On the track [antikvár]

Foreword I am often asked by young composers how they might gain entry into the world of film music. The answer, of course, cannot be simple. While there is no magic formula, good training, patience, and a large measure of assistance from lady luck will be indispensable. To begin with, knowledge of the great films and awareness of current trends in the field are solid prerequisites. /Lfter that, experience will be the best teacher. Because practical experience is difficult to come by, the next best thing would be the aid of top-caliber professionals willing to share ideas and techniques that have been gleaned from years of experience. On the Track does just that. It sums up the experience of these professionals and offers the reader the opportunity to learn about film composing from their inside point of view. In the past, most composers approached the world of film music from a variety of backgrounds. They began by studying concert music or playing jazz, rock or pop music, orchestrating for other composers, writing arrangements for vocalists and big bands, working on theater productions, creating and producing television commercials, and in general, exploring all styles of music. They also studied the great film scores that led the way for all of us. The broad experience gained from this eclectic background was, and is, probably the best preparation for a film composer. Today, as new composers begin their careers in film, they have access to extremely sophisticated synthesizers and computer technology, but they may find that their background is more limited in scope than their predecessors'. To offset this, these musicians will undoubtedly work in areas other than film in order to gain a wide range of useful experience. Although the study of music will be ongoing throughout a composer's career, he will need the information contained in this book to understand the usage and function of film music as it exists today. Writing, conducting, and playing music while learning about drama through the study of great literature, theater, and films are all essential in preparing for the challenge of scoring films. Karlin and Wright encourage the reader to apply his or her knowledge by practicing scoring film segments from available videotapes. Because their book is organized by topic, it is easy to use as a reference manual or textbook, yet can be read chapter by chapter if you wish. The many musical examples and references to specific moments in a variety of films make the book a tremendously valuable source of study. One final note. In the past we've noticed that many of our best musical minds were not interested in film scoring. This was probably the result of the fact that these composers found too many restrictions and technical problems in the film medium, and for some, the practice was simply too "low brow." I do, however, think that in the future we will see more and more "serious" young composers willing to devote some of their energies to film music. If this happens, and I think it will, the resultant music may have an effect, hopefully beneficial, on the development of the art of music itself. Media music is here to stay. It is part of our musical future for better or worse, and this book can help to make it better. For these and other reasons, I celebrate the publication of On the Track.