# Alan Silvestri - Orchestration



## composerguy78 (Jan 27, 2018)

Does anyone know how Alan Silvestri became such a great orchestrator? He went to Berklee for 2 years and then worked on CHiPs and then was doing some great orchestrations.


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## AdamAlake (Jan 27, 2018)

Transcribed a lot.


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## Mihkel Zilmer (Jan 27, 2018)

He was composing for and conducting a live orchestra. 

It's the best (and fastest) way to learn orchestration - write some music , put it in front of real musicians, have them play it, see what works and what doesn't. You can do this with students and still learn a lot. The added bonus is most musicians won't hold back and will let you know if you are doing something stupid.


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## AllanH (Jan 27, 2018)

Mihkel Zilmer said:


> The added bonus is most musicians won't hold back and will let you know if you are doing something stupid.



It's good I don't have access to a real orchestra then


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## AllanH (Jan 27, 2018)

I'm a great admirer of Alan Silvestri; such intricate and elegant compositions and orchestration.


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## bryla (Jan 27, 2018)

Mihkel Zilmer said:


> The added bonus is most musicians won't hold back and will let you know if you are doing something stupid.


No they won't. Musicians are civil. They can't read your mind though so they simply play what's written. 

I don't believe Alan transcribed. He played a lot and put dots in front of people.


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## MatFluor (Jan 27, 2018)

AdamAlake said:


> Transcribed a lot.



What's your source for that? Transcrition might be one of the most beneficial things to do, but the quesiton was how Alan Silvestri himself achieved his level.

From what I know, he worked a lot with especially small orchestras or few players, meaning he had to learn to write where every musician counts. The small TV Orchestras back then had few players, so achieving a certain sound and voice could only be done by learning to bring the few guys you have to full effect. and that scales up to a certain degree. I don't know myself how he learned exactly, but that sure left a certain mark (as with most of his "peer group" who worked in TV first)


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## Karma (Jan 27, 2018)

I'm pretty sure Copland deserves some credit too, as well as William Ross!


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## Mihkel Zilmer (Jan 27, 2018)

bryla said:


> Musicians are civil.



I think how civil they are is often proportionally related to the size of their fee, and inversely related to the length and calibre of their career


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## AlexanderSchiborr (Jan 27, 2018)

I think it is a mix of different things. Sure he transcribed for sure a lot, but also he worked with the right people, he knew good people who tought him things. Also like mentioned that he worked with live players a lot is additional lessons. So practically what most of us don´t have, don´t do and don´t learn therefore. So actually for the composer who is not having access to this things what he had I would say transcribing and score studying is essential to improve. You should also know where silvestri has his "language" from. There is a reason why you hear all over the place his "americana" style and rousing orchestration in his pieces..I just say one reference: The Magnificient Seven. By learning to write and orchestrate how he did you should also know what he was influenced by.


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## zolhof (Jan 27, 2018)

AllanH said:


> I'm a great admirer of Alan Silvestri; such intricate and elegant compositions and orchestration.



He's a real treasure! Dunno if you've seen this video, he talks about his early days, it's very inspiring:



The book he mentioned (Scoring for Films, by Earle Hagen) is another gem. You can still find copies of the first ed. for peanuts.


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## AlexRuger (Jan 27, 2018)

Don't underestimate critical listening! I've learned so much just by listening intently.

Alan's such a nice guy. Love that speech.


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## SillyMidOn (Jan 27, 2018)

bryla said:


> I don't believe Alan transcribed.



Silvestri studied Jazz guitar at Berklee (he wanted to be a bebop guitarist) - so he would have transcribed a ton of music by default (as that's what jazz musicians do) though not necessarily orchestral. But doing loads of jazz transcriptions r-e-a-l-l-y trains your ear, which means moving on to orchestral transcription is not a huge step, but still a somewhat different proposition.

You can hear his jazz training in the harmonies he uses, in BTTF for example.

There is a very good interview with him on his career in this book (how he got started etc):



This is very insightful:



And you may want to buy and study this:

http://www.omnimusicpublishing.com/backtofuture.html


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## mikeh-375 (Jan 27, 2018)

not really relevant to the OP so sorry but just watched Contact and oh boy, how is that for a moving score?


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## AllanH (Jan 27, 2018)

Contact is my favorite of his scores. It's remarkable how that little theme can be sad, uplifting, hopeful, etc. Genius, imo.


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## JohannesR (Jan 27, 2018)

Mihkel Zilmer said:


> I think how civil they are is often proportionally related to the size of their fee, and inversely related to the length and calibre of their career


This is so true! Professional musicians will never tell you the stupid things you write. They will figure out how to play it - even if it’s not really playable. Why? Because they depend on being hired again.


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## patrick76 (Jan 27, 2018)

So the answer is no one knows ☺Although Karma makes a good point about having a great orchestrator. I'm pretty sure though that he learned by taking Verta's class on Silvestri and then started transcribing his own work on a daily basis to really understand what he did.... I know, I'm an ass.


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## jononotbono (Jan 27, 2018)

patrick76 said:


> I'm pretty sure though that he learned by taking Verta's class on Silvestri and then started transcribing his own work on a daily basis to really understand what he did



Well, he has been back to the future a few times now hasn't he.


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## tmhuud (Jan 27, 2018)

patrick76 said:


> So the answer is no one knows ☺Although Karma makes a good point about having a great orchestrator. I'm pretty sure though that he learned by taking Verta's class on Silvestri and then started transcribing his own work on a daily basis to really understand what he did.... I know, I'm an ass.


Lol. You just may be right. I think a time traveling Dolorean may have played a roll in that somehow.


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## JohnBMears (Jan 28, 2018)

It's no secret that many a great composers actually had more of a knack for melody/harmony and structure as well as being able to have the right musical 'instincts' on what a scene needed. I was lucky enough to meet Silvestri a few years back and he talked a bit about orchestrating and orchestrators. And while I personally believe his abilities far outshine what other classically trained composers could possibly bring to motion pictures, there is no denying that a well-studied herd of orchestrators who knew how to 'color' in between Silvestri's lines helped create his voice. James Campbell, Scott Smalley and William Ross to name a few.....


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## Omni Music (Oct 25, 2020)

Check out this video from Omni Music Publishing. It helps you understand harmonically what Silvestri is doing in Back To The Future:


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## JohnG (Oct 25, 2020)

zolhof said:


> He's a real treasure! Dunno if you've seen this video, he talks about his early days, it's very inspiring:



thanks for posting that -- never seen it before; it's nice to see someone who's grateful like that. So talented and instead of bragging, just says, "thank you."



Omni Music said:


> Check out this video from Omni Music Publishing. It helps you understand harmonically what Silvestri is doing in Back To The Future:



I think for a few years every single note I wrote was in octatonic.


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