WORD FROM THE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY
Praise for SCORING THE SCREEN from industry leaders and educators.
“I calls ‘em like I sees ‘em, and this book is a home run.”
“If you have ANY interest in what music “means” in film, get this book. Andy Hill is among the handful of penetrating minds and ears engaged in film music today. If you don’t know Andy, read this book. I know that after you have closed it, you will seek him out.”
“Andy Hill’s ‘Scoring the Screen’ is, like its author, thoughtful, incisive and full of solidly interesting insights into the technique, craft and emotional magic of film scores and the composers who create them. If this is your subject, this is your book. ”
“Andy Hill has created a book on film music that gives unparalleled information on how it is created, integrated with film, and then… perceived in the context of the film once it is “out there”. For composers, orchestrators, musicians, filmmakers, historians and fans of film and film music, every “piece of the puzzle” is here… the book is indispensable. In addition, Andy has shared all of this in a fresh, innovative and charismatic way… I could NOT put the book down… (!)”
“In this remarkable new book, Andrew Hill displays the comprehensive knowledge, wisdom, and reverence required to provide informed and practical insight into the art and craft of composing screen music. His background as a practicing musician, Disney studio music-executive, and college-level educator enables him to intelligently—and sometimes amusingly—reveal the magic behind the film-composer’s curtain. I believe this to be the only book in which large numbers of significant and original film-score manuscripts have been culled and presented for analysis and celebration. It certainly merits the attention of composers, students, and all serious fans of this increasingly popular genre.”
“Andy Hill has the ability to deconstruct and explain the process of writing film scores with extraordinary clarity, all the while imbuing the subject with a fervor that should, in my opinion, be reserved only for European football matches and Baptist revival meetings.”
You MUST read this – in the ever-growing pantheon of books on film music, this one is very special. While most analytical books are written by academics, Andy was right there in the thick of things as a member of the Disney music department, while the majority of the scores in the book were actually being recorded. Not to mention, it is so alive with his mad passion for film music.
Christopher Young, Film Composer
“With his book SCORING THE SCREEN, Andy Hill has made an important and truly invaluable addition to an all-too-barren landscape of great literature about great film music. He presents his case that the finest composers to have worked in film over the last eighty years have contributed genuine masterpieces of music and drama to our culture. A film score must excel at both to be successful, and this is so beautifully illustrated in Hill’s elegant prose. From the selection of scores discussed to the cues within them, and the musical phrases and bars highlighted, I read the book from a very personal point of view. Having produced new recordings of To Kill A Mockingbird — with Elmer Bernstein — and Patton — with Jerry Goldsmith — and examined these and other scores in great detail with the composers themselves, I found myself very moved by Hill’s like-minded analysis. Part of the film composer’s art is in fact to conceal the effort and the intellect that goes in to the creation of their scores. Hill thankfully lifts the veil. I am thrilled to see such a rare spotlight illuminating the artistry behind these masterworks.”
“In has capacity as Music Supervisor, Andy Hill’s contribution was central to the late 20th century renaissance of Disney animation and the animated musical particularly on films like The Little Mermaid, and the international phenomenon The Lion King.”
“I had the good fortune of working with Andy Hill during the second “golden age” of Disney Feature Animation beginning with The Little Mermaid and continuing through The Lion King and many other live action and animated films. We both got a master class’s exposure to the making of film musicals as well as how musical underscores can elevate a motion picture. Andy supervised and collaborated with an amazing list of great composers and songwriters including Hans Zimmer, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, and Randy Newman, among many others. He has studied the field as extensively as any author, and there is so much material here for the aspiring composer as well as the film music aficionado!”