Oscar Nominee Party

Each year, the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL) and ASCAP host a reception honoring the nominees in the Academy Award music categories. The event is held on the eve of the Academy Award presentations at the home of ASCAP Board member John Cacavas and Bonnie Cacavas in Beverly Hills. This year's gathering included several Oscar nominees as well as special guests. Pictured, right are Howard Shore, SCL President and ASCAP composer Dan Foliant; Pixar Animation’s John Lasseter, director of the award winning film Finding Nemo, and seated, The Lord of the Rings trilogy director and multiple Oscar winner Peter Jackson.

ASCAP and ASMAC

ASCAP was a co-sponsor of the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC) annual awards ceremony in Beverly Hills on March 25. Two-time Emmy Award winner Ray Charles, who for 35 years was choral director and vocal arranger for Perry Como, received the Society's Irwin Kostal Tribute Award, named in the memory of another pioneering ASCAP film and television composer. Charles was the musical director for countless television specials involving, among many other artists, Julie Andrews, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. He has also been involved with shows as diverse as The Muppet Show and the Sha-Na-Na series. Additionally, he has been musical consultant for The Kennedy Center Honors for 21 years.

ASCAP Electronic Scoring Workshop

Pictured, left, at the Electronic Scoring Workshop are (back row, l-r) ASCAP's Shawn LeMone, tech assistant Gregg Lehrman, ASCAP composer and workshop mentor Jeff Rona, workshop participants Ray Colcord and Scott Marcussen, ASCAP's Kevin Coogan and Darren Cusanovich, tech assistant Scott Glasgow; and (front row, l-r) workshop participants Matt Messina, Bear McCreary, Patrick Kirst and Karl Stephensen.

ASCAP's Film & Television Music Department produced a 10-day Electronic Scoring Workshop in September 2003 led by ASCAP composer Jeff Rona. The program gave the participants the opportunity to refine their skills, and learn new techniques and methods using the latest desktop (and laptop) tools. The workshop consisted of six evening lectures and demos with a variety of renowned guest speakers. Held at Rona's state-of-the-art studio, the lecturers spoke about a wide range of technological, creative and musical issues. The speakers included composers Reinhold Heil (One Hour Photo, Run Lola Run) and Michael Giacchino (Alias, Medal of Honor), studio engineer Stephen Krause, programmer/mixer Bobby Summerfield, and M-Audio's product specialist Johnny DeLeon.

Each participant was given a 3-minute scene from a feature film to create an electronic score completely within the computer using Apple MacIntosh G4 workstations setup at the ASCAP offices. They composed on identical music systems, ensuring that everyone worked from the same sounds and software, yet came up with unique creative results. Mocking a "real life" working environment with a director/producer, the participants were given feedback and re-write instructions to be completed in time for the final evening screening and review.

ASCAP would like to thank M-Audio, E-Magic, and Apple Computers for their invaluable contributions and support to this unique program.

Film Noir

On April 7, ASCAP co-sponsored the opening night of "Film Noir: The Music that Sets the Tone" at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum, presented by The Film Music Society. The exhibit displays scores, photos and memoribilia representing dozens of classic and contemporary film composers, as well as an audio tour highlighting their works.

Pictured (l-r): Exhibit co-curator Warren Sherk, composer/President of the Film Music Society Christopher Young, ASCAP’s Nancy Knutsen, composer Don Davis and Museum curator Jan Christopher Horak.