MUSIC: Simply Simpsonic Music!

I had the pleasure of joining the Audio Engineering Society for a great presentation by the creative team responsible for composing, recording, mixing and editing the music for "The Simpsons" thanks to an invitation of my dear friend, R. She is responsible for putting the event together.

Thanks to the efforts of R. the female attendance for an audio engineers' event rose and will grow:)

My interest as a music educator was to learn about the world of my friends and colleagues. I may not choose to be in the studio but I wanted to see what possibilities I can bring to my students.

Alf Clausen (composer), Rick Riccio (recording engineer) and Chris Ledesma (music editor) were excellent speakers. They were inspirational in sharing their work which they love. I wished that I had brought a couple of my high school music students. I think they would have understood quite a bit and learned a lot of new technical terms. I think they would have been inspired by the persistence and impeccability of how this successful collaborative team work and relate...

This evening I learned how a cartoon is born and the technical and creative intricacies that goes into it. Alf Clausen shared how the animators had a scene in mind with Homer playing an instrument and had requested to be present as the soloist played so that the cartoon movements matched what the musician was doing. The care and level of impeccability is admirable.

Sometimes a piece incorporates more than a dozen cartoon characters. Music is written sensitive to the diverse vocal ranges and personalities. As the composer beautifully described it, it's like putting together a "New York Times crossword puzzle".

So putting this puzzle is quite a masterful game and I was present to the respect and trust he had for all involved to help make his music happen. There is no room for second guessing and no time for wondering if it's good enough. That was the sentiment of the creative minds on the stage. When you are committed and doing something you love, you make Emmy-award winning work.

Chris Ledesma (music editor) thought he wanted to be a conductor when he was in music school but was bitten by the music editing bug. His persistence, attention to detail and commitment to showing up to life created the life he enjoys. He's edited every episode of "The Simpsons." He is another proud papa who loves his work.

Rick Riccio (audio engineer) also shared. I thought he was a creative and innovative thinker having designed sound systems and sound studios as well as mixing and recording. In listening to him and his friends onstage, I was present to mastery and flow.

I am happy to visit with the Audio Engineering Society. R. hosted a great event that I think a couple of my students would have enjoyed it as well as been inspired. I will be sharing with them what I learned and maybe will invite a couple should a suitable open event comes up.

The cartoons were hilarious, the process of creating the music a pleasure to learn about and I saw that remarkable work is put together by remarkable people.

JNET