# Who would be your dream Masterclass?



## mac (Dec 19, 2016)

You can only choose* one*, no honourable mentions, no top five, no 'it would be between x and x'. Alive and kicking too - no, you can't have a Beethoven masterclass! Who would you choose?

I'd love to see John Williams.


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## Christof (Dec 19, 2016)

John Williams


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## Niel (Dec 19, 2016)

Jeremy Soule.

John Williams is a genius, but I can study his works without him.


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## leon chevalier (Dec 19, 2016)

myself !
[EDIT: Just need a desk and a mirror.... ]


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## dcoscina (Dec 19, 2016)

As much as I love John Williams music I'd actually say Goldsmith. He was able to get under the skin of a film like no other


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## Rasmus Hartvig (Dec 19, 2016)

Maurice Ravel


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## mac (Dec 19, 2016)

Well I see the part about the person having to still be alive has gone out of the window already


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## samy (Dec 19, 2016)

mac said:


> Well I see the part about the person having to still be alive has gone out of the window already



Rules are meant to be broken


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## mac (Dec 19, 2016)

Niel said:


> Jeremy Soule.



Good shout, I'd buy this.


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## anobi (Dec 19, 2016)

Another vote for Jeremy Soule. Although I'd happily settle with getting my hands on the scores of some of his works (I think he was going to make them public for his upcoming symphony), it would be interesting to see the guy working and talking about his process. He makes it sound so mystical with all the walks in the woods and so on.


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## Karma (Dec 19, 2016)

Williams & Morricone for me. Any would do!


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## fritzmartinbass (Dec 19, 2016)

Christof said:


> John Williams



Just go study some Holst and Shostakovich scores and you'll be good to go. He obviously did.
Oh, that's probably going to get me in trouble here. sorry


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## FinGael (Dec 19, 2016)

(Jean Sibelius. Pretty sure it's not going to happen) 

_edit: Oops. Did not read the opening post that well. 
_
Let me say Jeremy Soule.

Really love many of his compositions, but not so fond of the ways he has handled projects (especially Northerner) and treated people lately (online). Still so inspiring and talented composer, that at this moment he would be my choice.


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## keepforest (Dec 19, 2016)

FinGael said:


> Let me say Jeremy Soule.



+1 for Jeremy


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## Vin (Dec 19, 2016)

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross


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## Tatu (Dec 19, 2016)

James Newton Howard.


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## URL (Dec 19, 2016)

John Powell


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## IoannisGutevas (Dec 19, 2016)

Thomas Bergersen


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## benmrx (Dec 19, 2016)

Danny Elfman


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## Flux (Dec 19, 2016)

It would be tough to choose between Thomas Newman, Alexandre Desplat, or Dario Marianelli.

If living or dead, no question I would choose Brahms.


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## mac (Dec 19, 2016)

Flux said:


> It would be tough to choose between Thomas Newman, Alexandre Desplat, or Dario Marianelli.
> 
> If living or dead, no question I would choose Brahms.



I think you just managed to break all the rules I set in a single post.


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## Flux (Dec 19, 2016)

mac said:


> I think you just managed to break all the rules I set in a single post.



To be fair it's a tough choice!  Ok I will narrow it down- Thomas Newman would probably be my number one choice. So much that I want to learn from him.


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## Wes Antczak (Dec 19, 2016)

+1 for James Newton Howard. Also Howard Shore.

Don't laugh at me, but one I would also really really love that is not going to happen would be Vangelis.


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## Jorgakis (Dec 19, 2016)

Alan Menken. And maybe his orchestrator(s) ...


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## Wes Antczak (Dec 19, 2016)

Another good one might be the Sherman brothers. Of course it's already halfway too late for that one.


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## Jimmy Hellfire (Dec 19, 2016)

Ravel 

And perhaps John Powell.


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## Morodiene (Dec 19, 2016)

Eric Whitacre


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## mcalis (Dec 19, 2016)

Howard Shore.


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## novaburst (Dec 19, 2016)

With out a blink it would be John Williams, his compositions are very deep and meaningful


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## Kent (Dec 19, 2016)

Hans Zimmer - lucky me!

Seriously, though, while I _love_ the music, technical chops, and work ethic of many contemporary film composers, you don't get to the top - and stay there for any measureable length of time - by accident. I'm not even a Zimmer "fanboy," it just is what it is.


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## fiestared (Dec 19, 2016)

mac said:


> You can only choose* one*, no honourable mentions, no top five, no 'it would be between x and x'. Alive and kicking too - no, you can't have a Beethoven masterclass! Who would you choose?
> 
> I'd love to see John Williams.


Brian Wilson, George Martin or George Martin, Brian Wilson !


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## Niel (Dec 19, 2016)

Jorgakis said:


> Alan Menken. And maybe his orchestrator(s) ...


He is incredible.


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## mac (Dec 19, 2016)

Ok, to all the people that broke the rules, you're getting nothing from Santa this year.


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## Wes Antczak (Dec 19, 2016)

fiestared said:


> Brian Wilson, George Martin or George Martin, Brian Wilson !



I'm pretty sure a number of years ago George Martin had a BBC series devoted to music.


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## Wes Antczak (Dec 19, 2016)

mac said:


> Ok, to all the people that broke the rules, you're getting nothing from Santa this year.



Sometimes it's about breaking the rules, lol.


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## Karma (Dec 19, 2016)

+1 for Alan Menken. What an absolutely fantastic composer.


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## mac (Dec 19, 2016)

@Wes Antczak


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## ghostnote (Dec 19, 2016)

Composer: Newton Howard

Guitarist: Jimmy Page. Something like this was a dream of me since I was 14.


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## Jaap (Dec 19, 2016)

Though I have a big arsenal of composers from whom I would love a masterclass, I think in the end I would prefer a masterclass with Christopher Nolan. I love how he tells his stories and makes his films and I think that will pull out much more of me then from a composer masterclass.

(and no I didn't break any rules , was not specified it had to be a composer or musician  )


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## Morodiene (Dec 19, 2016)

Living Fossil said:


> During my studies i had several "masterclasses" with some great musicians. However, my impression always was ambivalent and i came to the conclusion that learning with good teachers on a regular basis and specially working a lot on my own is the better way.
> Sometimes i had the impression that some musicians expect some kind of "spiritual blessing" of the contact with famous personalities, in the sense of: _"...only say the word and my soul shall be healed"_.
> 
> I'm really convinced that the contact with outstanding artists can have a lot of value and impact, but i doubt that a masterclass is the place where this is transmitted.


This is a really good point. In William Westney's book, "The Perfect Wrong Note", he talks about what he calls the "un" master class. Where the masterclass setting is really geared toward puffing up the presumed master and belittling the participants and using the audience to sort of "gang up" on the participants. Of course, I've been to some wonderful master classes where I learned TONS and some that were more of the sort Westney talks about. 

So I do agree with you for the most part, that the best learning I've had was done in a one-on-one or very small class setting with a good teacher. I was actually going to respond to this thread with my teacher's name, Dr. Charles Rochester Young because I know he knows how to conduct a master class well.


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## novaburst (Dec 19, 2016)

Living Fossil said:


> I'm really convinced that the contact with outstanding artists can have a lot of value and impact, but i doubt that a masterclass is the place where this is transmitted.



Very interesting, shall we say mantle, if you are open and submissive to ones teaching you can get his or her mantle even by listening to there music, and I have heard it right hear on this forum.

I have heard John Williams type of pieces but you can tell that the person who did the composition was not trying to be like John Williams.

On the other hand you can be under some ones teaching for years but if your not willing to apply your self, the years is just a waist.

But I guess this type of thing is subjective


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## toddkedwards (Dec 19, 2016)

Alan Silvestri


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## spaunsam7 (Dec 19, 2016)

Alexandre Desplat


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## givemenoughrope (Dec 19, 2016)

Morricone


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## dcoscina (Dec 19, 2016)

fritzmartinbass said:


> Just go study some Holst and Shostakovich scores and you'll be good to go. He obviously did.
> Oh, that's probably going to get me in trouble here. sorry


Not much Shosty in Williams' music, but rather Prokofiev in spots or Stravinsky


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## fritzmartinbass (Dec 19, 2016)

dcoscina said:


> Not much Shosty in Williams' music, but rather Prokofiev in spots or Stravinsky



Stravinsky for sure. I have a buddy that plays Timpani in the Orchestra here that claims direct ripoff from Shosty.
Anyway, just a joke.
Williams wasn't/isn't regarded highly by some of my composition teachers in college. 
But I really like some of his work.


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## Morodiene (Dec 19, 2016)

fritzmartinbass said:


> Stravinsky for sure. I have a buddy that plays Timpani in the Orchestra here that claims direct ripoff from Shosty.
> Anyway, just a joke.
> Williams wasn't/isn't regarded highly by some of my composition teachers in college.
> But I really like some of his work.


"Lesser artists borrow, great artists steal." - Igor Stravinsky


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## MarcelM (Dec 19, 2016)

basil poledouris and john powell


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## fritzmartinbass (Dec 19, 2016)

Morodiene said:


> "Lesser artists borrow, great artists steal." - Igor Stravinsky


 Great quote! So supposedly Gershwin shows up at Stravinsky's door wanting to study with him. Stravinsky says "How much do you make a year?" Gershwin tells him. Stravinsky says "I need to study with you!"


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## synthpunk (Dec 19, 2016)

Sir Paul McCartney


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## Svyato (Dec 20, 2016)

Austin Wintory; I would like to understand better his process for making Journey's music.


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## Parsifal666 (Dec 20, 2016)

Jerry Goldsmith. If we're talking resurrected, then Mahler.


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Dec 20, 2016)

Bernard Herrmann


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## robharvey (Dec 20, 2016)

John Coltrane


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## Jetzer (Dec 20, 2016)

Matthew Bellamy - songwriting + guitar playing


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## Assa (Dec 20, 2016)

I don't have to think twice, John Williams for sure !


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## muk (Dec 20, 2016)

Max Richter would be interesting.



mcalis said:


> Howard Shore.



I've been to a 'masterclass' with Howard Shore at a film festival, as well as him introducing some of the movies he scored before a screening. Unfortunately they talked almost exclusively about his life and his career - how he got to score this or that movie, how he got into Saturday Night Life etc. - rather than about his music and how he works. The nomicker 'masterclass' was a bit misleading in that regard. I think you can find extracts of these talks on youtube.


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## passsacaglia (Dec 20, 2016)

Tough decision, but the one inspired me most is mr frenchie pianist and musician *Yann Tiersen.*
Although, coming from an EDM/house background, Dirty South and Axwell is 2 of my inspirations over there.
Then the four "joker's" would be Philip Glass, just to have a cool buddy to jam with. Danny Elfman - love his work in Burton's movies.
James Horner - love everything he's done and seems like was a very nice guy with an amazing soul that he put into music. Last but not least, I'd love to wake maestro J-Seb Bach into life and learn some beauties from him.
But the french baguette totally wins this for me.


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## mc_deli (Dec 20, 2016)

Jesse Heslinga said:


> Matthew Bellamy - songwriting + guitar playing


... maybe less songwriting and more concert planning and guitar playing

and also for me (alive):

Pierluigi Collina
Christina Aguilera (bonus here as they have that one)
Sorkin (...and they have him in the bag)

...in addition to Bellamy... and that pretty much covers my first four areas of interest... guitar, voice, writing (fast) and refereeing...

...but the producing/composing... hmm... I am not that excited... maybe I am just sooo jaded after 25 years of reading and researching... I am a bit cynical about finding something really new... true that I love, really love, watching over people's shoulders, especially talented people... well... Beck, Chem Brothers, Andre Benjamin, Pharrell, OK or JW or HZ... any of those


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## fritzmartinbass (Dec 20, 2016)

Joseph Schwantner, Steve Reich for the now.
Many of the wonderful Russian composers from the past.


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## Parsifal666 (Dec 20, 2016)

fritzmartinbass said:


> Joseph Schwantner, Steve Reich for the now.
> Many of the wonderful Russian composers from the past.



Steve Reich would be extremely cool. Phillip Glass. Penderecki.

Wait, I change my vote. Penderecki, all day money.


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## EwigWanderer (Dec 20, 2016)

Alan Meyerson on mixing sampled instruments.


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## patrick76 (Dec 20, 2016)

fritzmartinbass said:


> Joseph Schwantner, Steve Reich for the now.
> Many of the wonderful Russian composers from the past.


Great choices. Two of my favorite living composers also.


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## Dietz (Dec 20, 2016)

... lucky me ... I had the chance already to spend some time with a handful of people I've been eager to learn from  ... but one man is still high up on my imaginary list:

Trevor Horn.


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## Rodney Money (Dec 20, 2016)

dcoscina said:


> Not much Shosty in Williams' music, but rather Prokofiev in spots or Stravinsky


And don't forget about Copland.


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## paoling (Dec 20, 2016)

Bill Evans


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## synthpunk (Dec 20, 2016)

You might enjoy these Rob
http://www.johncoltrane.com/audioclips.html



robharvey said:


> John Coltrane


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## synthpunk (Dec 20, 2016)

paoling said:


> Bill Evans


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## Marcin M (Dec 20, 2016)

Thomas Bergersen, that would be interesting to see his composing proccess


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## Vavastrasza (Dec 20, 2016)

Brian Eno.


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## paoling (Dec 20, 2016)

That video is one of the best pearls he gave to all jazz lovers around the world.


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## mwarsell (Dec 21, 2016)

J. S. Bach

Morricone


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## synthetic (Dec 21, 2016)

EwigWanderer said:


> Alan Meyerson on mixing sampled instruments.



Your lucky day:

https://mixwiththemasters.com/

I watched some of the videos at a kiosk at AES. Some great stuff on surround, when to use LFE, lots of good tips. HOWEVER it's a $289/yr subscription and he's the only film guy there. Every other mixer is rock or pop. So you're paying $289 for ~2 hours of interviews with Alan. Worth it? Yeah, probably. But I haven't bitten the bullet yet. 

I can't remember everything he said, I figured it would be bad form to take notes in their booth. ;P I don't remember if he specifically addressed how to make 24 tracks of Kontakt not sound like dropping a drawer of silverware.


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## Gerhard Westphalen (Dec 21, 2016)

Mark Wherry and more from Alan Meyerson would be nice.


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## desert (Dec 21, 2016)

Myself


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## synthpunk (Dec 21, 2016)

How about Eno/Lanois ?



Vavastrasza said:


> Brian Eno.


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## Iskra (Dec 21, 2016)

Resurrected Aaron Copland, living maybe Joel McNeely in an orchestration masterclass. 
But yeah, please resurrect Copland first.


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## P.N. (Dec 22, 2016)

Franz Liszt.


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## Iskra (Dec 22, 2016)

P.N. said:


> Franz Liszt.


PM and we can fix it


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## P.N. (Dec 22, 2016)

It's funny because i almost said "Liszt or the guy above me". :D


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## JC_ (Dec 22, 2016)

First name that came to mind was Max Martin. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis would also be great.


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## Saxer (Dec 22, 2016)

No one else for Henry Mancini? Ok, nothing against private tutoring...


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## Ultra (Dec 22, 2016)

Ennio Morricone, Georges Delerue, Basil Poledouris


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## gsilbers (Dec 22, 2016)

harry gregson williams


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## Quasar (Dec 22, 2016)

Flux said:


> It would be tough to choose between Thomas Newman, Alexandre Desplat, or Dario Marianelli.
> 
> If living or dead, no question I would choose Brahms.


If living or dead, tough to choose between Mahler, Bruckner, Stravinsky or R. Strauss.

But Mahler wins I think.


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## Rodney Money (Dec 22, 2016)

Tugboat said:


> If living or dead, tough to choose between Mahler, Bruckner, Stravinsky or R. Strauss.
> 
> But Mahler wins I think.


Although I admire his music, Mahler would be one of the last people I would want to be in a room with, but come to think of it we have similar moods so we might actually get along.


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## Parsifal666 (Dec 23, 2016)

Rodney Money said:


> Although I admire his music, Mahler would be one of the last people I would want to be in a room with, but come to think of it we have similar moods so we might actually get along.



When it comes to Mahler, Beethoven, Wagner, Schoenberg....I'd be too in awe to learn (or say) anything.


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## Andreas Moisa (Dec 23, 2016)

Harry Gregson-Williams


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## SymphonicSamples (Dec 23, 2016)

Sir Simon Rattle, incredible conductor/interpreter of music, brilliant mind and educator. And Steven Hawking


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## Parsifal666 (Dec 23, 2016)

Bernstein would be more than interesting, especially given his brilliant Mahler interpretations...and his hilariously erroneous ideas regarding Beethoven.


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## Uncle Jesse (Dec 23, 2016)

Rachmaninoff... hands down!


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## fritzmartinbass (Dec 23, 2016)

paoling said:


> Bill Evans



Man, Scott Lafaro is my all time favorite bassist.


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## synthpunk (Dec 23, 2016)

Shostakovich

Frank Zappa

Funnest thread of the year!


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## Parsifal666 (Dec 23, 2016)

John Zorn.


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## tav.one (Dec 23, 2016)

A. R. Rahman


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## chibear (Dec 23, 2016)

They're all dead except Morricone :(


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## Wes Antczak (Dec 23, 2016)

They already have it: Gordon Ramsey.


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## NoamL (Dec 24, 2016)

Conrad Pope!


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## Werewoof (Dec 24, 2016)

*The Shaggs.*


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## Werewoof (Dec 24, 2016)

In all seriousness, my (living) MVP choices for whom I would jump at the chance to take a class from:

*-Tim Hecker, Jonny Greenwood, Yoko Kanno*










*-Yoko Shimomura, Kow Otani, Martin Hayes*






*





-Romualds Kalsons who I couldn't find a smaller picture of




*
I'll leave now. :x


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## Astronaut FX (Dec 24, 2016)

Trent Reznor


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## waltercruz (Dec 24, 2016)

Tone Deaf said:


> Trent Reznor


^ this


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## stixman (Dec 25, 2016)

Quincy Jones


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## guitarman1960 (Dec 25, 2016)

Brian Tyler


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## josefsnabb (Dec 25, 2016)

Motif/theme writing and orchestration with:

Howard Shore 
Michael Giacchino
John Powell


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## Niah2 (Dec 25, 2016)

Masterclass on life with Bruce Lee and the rest would follow...


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## mickeyl (Dec 25, 2016)

Sound design with Alan Wilder and Gareth Jones...


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## synthpunk (Jan 7, 2017)

Magnus Carlsen


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## tokatila (Jan 7, 2017)

Spitfire marketing department.


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## Michael Antrum (Jan 27, 2017)

I know it breaks the rules about them being alive, but for me it would be James Horner.

And after the masterclass, I would like to have David Niven round for drinkies.


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## jamwerks (Jan 27, 2017)

Desplat!


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## dcoscina (Jan 27, 2017)

Conrad Pope


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## Arbee (Jan 28, 2017)

George Martin, Quincy Jones and Peter Gabriel in the same conversation.


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## Parsifal666 (Jan 28, 2017)

Beethoven. Is there anyone else?


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## jononotbono (Jan 28, 2017)

Parsifal666 said:


> Beethoven. Is there anyone else?



As per the OP, yeah, anyone alive.


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## Parsifal666 (Jan 28, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> As per the OP, yeah, anyone alive.



Penderecki.


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## jononotbono (Jan 28, 2017)

Sorry, that sounded rude. Haha!


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## Parsifal666 (Jan 28, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Sorry, that sounded rude. Haha!



Not at all my friend, that was the OP. I was in the wrong.


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## SillyMidOn (Jan 28, 2017)

Parsifal666 said:


> Beethoven. Is there anyone else?


Miles Davis would tie Beethoven for 1st place in my book. 

Both were quite the curmudgeons, whoever, so I doubt either would have divulged much info/it may have been a masterclass in grumpiness.


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## Rodney Money (Jan 28, 2017)

Parsifal666 said:


> Beethoven. Is there anyone else?


Depends on what kind of mood he was in.


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## Parsifal666 (Jan 28, 2017)

Brian Wilson circa 1966.


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## mac (Jan 28, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> As per the OP, yeah, anyone alive.



Haha, I think my _rules_ went out of the window by the 4th post.


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## Dietz (Jan 28, 2017)

dcoscina said:


> Conrad Pope



 To hear and see this man working is a joy and highly rewarding indeed.


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## AllanH (Jan 28, 2017)

I would like Alan Silvestri and Howard Shore.

Both write the most amazing music, and I'd love hear their thought process.


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## Mr Mindcrime (Jan 28, 2017)

Alexandre Desplat.


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## Svyato (Jan 28, 2017)

Shostakovich & Jeremy Soule


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## dcoscina (Jan 28, 2017)

Dietz said:


> To hear and see this man working is a joy and highly rewarding indeed.


Yes. And if I can scrape funds together for the Hollywood workshop this dream could become a reality


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## whinecellar (Jan 28, 2017)

Man, I feel like it's pretty easy/accessible to study & learn from the music of just about anybody, and at the end of the day you either have the gift of writing great music or you don't. It can be nurtured and improved of course, but the biggest difference I hear between the most talented folks here and the household names is in the mix & mastering. I'd pay big $$$ to shadow engineers who work on the big stuff - especially trailers. I'd LOVE to learn how to get mixes in the commercial ballpark in terms of apparent loudness & dynamics while still maintaining a clean, powerful low end. Most days that seems like witchcraft 

That's all assuming a great piece of well-arranged music of course!


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## JasonTse (Jan 28, 2017)

Gotta say Alexandre Desplat!


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## synthpunk (Jan 28, 2017)

Most NYC mix engineers masterclass 









whinecellar said:


> Man, I feel like it's pretty easy/accessible to study & learn from the music of just about anybody, and at the end of the day you either have the gift of writing great music or you don't. It can be nurtured and improved of course, but the biggest difference I hear between the most talented folks here and the household names is in the mix & mastering. I'd pay big $$$ to shadow engineers who work on the big stuff - especially trailers. I'd LOVE to learn how to get mixes in the commercial ballpark in terms of apparent loudness & dynamics while still maintaining a clean, powerful low end. Most days that seems like witchcraft
> 
> That's all assuming a great piece of well-arranged music of course!


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## Arbee (Jan 28, 2017)

synthpunk said:


> Most NYC mix engineers masterclass


I verbalized that once in a major broadcast facility when the drop-ins behind me wouldn't keep quiet. Turned out to be the managing director and guest. They totally deserved it but it wasn't a great career move


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## AdamAlake (Mar 12, 2017)

Philip Glass.


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