Composing : Favorite Composer And Why by Stephen Folker

My favorite composer is Hans Zimmer, @Stephen Folker, because his work is incredible and he scored some of my favorite movies. Way back when I tried to produce a movie, I talked to him about composing music for it, but he was busy with projects. Friendly guy.

He's definitely one of the best out there Maurice Vaughan!

John Williams is one of my favorite composers, @Stephen Folker, because of the JAWS theme and he scored some of my favorite movies. Hans Zimmer and John Williams are my top two. John could be #1. They're both such incredible composers.

John Williams. He is my all time favorite Composer. From an early age he has worked under and with the lineage of great melodic Composers from the 19th Century that came to the United States during World War II. Unlike modern Composers, he garnered his skills on the Hollywood stage playing piano, composing and conducting music for various popular films and television shows (West Side Story, Land of the Giants and a long list of other projects). He also plays jazz. His first film score was in 1958, way before The Reivers, The Poseidon Adventure, then Jaws, Star Wars, Close Encounters of a Third Kind, ET and all the great and emotional soundtracks (and television scores) he has since done. As of today he is 91 years old and still composing and conducting. He is truly the last of his kind.

The other questions I am involved in a project but (as you know) I cannot share anything or what it's about yet. :)

Easy. Morricone by a mile. Should I really explain why?!

Stephen Folker, It is very hard to pick one favorite, but Elmer Bernstein and Bernard Hermann and their mastery of the craft are the main reasons why I fell in love with Film Scoring. Regarding your second and third question, I can't share any tracks yet, as we are recording at the end of the year , beginning of 2024, but I am thrilled to be currently scoring a fantastic movie in the style of jazz / avant garde. The music will be entirely recorded live by some of the finest LA musicians and it is a fulfilling process, so grateful for it!

My favorite film composer in modern times? Thomas Newman. He has a specific sound and use of harmony and melodies that doesn't sound like every other Hans Zimmer copy nowadays.

He's always been true to himself.

Now if I had to give you my favorite composer from classical times of the greats, it would 100% be Brahms.

I like John Williams music, styles and motifs he’s created. Reading Guerrilla film Scoring book,

One of the composer bios, Yoav Goren did the Matrix, and Spider-Man films. I’ve always liked those themes as well as the tension to make these great movies- I’m a Sci-Fi guy.

Schoenberg was and still is interesting w the 12-Tone rows she created and I learned in Music Theory. I did a fairly quick mock up of during a film music class at EKU using 12 tone ideas for Spider Man- turned out pretty good - it’s on my YouTube reel.

Don’t have any tracks to share - yet, Stephen, though There’s the SoundCloud links on the profile. I am working on a Woodwind quartet percussion tracks in Dorico- it’s coming along.

I wrote a Rockin piece to include in my application for Cirque Du Sol this month; wish me luck.

Best of luck with your application Kerry Kennard ! I read Guerrilla Film Scoring during my first year in Los Angeles and I found very useful tips in it.

I grew up on James Horner and John Williams but have recently moved over to Hans Zimmer. I also listen to Audiomachine as I write.

As far as tracks go:

James Horner: "Surprise Attack" from ST2: The Wrath of Khan (side note: I took up the French Horn in middle school because of this one piece)

John Williams: "The Asteroid Field" from The Empire Strikes Back

Hans Zimmer: "Gap" from Dark Phoenix and "You Die or I Do" from Man of Steel.

I'm with you, Rutger. Morricone. And of course Maurice Jarre. Listening to the score of "Lawrence of Arabia" inspired me to take up the French Horn and I so enjoyed playing that.

Rutger Oosterhoff - I'm listening to his work now. Amazing.

Yes, Stephen, most people think about the music of '"Once Upon a Time in the West" (partly with Toots Thielemans), but I also love his music that goes with the "The Mission," a great movie!

Toot’s breath across a reed is one of the sweetest sounds I’ve ever heard.

Angelo Badalamenti, and the duo of Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans.

I've really been loving Natalie Holt's work on LOKI and was a big fan of when Ryan Miller did a stretch of film composing a while back (Kings of Summer, Safety Not Guaranteed, etc)

Stephen Folker I'm not a composer, Stephen, but I love Arvo Part and Philip Glass. Why? Because I guess I'm enthralled by the space between their notes and the minimalist approach to composition.

I would say John Williams, Ennio Morricone, John Barry, Jerry Goldsmith, Howard Shore, Alan Silvestri... It's difficult to pick one, they are all amazing! But, the greatest for me is John Williams because he's as good as Igor Stravinsky and Tchaîkovski for the orchestration work.

John Williams is always impressive. Good choice, Greg.

Well, hello Stephen....lovely to see you in this lounge! It usually depends on my mood and what music/composer that I feel like listening to. I have a lot of different favourites, but I always have time for Alexandre Desplat - any of his scores. They are magic. Currently scoring a horror film....nothing I can share right now, though.

Arhynn Descy - hope you been well! :) We'll have to catch up soon. Wonderful composer - thanks for sharing. Best wishes with the horror film!

Stephen Folker thank you and yes, let's catch up soon.

Vangelis and John Williams. Vangelis because he was able to get the perfect intimate feeling of movies, and John Williams for his epic and wonderful themes that will survive for generations.