Latest news with #composer
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Why it's getting harder to uncover new local musical artists
technology music 37 minutes ago Over the last two decades the number of places we could - in theory - be exposed to new music has increased exponentially. But instead of making it easier to discover New Zealand artists, it seems to be getting harder. Composer, producer, and lecturer at Massey University School of music Jesse Austin-Steward spoke to Jesse.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Emmy-award winning The Simpsons composer dies aged 84 after long battle with a rare neurological illness
Legendary composer Alf Clausen best known for his 27-year stint on The Simpsons has died at the age of 84 after a long battle with a rare illness. The film composer passed away on Thursday at his Valley Village home in Los Angeles, his daughter Kaarin told The Hollywood Reporter. Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren. Karin revealed her father had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) around eight years ago when he was in his mid-seventies. PSP is a rare, progressive neurological condition that affects movement, balance, vision, speech, and swallowing. There is currently no cure. Clausen, whose score credits include TV series Moonlighting and film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, scored many of The Simpsons' iconic melodies after joining the show in 1990 for its second season. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. In all, the musician garnered 23 Emmy nods for his work on The Simpsons, taking home the trophy in 1997 and 1998. Clausen took home the gong with lyricist Ken Keeler in 1997 and 1998 for the songs We Put The Spring In Springfield and You're Checkin' In (A Musical Tribute to the Betty Ford Center). He also received seven Emmy nods for his work on other projects. Variety reported that Clausen used a 35-piece orchestra each week and the costs for the original music ran into millions of dollars a year. In addition to his work on The Simpsons, the composer has also worked on such fiums and TV shows as Moonlighting, The Naked Gun and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He worked on the beloved cartoon right up until its 27th season in 2017 - when his relationship with bosses soured and he was dismissed from the role. Clausen's relationship with the show didn't remain a rosy one, as he filed a lawsuit in 2019 alleging he was fired from the series because of his age and a perceived disability. But in court documents filed by Fox and Simpsons executives, and seen by The Hollywood Reporter in 2020, producers said Clausen was let go because he was unofficially delegating his work to others, including his son. revealed that Fox's defence argued that the media company's decision is protected under its First Amendment rights. Fox was seeking to have Clausen's suit dismissed under California's SLAPP statute which permits media companies to make staffing decisions based on protected free speech. Attorneys for Fox also argued that Clausen was unlikely to prevail in his complaint because he was an independent contractor and not an employee. According to the situation came to a head in November 2016 when work had begun on an episode of the animated series titled The Great Phatsby, a hip-hop spoof of F. Scott Fitzgerald's celebrated novel The Great Gatsby. Simpsons producer James L. Brooks 'questioned whether Clausen was the right person to prepare rap music and questioned his work more generally', Simpsons producer Richard Sakei says in a statement filed with the court. Sakei went on: 'Around that time, I learned that Clausen had been delegating some of the work of composing music for The Simpsons to others, including his son Scott Clausen.' Sakei says he thought this unauthorised delegation of work by Clausen was 'unacceptable' and notified Simpsons showrunner Al Jean about it. Following a meeting between Sakei, Jean, Brooks and showrunner Mat Selman, Sakai states: 'We decided that we could improve the music on the show by replacing him.' The matter was resolved in February 2022 after Clausen reached a settlement with Fox.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The Simpsons contributor dies at age 84 after suffering from rare illness as tributes pour in
Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of The Simpsons for 27 years, has died. His daughter Kaarin Clausen told The Associated Press that Alf Clausen died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles after struggling with Parkinson's Disease for about a decade. He was 84. Clausen, who also scored TV series including Moonlighting and Alf ('no relation,' he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for The Simpsons, winning twice. Al Jean, an early Simpsons writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X Friday that 'Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons.' While Danny Elfman wrote the show's theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio. His colleagues said his music was a key component of the show's comedy, but Clausen believed the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge Bart and Lisa was by making the music as straight as possible. 'This is a dream job for a composer,' Clausen told Variety, which first reported his death, in 1998. 'Matt Groening said to me very early on, `We´re not a cartoon. We´re a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama.´ I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to specific action hits on the screen.' Groening, in a 1996 interview, called him 'one of the unacknowledged treasures of the show.' Clausen was born in Minneapolis and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. In the 1970s he was a musical director on several TV variety shows including 'Donny & Marie.' Clausen worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s films including 'Splash' and 'The Beastmaster.' It was Holdridge who first got the composing job on 'Moonlighting,' the late-80s ABC rom-com detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig off to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it. Clausen won his Emmys for 'The Simpsons' in 1997 and 1998 and also won five Annie Awards, which honor work in animation in film and television. He was fired from 'The Simpsons' in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal. Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alf Clausen, Emmy-winning composer who wrote music for 'The Simpsons' for 27 years, dies at 84
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of 'The Simpsons' for 27 years, has died. His daughter Kaarin Clausen told The Associated Press that Alf Clausen died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles after struggling with Parkinson's Disease for about a decade. He was 84. Clausen, who also scored TV series including 'Moonlighting' and 'Alf' ("no relation," he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for 'The Simpsons,' winning twice. Al Jean, an early 'Simpsons' writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X Friday that 'Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons." While Danny Elfman wrote the show's theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio. His colleagues said his music was a key component of the show's comedy, but Clausen believed the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge Bart and Lisa was by making the music as straight as possible. 'This is a dream job for a composer,' Clausen told Variety, which first reported his death, in 1998. 'Matt Groening said to me very early on, 'We're not a cartoon. We're a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama.' I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to specific action hits on the screen.' Groening, in a 1996 interview, called him 'one of the unacknowledged treasures of the show.' Clausen was born in Minneapolis and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. In the 1970s he was a musical director on several TV variety shows including 'Donny & Marie.' Clausen worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s films including 'Splash' and 'The Beastmaster.' It was Holdridge who first got the composing job on 'Moonlighting," the late-80s ABC rom-com detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig off to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it. Clausen won his Emmys for 'The Simpsons' in 1997 and 1998 and also won five Annie Awards, which honor work in animation in film and television. He was fired from 'The Simpsons' in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal. Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren. Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Alf Clausen, Emmy-winning composer who wrote music for 'The Simpsons' for 27 years, dies at 84
Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of 'The Simpsons' for 27 years, has died. His daughter Kaarin Clausen told The Associated Press that Alf Clausen died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles after struggling with Parkinson's Disease for about a decade. He was 84. Clausen, who also scored TV series including 'Moonlighting' and 'Alf' ("no relation," he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for 'The Simpsons,' winning twice. Al Jean, an early 'Simpsons' writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X Friday that 'Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons." While Danny Elfman wrote the show's theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio. His colleagues said his music was a key component of the show's comedy, but Clausen believed the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge Bart and Lisa was by making the music as straight as possible. 'This is a dream job for a composer,' Clausen told Variety, which first reported his death, in 1998. 'Matt Groening said to me very early on, 'We're not a cartoon. We're a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama.' I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to specific action hits on the screen.' Groening, in a 1996 interview, called him 'one of the unacknowledged treasures of the show.' Clausen was born in Minneapolis and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. In the 1970s he was a musical director on several TV variety shows including 'Donny & Marie.' Clausen worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s films including 'Splash' and 'The Beastmaster.' It was Holdridge who first got the composing job on 'Moonlighting," the late-80s ABC rom-com detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig off to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it. Clausen won his Emmys for 'The Simpsons' in 1997 and 1998 and also won five Annie Awards, which honor work in animation in film and television. He was fired from 'The Simpsons' in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal. Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren.
