"If a filmmaker ever says 'Look, I just don't know enough about music, that's what you're here for,' go to your local church, get on your knees and thank God."
"If a filmmaker ever says 'Look, I just don't know enough about music, that's what you're here for,' go to your local church, get on your knees and thank God."
# 13 ElmerWisdom
lol, that's my favorite one.
I love this one:
"In the long run, you're judged by how you helped the film, not how many records you sold".
"When people remember your scores, they're really remembering the film & the film experience. Not the music, just the association, because the music worked for them."
Previously on "Elmer Wisdom": I recently found my old notebooks from my time spent with my first musical mentor, film music legend Elmer Bernstein. In the frayed pages, there were 25 quotes I wrote verbatim and underlined. Fifteen years, and a professional career later, these words resonate with me even stronger than when I first heard them.
I am posting one quote a day for 5 weeks. Aside from being a master musician, Elmer was also a passionate educator. He wanted his wisdom and experience passed on to the next generation.
Thus begins week 4: "Focus on who you are, what you're willing to do or not do. Don't prostitute yourself.”
These quotations are so very good. They give us insight into the struggles composers may have with know-it-all directors and producers, and they just increase my respect for composers' difficult jobs. They also reflect Bernstein's boundless integrity.
And we arrive at the end: the final Elmer Bernstein quote from my notebooks. Thanks to everyone for reading along with me. This has been a joyous experience for me. I will be posting a blog entry soon about all this.
