At the Scoring Stage with Thomas Newman

Sometimes there are moments when you stop and think... is this really my life? This post falls into that category. As most of you know, I had the extraordinary opportunity to have Thomas Newman as my mentor while attending the SMPTV program at USC. Because of the connections I made both with Tom and his copyists (the wonderful guys at Reprise Music of Universal Studios), I've been able to maintain contact beyond my graduation at USC.

This week, I am playing the role of music librarian as Tom spends three days at Fox Studios recording strings for his current project, The Adjustment Bureau, starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. I sit at the copyist desk, observe, and assist the guys in any way they need - passing out parts, corrections, double checking edits with Tom, keeping track of changes made on the podium, etc. It was an incredibly busy session, but a total blast to be sure. Thrilling can barely describe how it felt to be in the thick of the action - I really felt I was part of the team. Perhaps my favorite role is my job as the "A" giver, a position given to me by Tom's contractor Leslie Morris at the first session I attended in Dec 2009. Whenever the orchestra needs to be tuned, Tom turns to me from the podium and says "Dave, can we have an A please," at which point I leap up, scurry to the piano and play an A. It's amazing. 

I arrived at Fox this morning and got a hug from Tom, a hug from his music editor Bill, and a hug from his music contractor Leslie.... is this really my life?

More photos and anecdotes to come in the remaining days.