ASMAC Podcast

In this ASMAC Luncheon podcast, Filmmaker Denny Tedesco, Don Randi and Perry Botkin discuss the process and behind-the-scenes actions of bringing the Award-winning documentary, “The Wrecking Crew” to the screen. For more information about this luncheon, please visit: http://www.asmac.org/the-wrecking-crew-luncheon/

This ASMAC luncheon podcast features recording artist and double-Grammy nominated vocalist Monica Mancini; and producer, musician, educator, 7 time Grammy winner and Latin Grammy “Producer of the Year” Gregg Field. You can view the complete VIDEO of this event on the Members Only section of this website. They spoke to attendees at the ASMAC luncheon on April 19th at Catalina’s. For more informatio...

This luncheon podcast features Ray Parker Jr. While he is perhaps best known for the No. 1 smash hit “Ghostbusters,” Ray has enjoyed quite a versatile career, not only as a much sought-after guitarist, but with a number of other hits to his credit, as a performer, songwriter and producer. For more information about this luncheon with Ray Parker Jr., please visit: http://www.asmac.org/asmac-luncheo...

This Luncheon podcast features television composer, Mike Post. Mike and Don Peake, the moderator, have a decades long bond and touched on some fascinating stories with Jackie Kennedy, Andy Williams, Ray Charles, Sonny & Cher, Pete Carpenter, and how a beach towel battle in Hawaii turned into a TV composing gig. To learn more about this luncheon with Mike Post, please visit: http://www.asmac.org/po...

This Luncheon podcast features Steve Porcaro, who shares his creative process of writing, his life, and his work. With his new solo album about to be released, “Someday, Somehow,” and his upcoming tour with Toto, we were lucky to have him with us. For more information about this luncheon with Steve Porcaro, please visit: http://www.asmac.org/steve-porcaro-luncheon/

ASMAC’s May 18th luncheon was a special "Honor Our Own" event, where we proudly acknowledged two excellent composers/arrangers who have excelled in both their careers and their support of ASMAC. First up to be introduced by President Kim Richmond was Duane Tatro. After we celebrated his 89th birthday with a cake and candles, Duane treated the audience to a brief retrospective of his career. Glenn...

This ASMAC Luncheon podcast features Stu Phillips. His talk included stories from his long and varied career, ranging from playing piano in cocktail lounges to conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He began his career as an arranger and conductor for several night club performers and became a successful A&R record producer and film and television composer. To learn more about this ASMAC lun...

This ASMAC Luncheon podcast features Mark Isham, who has always had a talent for crafting evocative new musical worlds. His gift for creating unforgettable melodies and his love of fresh, innovative sonic palettes have earned Isham many awards including a Grammy, an Emmy, and a Clio, in addition to multiple Grammy, Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for his material both as a composer and...

This ASMAC Luncheon podcast features Leonard Maltin, one of the country’s most recognized and respected film critics and historians. Leonard was in his 24th season as the resident film buff with television’s Entertainment Tonight. Long before he became a familiar face on television, his annual paperback, “Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide,” established his reputation; he was 18 when the first edition w...

This ASMAC Luncheon podcast features composers Lolita Ritmanis, Michael McCuistion, and Kris Carter, known as Dynamic Music Partners. They were introduced by ASMAC Board Secretary Charles Fernandez who has known DMP since they worked on the Shirley Walker crew for Warner Bros. He marveled over their imagination, mastery of technology, and serious business acumen. He added that their partnership of...

The American Society of Music arrangers & Composers presented a panel discussion, “The Sound of Motown, from Detroit to Los Angeles” at its monthly luncheon, November 14 at Catalina’s in Hollywood. Keyboardist, composer, and producer Clarence McDonald moderated the panel that included Marvin Augustus, David Blumberg, Sylvester Rivers, and Don Peake. This session was a follow-up to last summer’s AS...

This ASMAC Luncheon podcast features Dave Black, with Alfred Music Publishers, one of the major distributers of music books and printed music. Dave was introduced by ASMAC Board member Elliot Deustch, a busy composer and conductor himself. In addition to holding the Alfred Music position of Senior Vice President, Dave is an active composer, arranger, author and percussionist. To learn more about t...

This ASMAC podcast features Gary Owens, one of the best in the business. As a radio announcer, DJ, narrator, broadcaster, animated voice specialist, and actor, Gary has marked over 3,000 cartoon shows and appeared in over 12,000 radio shows. His cartel of cartoon characters include Roger Ramjet, Space Ghost, The Blue Falcon and Ren & Stimpy’s Powdered Toast Man – and has been with Sesame Street si...

ASMAC was thrilled to host composer, producer and keyboardist Scott Healy at our March 16th Luncheon. Scott gave the audience an overview of how he arrived in Los Angeles – from the beginning, as he learned to play the piano, through his musical education, to his gig work in New York prior to joining the CONAN band. For more information on this luncheon with Scott Healy, please visit: http://www.a...

Lee Holdridge was our guest speaker at the ASMAC luncheon on Wednesday, November 19, 2008. Lee spent his early years in Costa Rica, beginning music studies on the violin at the age of ten with Hugo Mariani, then the conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica. At fifteen - now determined to be a composer - he moved to Boston to finish high school and study composition with Henry Las...

Superb musician Greg Phillinganes gave an excellent presentation for the ASMAC luncheon at Catalinas Jazz Club on February 17. It was a most interesting talk about his views of the music business, past and present, and, responding the questions, some of his history including how he entered the business, who he got started with, and his stepping- stones along the way. For more information on this l...

The ASMAC October luncheon speaker was composer-conductor Bill Conti. In 1976, he became a household name when he was hired to compose the music for a small United Artists film called “Rocky.” The film became a phenomenon, and Conti’s training montage tune, “Gonna Fly Now” topped the Billboard singles chart in 1977. He also composed music for the sequels “Rocky II” (1979), “Rocky III” (1982), “Roc...

Winner of the 2006 Grammy Award for his Instrumental Arrangement of nine-minutes long end [“Incredits”] credits from the Pixar film “The Incredibles,” with a 90 piece orchestra, as well as three-time Emmy Award winner and five-time Grammy nominee, Gordon Goodwin was warmly welcomed by ASMAC as the June luncheon speaker. For more information on this luncheon with Gordon Goodwin, please go to: http:...

On April 6, 2016, The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers was very fortunate to have multi-Emmy and Grammy award winning arranger Patrick Williams speaking at ASMAC’s First Wednesday event. The subject for the evening was conceiving a big band arrangement. Instead Pat took the evening into a heartfelt and personal direction. He discussed his work on Frank Sinatra’s final recording pr...

Trumpeter, bandleader, conductor, composer, arranger, songwriter, Russ Garcia has done it all, and has enjoyed every minute of it. In this ASMAC Luncheon, Garcia began his remarks from his repertoire of one-liners, “I’ve never worked a day in my life. I write music and they pay me for it.” For more information on this luncheon with Russ Garcia, please go to: http://www.asmac.org/russ-garcia-lunche...

Tim Simonec and Ira Hearshen host a question and answer session with the arrangers who worked on the 2009 Academy Awards show under the direction of Michael Giacchino. It was Michael’s idea to have a big band on the stage of The Oscars playing film scores, a new sound for the show. Twenty arrangers worked on the arrangements over a two week period. Tim and Ira are introduced by Ray Charles. For mo...

Harry Shearer is a comic personality and modern day renaissance man. For the past two decades he has enjoyed enormous success and planted the fruits of his talents in the heads of millions worldwide thanks to his voice work for THE SIMPSONS, where he plays a stable of characters: most notably Mr. Burns, Smithers, and insufferable neighbour Ned Flanders. For more information on this luncheon with H...

It is no surprise that Grammy winner, five-time Grammy nominee and seven-time Emmy nominee Nan Schwartz is considered a pioneer for women composers. And Conrad Pope is emerging as one of the most exciting, original voices in contemporary film scoring. For more information on this luncheon honoring this talented couple, go to: http://www.asmac.org/nan-schwartz-luncheon-wednesday-march-20th/

A large and enthusiastic crowd was in attendance at this Honor-Our-Own ASMAC Luncheon featuring Pete Myers and Chuck Fernandez at Catalina’s Bar and Grill in Hollywood. Pete Myers has the reputation of being the pro’s pro. A composer, conductor, arranger, and orchestrator he has served as lead composer for many producers, including Aaron Spelling, Lorimar, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal, CBS, Vi...

The background of Richard Bellis is distinguished by its surprising diversity: child actor, touring rock ‘n roll music director, arranger/conductor for Las Vegas headliners, university lecturer and now, award-winning Hollywood composer. Born in Pasadena, California in 1946, he began his show business career acting in movies (notably the sci-fi classic “Them!”) and TV (from “Cheyenne” to “Batman”)...