Most mainstream filmscorers today are beaten into submission – and so they have a similar sound. Being able to predict the action is not the hallmark of a great score.

The concert composers aren’t elucidating the classical music experience much better. There is no call for a concert at the New York Philharmonic of nothing but new, living composers. We know what to expect: sound & fury…

The fascinating novelty filmscores that ran from the late 1950s through the 1970s have passed into antiquity; the new music-order requires a good ear for film-sales. And that’s that.

Concert composers won’t be a great challenge to existing filmscore composers (mostly men) whom most of the world never will recognize. Film is not sacred: it is not a not-for-profit enterprise. A good film does not require music.

A new definition of what music actually is may be a place to start in deciding royalty percentages.

The article you wrote remains interesting, months after press.

Joe Renzetti -member BMI

The big question: if we cannot even change the perception of those WE PAY to collect our royalties (like ASCAP), what realistic chance to we have to change the perception of those who PAY US?

I think we all agree with you on this!!!
And this idea should apply to not only PROs but also to film and tv productions and companies, directors and producers, and music and media consumers.

I agree with you, from a purely musical point of view – certainly there is a need – perhaps more today than in a long time – for more talented music to offset some of the lower quality music that is becoming all too common. But I guess that’s my point – I see many film scoring students graduating from colleges today with lots of dreams of becoming the next Horner, Goldsmith, etc but who are utterly unprepared by their schools for the harsh business realities that will govern their economic success or failure.

But a huge oversupply in composers combined with a massive number of library tracks dumped onto the marketplace has caused a huge drop in composer fees for all but the very, very top A-list people, and that has made it harder than ever for composers to make a decent living writing music for film and television. Combine this with the US royalty society’s outrageous 80% penalty for a one minute score cue (as compared to a one minute song cue) on television and it makes it that much harder for composers to make a living.

In the end, we need music organizations and people running them who truly respect and value score music – not just in word, but by their actions. Those in authority who devalue score music and treat it as second-class music are no friend to composers and should be recognized as such. If it is to survive and be more than “background instrumental” music, our art form desperately needs support, quality and integrity – not devaluation, depreciation, and economic suppression coming from the very people we hire and pay handsome salaries to allegedly maintain and protect the value of our music.

But in the end, too many composers sit idly by and hope others will do the “dirty work” of fighting for better pay, eliminating massive royalty penalties, etc, hoping to benefit from that work without having to get their hands dirty and, heaven forbid, “offend” anyone. And so the work doesn’t get done, the penalties continue, and great score music and those who write it are treated and paid as “background music”, one step above perhaps what one might hear on an elevator.

I think we can do better, if we dare to actually stand up and publicly fight for the value of the music we care about so much and have invested our lives and livelihoods in writing.

I believe that composers with skills, abilities, good taste and manner will always be needed. And I do hope that situation for those people to work well and comfortably will maintain a certain standard. However, even if that standard was to be deteriorated, I don’t think it was due to “competition” but structural issues which is nothing to do with music or composers.

By the way, there are tremendous need for great concert composers who can create music which fit now and forever!

ASCAP”S formulas have always been a mystery to me. At one time, I had a CD that reached #45 on national radio charts — getting hundreds of plays. My total royalties were $9 — yes nine dollars. ASCAP’s explanation was that most of the airplay was on college stations — outside their survey! So, who knows the logic behind ASCAP”S song v. film cue formula?

I understand Joe R’s frustration. You are telling us how bad the business is, and how music schools are cranking out film composers, while at the same time, you are selling numerous how to make as a film composer publications on the Film Music Store page. Complaining about how crowded the business is while “encouraging” the dreamers?
Combine that with the constant pitch from sample folks, selling “must have” sounds for any “serious film composer,” and one does get a bit jaded.

I do think ASCAP needs to rethink its policies and procedures. I also think that if the business is so over-crowded, as to make getting work nearly impossible, that perhaps composers should look very cautiously at those who feed on their dreams.

Michael