Uploaded February 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Academy of Scoring Arts board member Josh Lucan gives a preview of our War of the Worlds Leith Stevens score study that will happen online March 9th, 2024. Are you an Academy of Scoring Arts member? You can join our Zoom event for free. Sign up here: scoringarts.com
During our score study, we will embark on an exploration of Leith Stevens' remarkable score to the 1953 science fiction classic, "War of the Worlds." Stevens' unique compositional techniques have significantly influenced the musical language of science fiction, employing devices like stacked fourths and fifths, melodic leaps of a seventh, and tritone-related progressions, which have become associated with the genre's depiction of space and the extraterrestrial.
In 1954, Stevens was instrumental in establishing the Composers and Lyricists Guild of America, the forerunner to the current Society for Composers and Lyricists, leading it as president for eight years. His work in the 1960s expanded into television, where he collaborated with the then-emerging John Williams on "Lost in Space.”
Our discussion will delve into the potential compositional links between Stevens and Williams and explore the impact of one of Stevens' instructors, the Russian composer and theorist Joseph Schillinger. A relatively enigmatic and underexplored figure, Schillinger contributed unconventional music theories that possibly inspired a generation of Hollywood composers to experiment and innovate, shaping the distinctive sound of film music during that era.
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The Academy of Scoring Arts is a nonprofit organization and community for musicians, composers, orchestrators and audio engineers. Our goal is to advance the process of scoring through score studies, panels and various community events. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a student embarking on a new career in music, we offer opportunities for growth, learning and networking.
Academy of Scoring Arts board member Josh Lucan gives a preview of our War of the Worlds Leith Stevens score study that will happen online March 9th, 2024. Are you an Academy of Scoring Arts member? You can join our Zoom event for free. Sign up here: scoringarts.com
During our score study, we will embark on an exploration of Leith Stevens' remarkable score to the 1953 science fiction classic, "War of the Worlds." Stevens' unique compositional techniques have significantly influenced the musical language of science fiction, employing devices like stacked fourths and fifths, melodic leaps of a seventh, and tritone-related progressions, which have become associated with the genre's depiction of space and the extraterrestrial.
In 1954, Stevens was instrumental in establishing the Composers and Lyricists Guild of America, the forerunner to the current Society for Composers and Lyricists, leading it as president for eight years. His work in the 1960s expanded into television, where he collaborated with the then-emerging John Williams on "Lost in Space.”
Our discussion will delve into the potential compositional links between Stevens and Williams and explore the impact of one of Stevens' instructors, the Russian composer and theorist Joseph Schillinger. A relatively enigmatic and underexplored figure, Schillinger contributed unconventional music theories that possibly inspired a generation of Hollywood composers to experiment and innovate, shaping the distinctive sound of film music during that era.
______
The Academy of Scoring Arts is a nonprofit organization and community for musicians, composers, orchestrators and audio engineers. Our goal is to advance the process of scoring through score studies, panels and various community events. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a student embarking on a new career in music, we offer opportunities for growth, learning and networking.
