CARLY KNASZAK
Assistant Reverb Editor
When someone puts in a DVD, he or she automatically wants to skip through the trailers and get right to the movie. But, everyone is forced to stop and watch the SONY Pictures logo and accompanying theme music everyone is familiar with.
That music was inspired by a phone call that film composer Lee Sanders had with the president of SONY. The SONY president sang the melody that he wanted, Sanders was able to make it happen, and now it is on thousands of DVDs.
“When you pop in a DVD, you can’t avoid it — you have to hear it, which is how I like my music to be heard,” Sanders joked with students on Nov. 11 in Mason Hall. Fredonia’s Ethos New Music Society hosted the event which featured composers Sanders and alum, DJ Brady
Many people have already heard of Sanders’s music without even realizing it. His music can be heard on the multiple Emmy Award-winning series “The Amazing Race” and has contributed to popular shows like “Family Guy,” “Charmed,” “Fairly OddParents,” “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” and Disney’s “House of Mouse.”
Brady is Sanders’ assistant and has composed for films and videogames like “Identity Thief,” “Escape From Planet Earth,” “Hop,” “Cats & Dogs 2,” “Miracle at St. Anna,” “Red Alert,” “James Bond: Quantum of Solace” and “The Sims.”
The pair gave advice to the students in the room who aspire to be composers. But they also discussed the hard times of living in Los Angeles and how to get started after students graduate college.
“You want your craft to be respected. You want your music to be bought and you want to be compensated appropriately for the amount of time you have put into it. If you say no to an unpaid gig, 20 kids behind you will say yes. If you do it for free, that is your worth,” Brady said. “It hurts people that are established because now you’re training all these producers and directors to think ‘well, I really don’t need to pay someone even if is way below the rate that it should be.’”
Brady explained that producers are now putting ads out on Craigslist to find composers. “We are talking big major projects. They know that they will get bites.”
They also talked about the harsh reality that there are too many composers in the world. But it can be a good thing, because it allows composers to stand out. “It forces the issue of skill. You need to have a voice because you all have it and quality because that means your own quality will rise to the top,” Sanders said.
Sanders is also very good friends with Professor Rob Deemer; both attended the University of Southern California. Deemer is Ethos’ Advisor and Fredonia’s Head of Music Composition. During the lecture, Deemer gave an emotional speech about how life does not always go the way you want it. He was in Los Angeles with Sanders for film composing but left to pursue teaching.
“I am 45 years old, and I can tell you that is the hardest thing I have done,” Deemer said. “I’m sorry if I am getting a little emotional. This is really serious stuff. You guys come in here and you want to be composers. Some of you will graduate and you will go on and do composing and others will decide not to compose, both [scenarios] in which are totally awesome. It is about learning who the hell you are.”
Sanders stressed that talent is the least important thing composers bring to their career. He said that stubbornness, having connections, organization and being unique is definitely more important than talent.
“I want the art form to be better, and I am curious at what you’ll do,” Sanders said.