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Features
For 17 years, the ASCAP Film Scoring Workshop has provided a one-of-a-kind opportunity for
beginning film composers to learn the ropes with some of the top names in the film music
industry. Many composers have used the workshop as a launching pad to significant work in
the industry. Here is a look at a few past workshop participants and what they are up to now.
 Michael Bearden (2000)
An accomplished composer, Michael's feature film scores include Drop Squad produced by Spike Lee (starring Eriq Lasalle and Ving Rhames), the indie film The Visit directed by Jordan Walker Pearlman (starring Rae Dawn Chong and Billy Dee Williams), two debut indie features: The Arrangement for filmmaker H.H. Cooper and One Week for director Carl Seaton, as well as the score to Dense, the directorial debut feature film for Soul Food's Vanessa Williams. Most recently, he scored the feature Constellation (starring Gabrielle Union, Leslie Ann Warren and Billy Dee Williams) as well as the feature film/doc America The Beautiful for director Darryl Roberts, and a new short film by veteran actor Mike Beach.
Michael has been musical director for the tours of Madonna, Rod Stewart, Jennifer Lopez, D'Angelo, Anastasia to name just a few. He is also frequently contracted by bandleader Paul Shaffer ("Late Show with David Letterman") to be the lead substitute for the CBS Late Night Program. Michael has also performed as a pianist and/or conductor on numerous major television specials, talk shows and award shows including: the Emmys, Grammys, network anniversary specials, etc. Most recently, he served as principal keyboardist for the John Singelton film Four Brothers, and VH1's new reality show, But Can They Sing.
 Jane Antonia Cornish (2002)
In 2005 Jane Antonia Cornish was awarded a British Academy Award (BAFTA) for her score to the Jim Henson feature, Five Children & It, starring Kenneth Brannagh, Freddie Highmore and Eddie Izzard. She was honored by the UK Film Council as one of the "Breakthrough British Women In Hollywood," and presented to an audience of influential industry figures. She is the series composer for ESPN's Sports Century, and her orchestration credits include Alex & Emma, The Girl Next Door and Slowburn. Her next project will be composing the music for Island of the Lost Souls, directed by Nikolaj Arcel for Lars von Trier's Zentropa production company.
 Nuno Malo (2003)
Nuno Malo was born and raised in Portugal where he started his musical education in composition, piano, and guitar. In 1996, he earned a Master's degree in Film Composition at the London College of Music in London, UK, then earned a full scholarship to complete the Advanced Studies in Scoring for Motion Pictures & TV at USC in 2000. Throughout this period he has earned numerous awards for his compositions including: The Malcolm Arnold Prize, London UK, The Worshipful Company of Musicians Silver Medal, London UK, The Henry Purcell Composition Prize, London UK and the Camões Song Competition, Portugal. Within the last several years he has scored three feature films and one solo instrumental album (Nominated for an award at the Golden Melody awards 2002- the equivalent to the Grammy awards in Taiwan). Most recently, Nuno has scored his first critically acclaimed American film, The Celestine Prophecy, directed by Armand Mastroianni and produced by Barnet Bain (What Dreams May Come). The film is an adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same title, written by James Redfield. The film is due to be released in March 2006.
 Dana Niu (2001)
Since attending the ASCAP Film Scoring Workshop in 2001, Dana Niu has orchestrated for a series of high profile film composers. Her credits include Constantine for Brian Tyler and Klaus Badelt; One Hour Photo for Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek; Iowa for Elia Cmiral; and most recently Underword: Evolution for Marco Beltrami. She just finished scoring her second feature, Callback. The film was directed by Christopher Glatis and produced by Show-Gun-Eye Entertainment. Dana's recent writing credits also include additional music on GUN, a video game scored by Christopher Lennertz, and David Julyan's Dungeons and Dragons installment, produced by Silver Pictures, which aired on the Sci-Fi channel this past October.
 Cody Westheimer (2001)
Emerging composer and multi-instrumentalist Cody Westheimer grew up in Santa Barbara, California. A graduate of the music composition program at USC's Thornton School of Music, Westheimer now resides in West Los Angeles, where he works out of his home studio. Since attending the ASCAP film scoring workshop Cody has scored a dozen independent features and many short films. His most recent credits include The Seeds of Creation: The Making of Hellboy, What's Bugging Seth, a dramatic feature and Chris and John's Roadtrip, a reality show for Canada's OutTV. Cody is currently scoring National Lampoon's Cattle Call. In addition he has worked on such high profile television shows as House: MD, CSI:NY and The Guardian. Along with his film and television endeavors, he was awarded the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Award for his concert piece, Bamboo Leaves. In 2004 he was a chosen as a finalist for the Young Film Composer's Competition, sponsored by Turner Classic Movies.
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