Hollywood comes to Guildhall School
It’s been an exciting few weeks for Film Music students in Guildhall School’s Electronic & Produced Music department, who have had the opportunity to learn from not one, but two acclaimed Film composers.
As part of the inaugural London Soundtrack Festival in March, Guildhall alumnus Harry Gregson-Williams delivered a masterclass discussing his scores for films including Shrek, The Martian and Team America, as well as his training with Hans Zimmer and his collaborations with filmmakers Ridley Scott, Tony Scott and Joel Schumacher. The masterclass took place in the Barbican Cinema and was delivered in partnership with Guildhall School’s Film Music programme, with 75 students given the opportunity to attend.
Second year Film Music student Liana said:
“The masterclass with Harry Gregson-Williams in the Barbican was very insightful. He methodically took us through many of the scores that he has written throughout his career, exploring the themes of each film and explaining the difficulty of finding a good melody. He discussed the importance for film composers to use your melody, even a simple one, to your advantage to build emotion and convey the story that you need to tell.
He showed us certain ideas he had for famous films he worked on, explaining how well he thought they fit, only to be told that the director did not like them and that he had to rewrite the cue completely. Even the greatest get their ideas rejected and knowing how to cope with rejection is essential. I could have stayed listening to Harry Gregson-Williams talk for another two hours!”
Last month also saw students from Guildhall’s Electronic & Produced Music department reach the culmination of an exciting new Film Music project with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) and Academy Award winning composer Rachel Portman. Students on the School’s Film Music pathway spent the day in Milton Court Concert Hall hearing their original film scores being performed and recorded by the LSO, one of the world’s most famous film ensembles. Over the past few months, Guildhall’s aspiring Film Music composers had been mentored on their scores by Portman, known for her music for Emma, The Cider House Rules and Chocolat.
First year Film Music student Eva said:
“Working with Rachel Portman and the LSO was an incredible experience which I will carry with me for decades to come. The players were phenomenal and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have my music performed by such outstanding musicians. Rachel was a brilliant mentor, offering insightful and succinct feedback that helped me develop as a composer. It was also great being able to practice industry skills such as communicating with an orchestra, control room and conductor in a way that imitated the professional world. I’d finally like to say a massive thank you to everyone involved in making this day possible. It was truly amazing and all of us have learnt so much from this experience.”
Find out more about studying Film Music with Guildhall School’s Electronic & Produced Music department.