AT Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 12:46:48 -Ken wrote:

>I have to say that most film scores are as insidious as a laugh track on a
>comedy show. I don't need to be told when something is funny or sad. It's
>manipulation and most film composers go to the lowest common denominator.
>Most film scores are derivative and lack any real effort beyond those
>typical Hollywood stock methods that get recycled again and again.

I found an interesting soundtrack dilemma with "Passion of The Christ". I 
was at the Billboard/Hollywood Reporter TV & Movie Music seminar last 
November in Hollywood where they talked about the pros and cons faced by 
composers and music supervisors (and most times composers VS. music 
supervisors). On the second day of talks the musical guest was John 
Debney...who not only guested on one panel with hysterically funny movie 
producer Garry Marshall but also had first hand experience composing for 
film which he shared with the audience.

We were told that Debney would be reproducing the score from "Passion Of The 
Christ" live...with 20 musicians. I never saw the film and really had no 
interest in hearing the music. Instead, I spent a good part of the set-up 
time Debney needed for the performance out in the lobby making cell phone 
calls. Then the first notes drifted out into the lobby area and I was taken 
aback by how beautiful and haunting it was.

I returned to the conference hall and was knocked flat by the 4 instrumental 
pieces performed by this entourage whose performance was not only 
spellbinding but non-tradtional (exotic percussion from the middle-east was 
accompanied by one, solitary viola). By the end, most were moved to 
tears...and for me that was a definining moment as I have no visual 
reference to the film.

More determined than before, I will probably never see the flick as it would 
never live up to the expectations of this unique live performance....though, 
I may buy the soundtrack if I stumble across it.



Jaimie Vernon,
President, Bullseye Records
"Not Suing Our Customers Since 1985!!"
http://www.bullseyecanada.com
Author, Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/