the things that I like can stand on their own. I appreciate it all, but melody and harmony will make me come back to it and listening to it for years. Like say something like the Random Hearts score….listened to it again yesterday. Or Randy Newman’s Awakenings….there are so many. Those are just two off the top of my head and because I’ve heard them in the past couple days…his Leonard’s theme gets me every time I hear it. Great movie, too

I would definitely be interested in your snippets. I'm a producer, not a composer, but I am always looking to learn and better understand the relationship between composers and films and how to maximize every opportunity that composition gives to s story. Thanks, Joanna Karselis!

Hey Joanna, this is really cool. A course in film music sounds fun. I love the relationship between music and film and how they affect each other. I love watching documentaries about film composers and how they work. It would be great to see some of your snippets!

What a great idea, Joanna Karselis! I'd love to see snippets and synopses here in the lounge. If you also want to do something a bit more in-depth for the blog, let me know!

Hi Joanna,

Great topic to start with!!

I haven’t done Action genre, so would like to see if you included this in your classes.

Yes, love to hear your theory approach, etc !!

I have some examples (probably) in some books I’ve purchased, though wanted to hear your background from history or samples you’ve done.

Michele V. Maslin’s new video was great for

Sync and the business- highly recommended-

(By me

HI Joanna, it would be great to read or watch snippets of your lectures! If I could choose any film composer it would be Jóhann Jóhannsson. His music is always subtle and elegant. There's an underlying sense of minimalism and emotional depth that permeates his many facets.

Thanks for all the comments and enthusiasm everyone! Sounds like it'll be useful to feedback some snippets with the community, so once class starts I'll be sure to share some snippets either as videos or as little extracts.

Linwood Bell Linwood Bell great scores you mention there. I agree about the importance of melody and harmony, melody is actually getting two lectures all to itself because there's so much to say!

Sam Sokolow and Niki- absolutely agree the collaboration between a composer and the film is crucial to understand, I'll definitely be talking about how composers relate to films and process!

Kerry Kennard ohhhh I've got a whole lecture on the history of action music PLUS analyses of action scores for melody, harmony, orchestration in subsequent lectures planned so you're covered on that front! Very happy to share information on that. Thanks for the video recommendation, will check it out!

Antonio Zimmerman oh excellent choice on Jóhannsson. He's definitely popping up in a few lectures! Absolutely agree that his minimalism and underlying emotion underpins his work, there's such craft in everything he does.

Thank you so much for the thumbs up Kerry and very cool Joanna!

Joanna Karselis - you’re Welcome.

Where will we find the Action scores ?

Website or archive somewhere??

Ok - need to go.

Have a great weekend!

KK

Hi Joanna I would be very keen to see some of your course snippets/thoughts. I very much like your approach to composition and share your interest in exploring new pathways in order to discover the unexpected. I also appreciate the eclectic nature of the work I've listened too (the trailer for 5 South and The Skin She Sheds short). Where are you teaching your new course, by the way?

Kerry, I'll pop the snippets up on here or on a blog with links. Stay tuned! Hope you're having a great weekend!

Simon, thanks so much for listening to those bits of work, really appreciate your kind words. Course snippets will be incoming over the next few months! I'll be teaching at King's College London.

There has been a few musical pieces I appreciate greatly...a few in the movie DANGEROUS BEAUTY (2000) and SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK - I'm highly in love with both opera & ballet (and other silent) musicals! .THERE was one with Nicole Kidman way back... can't think of right now! Most of it was MUSICAL...

I don't know much about film music history/scoring theory, so I'll like to see your snippets, @Joanna Karselis.

Will be sure to share Maurice Vaughan :)

Ballet musicals huh Sherri, nice one! Love ballads will be popping up so I'll be sure to share those sections.

Hmm... so many good ones Joanna! BUT MOZART & BEETHOVEN and that time period would be ANOTHER ONE OF THEM... (saw the movie AMADEUS way back - FELL in love with the story of that film!

AT 10 yrs old, I played one of Beethoven's many symphonies (small booklet) at a piano recital (student at our local conservatory of music - Merchantville, NJ)... and NOW wish I could remember which one!

HERE IS AN INTERESTING TIDBIT about Beethoven that I didn't know!!

He actually ended up partially deaf & completely deaf at one point in age BUT still composed music and ended up being SOME of HIS BEST WORK. (see link below)

https://www.britannica.com/question/How-did-Ludwig-van-Beethoven-get-his...