[Fmpro] 2 Week Summer Intensive Film Scoring Program and some thoughts

[Hummie Mann]

Thanks to all of you who responded to my notice about the 2 Week  
Summer Intensive Program.  I may have created some confusion here and  
I apologize for that.  The entire program ends with the live  
orchestral scoring session, not the Summer Program.  The summer  
intensive contains the first 2 of 5 classes (FS1 and FS2).  It does  
include a class is composition techniques for writing dramatic music  
(FS2), but the hands on scoring of a film only happens as part of the  
regular year program.

Reading music is absolutely required - the course is a professional  
program to train composers to work at the highest levels of the  
industry.  Not that I don't think that keyboard based composers cannot  
write amazing music, but I do believe that writing for orchestra is  
not something that can be done effectively at the keyboard.  I find  
that most people who do that write to the characteristics and  
limitations of the samples and not to the limitations of the actual  
instruments that they are trying to emulate.  For instance, string  
parts done with a keyboard are very often just constant footballs  
(very long noes) because they sound the best using samples.  Whereas  
in orchestral writing the strings are usually the busiest sections  
sawing away like crazy and they actually are no that great at holding  
a note for 45 seconds.  The technology has allowed us to create a  
plethera of scores that are sustained strings and rhythmic percussion  
(Stormdrums) - something almost anyone with a keyboard can do.  I will  
take a Bernard Hermann score any day - a well written piece of music  
that also has all the dramatic impact that the film calls for.



206/230-0222
800/546-8611

www.hummiemann.com