Not only is he a composer, but a versatile personality, who is a writer, graphic designer, artist, and percussionist. Balcomb started his music career as a teacher at the Berklee College of Music, Boston MA, in 1974. With his involvement in music, he has written arrangements for Woody Herman, Cher, Donald O'Connor, Andy Williams, Magician David Avadon, Gary Burton and the Buffalo Philharmonic. Throughout 1987 to 1997, he was an accomplished music director of the Encino Presbyterian Church Choir, consequently composing over 360 Introits, numerous anthems, and The Birth of Possibilities, a 45-minute Baroque cantata. From 1984 to 1994 he was owner and designer of Vail Graphics in California. Even with his natural talent in the arts, he has become best known for his film-music career, having composed for "Batman: The Animated Series" in 1992, orchestrator for many films (he recently worked on Vin Diesel's "Triple X"), and his present position as supervisor of the Universal Studios Music Library (Hollywood), overseeing a staff of music copyists who transcribe the individual instrumental parts for film and television scoring sessions. Balcomb has worked on TV shows such as "Murder She Wrote," "Amazing Stories," "Magnum P. I.," "Simon & Simon," "Knight Rider," and on over 500 films, including "Back to the Future I-III," "Indiana Jones," "Home Alone," "Scent of a Woman," "Field of Dreams," "Fried Green Tomatoes," "Shawshank Redemption," "Good Will Hunting," "Sleepy Hollow," "Scream I-III," "Planet of the Apes," "American Beauty," "Blade II," "Spiderman," "The Bourne Identity," and more.

In addition, he is an avid writer — currently working on an upcoming novel about alchemy and transformation, entitled The Book of the Stone. His writing also transcribes into poetry and reviews, and much of his work can be found on his site creation TheScreamOnline.com, where he is editor/publisher of a quarterly online magazine for art, photography, and literature.

As I reflect on Balcomb's career and passion in various fields, I realize I live about six thousand kilometers from the Californian shore, and I can't see the Hollywood sign from where I am sitting. Although, time-travel is met through the crossing of boundaries of the Internet, as I speak in real-time. Let me take you virtually to Los Angeles, California, where we meet Stuart Balcomb to talk of his career in show-business, his daily involvement in film scores, his work in orchestrations, his passion in traditional drum making, and his dedication to the art world.

Within the harmony of a film — there is music.

Scene 360: You have had a versatile career, working in graphic design, as a music teacher, and presently working in music preparation, arranging, and composing in Hollywood. What led you to the decision to follow "music" instead of "design?"

Stuart Balcomb: I've also asked that of myself, especially since both parents are fine artists. I like to say that I grew up on both sides of the easel, posing for my mother and painting as an artist. I wrote a piece called "Artists and the Rest of the World," and in it I say that my childhood was full of oil and watercolor painting, carving, printmaking, architectural model-making, sculpting, pottery, illustration, and photography. It would only make sense that I should have naturally gone into one of those careers. So . . . enter the 60's, and mix the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Cream, Hendrix, Yardbirds, the primordial passion and sexual energy of Rock'n'Roll with one tempestuous teenager and you've got a kid on drums flailing his brains out. Now, all that just now came out. I suppose it took your question for me to realize just how powerful music's effect was on me. Since then I've performed and composed music in all styles, but I mostly listen to what is called "World" music - the kind of music that embodies those very primordial qualities that I was originally attracted to.



Is there anything that you haven't done in your music career yet, that you dream about doing in the future?

I taught at the Berklee College of Music from 1974-78, and left because I wanted to do what I was teaching my students to do: write music! New York scared me (I had played there with my band a couple of times) and the only other option was Hollywood. I knew someone out here who could open a door for me, so L.A. was the natural choice. I got into music copywork (calligraphy) right away, since I had a good hand with the pen, and eventually landed some small gigs arranging for Cher and Woody Herman and a lot of aspiring singers, and then arranged for Andy Williams for about two years - all the time filling in the gaps with copywork. The position to be Music Prep Supervisor at Universal Studios came up and, having a family to feed, I took it and it's been my home base ever since. I've done lots of orchestration work for film since then, composed a few hundred choral works, and was one of the composers for "Batman: The Animated Series." Of course, I have always dreamed of writing for feature film, but now wonder if I have the stamina for it. It can be a brutally grueling occupation. There have been many times where I took solace in the fact that I was just the orchestrator sitting in the booth, and not the composer who is being asked to make change after change while a 100-piece orchestra sits, the clock ticking. That's heart attack material. I do have plans to produce CD's of my music, which would probably be my musical dream. The other dream is finishing my novel. I have all sorts of projects in the works - a triple Gemini, you know.



We interviewed your son, Sam R. Balcomb, recently at Scene 360. He is another family member in show business. It is quite an achievement in one family. Are there other members in your family in show business or in the arts? Who?

My mother is an amazing artist (etchings, illustrations, paintings) and is also an author about art and artists. She wrote the famous book on Nicholai Fechin. My father is a fine technical illustrator and portrait photographer. He was a protégé of the legendary William Mortensen. My sister is also an accomplished artist, having excelled in many areas from museum-quality baskets, photography, illustration, and book design.



What was it like working alongside your son for the making of the "Ancanar" (2002) film?

I suppose I'm to blame for all this. He was about seven when I read The Hobbit and the entire Lord of the Rings to him at bedtime. I don't know how long it took. The books really made an impression on him and I think he has reread them on his own at least three more times, including the Silmarillion and other Tolkein writings. So, I have seen "Ancanar" growing in him for many years. He doesn't know this, but I was "this close" to recommending another composer to him since I felt my dramatic chops were rusty. I have a 56-track studio at home with lots of gear, and it was natural for me to write and produce the music for his trailers so far. Out of that experience some good material has emerged, so it looks like I'm in for the long haul. I have been very impressed and humbled by the knowledge and professionality of Sam and his producer, Raiya Corsiglia. It's been a pure joy working with both of them.

Can you tell us a few details about how you generated the sounds of the score and what influenced it ("Ancanar" 2002)?

My background in percussion was the catalyst. A driving rhythm in 15/8 was what supported the original trailer music, and both trailers have used all sorts of ethnic drums from my collection. Added to those are some synths and sampled sounds from my Emu 6400, and I used a small multi-tracked choir for the new trailer. Sam is a diehard orchestra fan, so I hope we will have a budget for that when it comes time to record the actual film score. And a choir!



We spoke before this interview about your tremendous interest and dedication to drums/percussion. When did you start playing the drums?

I think it was 1966. I worked after school at Luchetti Drum and Guitar in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to earn my first drum set. I started to play the vibes in college, and then went on to study vibes with Gary Burton at Berklee in Boston, where I eventually taught composition and arranging. Drums went by the wayside as I became a full-fledged vibes player. I was all set to go to Europe to be a jazz player, but composition got in the way. Then years later it took meeting my wife, whose fiery passion and lust for anything percussive got me back into percussion, and we have since created a wonderful collection of exotic instruments from around the world and started conducting percussion workshops called "Living in Rhythm." The power of a woman!



You also make traditional drums at home, i.e. from different cultures/locations in the world. How did you learn how to make them (i.e. on your own, or other)? And which is your most prized possession out of your collection?

Balcomb with his favorite frame drum. Photo © 2000 Joanne Warfield

I created the first drum by hollowing out a hemlock log. It stands about 20 inches tall, has a deer skin head, is decorated with 600-year-old I Ching coins, and has sympathetic ringing bells inside. I had no idea what I was doing, I just knew what I wanted to end up with. All the other drums so far are frame drums which I buy from India and decorate with designs from different cultures. The frame drum is the oldest membrane drum known, having references in the Bible (Miriam played the timbrel after crossing the Red Sea); it was used in ancient Greece; and there is evidence of it being played in the city of Ur by the granddaughter of the Sumerian king in 2280 BC (there we go again-another woman!). My drum with the "Abu Bakr" inscription in Arabic (photo) is my favorite drum to play. I have about 15 of these frame drums, and this is one of 2 Arabic designs that I created. The inscription says "Abu Bakr, the righteous. May Allah be pleased with Him" (Abu Bakr was a disciple of Mohammed). I am creating drums for the many different cultures of the world in which it exists (Korea, Russia, North American Indian, Ireland, India, the Middle East, Egypt, etc.).



How many drums do you have in total?

I can only tell you what I have: tablas, djembes, frame drums, box drums, Indian kettle drums, taiko, congas, djun djun, log drums, talking drums, gourd drums, derbugas, dumbeks, Remo drums, ang klangs, gongs, brass and crystal bowls, rain sticks, and various hand percussion, representing countries such as Ghana, Bora Bora, India, Egypt, Mexico, Mali, China, Brazil, Morocco, Tunisia, and the Middle East. Oh yeah, and a Rogers drum set.



I realize most film scores are based on live orchestration recordings, however, is it common to also use digital computer sampling into producing a piece of music? If yes, can you give us an example of a film and an excerpt of sound that was conducted with computer sampling/mixing.

There are many films that use nothing but synths and samples in their scores. Jerry Goldsmith integrates both into his orchestral scores. Randy Edelman tracks his scores electronically, then records the entire thing with an orchestra, and has the flexibility to blend the two either way he wants. One can support the other. Danny Elfman himself records incredible and wildly complex sampled percussion tracks for his films which are then mixed with the full orchestral tracks. He has made apologies to his orchestral percussionists for having taken all their fun away. The written percussion parts for his films are usually rather sparce, in light of what you actually hear. But back to your question: most composers have to electronically "demo" the entire score first so that the director and producer can hear very realistically what it will sound like. Once it has been approved, the score goes to an orchestrator who extracts the midi file and fleshes it out for the full orchestra. So, at the recording session, the electronic tracks may not even be heard, since they concentrate on recording the live instruments, and then later they can choose to pull them up in the mix on playback. Or, if it is a crucial electronic part, the musicians may hear it in the phones.

What type of software is needed to edit, mix, or even arrange music sheets in your field of work?

At Universal we use Sibelius. It is the fastest and most efficient software available. We own all the others (Finale, Mosaic, Overture, Encore) but nothing can compare to the ease and editing speed of Sibelius.
My crew of five can rip through entire movies faster than crews three times our size on other software.

Top: Stuart Balcomb's crew standing in front of the Universal Commissary holding a 24-page percussion part for one of the cues in Blade II, music by Marco Beltrami. Standing left to right are: Rob skinnell, Sean Hickey, Zinovy Goro, Terry Bonnell, Kendall Roclord, and Ron Vermillion. Balcomb additionally explains "that most pages have 3 systems with 4 lines each (4 players). Marco used almost every percussion instrument in the book, and then some. We felt like sending roller skates to the session for the percussionists to wear." Photo © 2002 Stuart Balcomb

On an average basis, how long does it usually take to start and finish a music score?

Some can take only a few days; some, three weeks. "The Road to Perdition" by Tom Newman lasted for almost three months because for some reason they booked scoring sessions scattered over that length of time. Every film is different.



Do you have plans to compose your own music for more feature films?

One doesn't plan to score a feature film. You have to be hired first. (I hear Sam plans to give his old man a gig.) And that's what Hollywood is all about: connections. I am two-thirds finished writing a thriller novel about alchemy, so when they make a movie of it, I'll do the score. The lengths one goes to in this town to get a gig!



When you are watching a film for leisure, I imagine you have a natural tendency to notice details of sound-of the film scores. If this holds to be true, which recent films have captured your listening interest?

Believe it or not, even though I've worked on over 500 films, I rarely go to the movies. I horribly object to the crowded, smelly, popcorn-crunching racket that one must endure to see a film. While I love the big screen (LOTR was amazing!), I would rather rent the video, but then I'm usually so busy with my own creative process that I don't make the time. Though I'm not generally a Horner fan, I really liked what he did in "Field of Dreams." The aural qualities of the score were perfect for the film. I loved "Hunt for Red October" by Basil Poledouris. Tom Newman's "Fried Green Tomatoes" was good, too. "Amelie" was a lot of fun. I orchestrated Nicholas Pike's "Virginia's Run," which has yet to be released, but the score is quite a gem. Look out for it. My problem with the big orchestral films these days is the immensity. The mix buries the dialog and the writing is sometimes so overblown that it can be assaulting. I mean, it doesn't take a phalanx of brass, woodwinds, and strings to accentuate a bug blinking its eye!



Well, this is a question I can't avoid asking (smile). Who are some of the famous film composers you have worked with?

Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Elmer Bernstein, Danny Elfman, Basil Poledouris, Bruce Broughton, Randy Edelman, Georges Delerue, Alan Silvestri, Tom Newman, Randy Newman, Maurice Jarre, Elliot Goldenthal, John Powell, Marco Beltrami, James Horner, Hans Zimmer, Nicholas Pike, Ira Newborn, Michel Colombier, Trevor Jones, Michael Kamen, Pat Williams . . . in no particular order.



Knowing that the behind-the-scenes life of show business is not all pretty and perfect, what are some of your pet peeves in relation to the industry?

Working for idiots. Every so often there comes along a gig which has a dolt at the helm (the pool guy for the brother-in-law of the producer's hair dresser), and his ignorance of either the process or anything artistic continually sandbags my job, doubles my work, creates the need to work overtime, and then he complains about the bill. The other peeve is having to deal with prima donnas. I once worked on an album for a famous singer (when I say "famous" I mean BIG). She was a real screamer. Nothing could please her, and she bitched about everything. The orchestra hated her, and she's one of the most despised people in town. I'd rather go on welfare than work for her again.



Have you attended the Oscars live?

No.



What are your top five films of all time?

I don't really have a "top five." I can only list some that greatly appeal to me: "Field of Dreams," "Schindler's List," "Spartacus," "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen," and (I have to include this) Joseph Campbell's "The Power of Myth." And anything by Howard Hawkes and George Cukor.



Other than film, I know you are a literature fan. There are always memorable moments of words, quotations, episodes in books that stay within a reader's mind. Can you recap a magical moment/quotation that you have read and has meaning to you?

Two, both from Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet:
"Life is more complicated than we think, yet far simpler than anyone dares to imagine."
"The cocktail party, as the name itself indicates, was originally invented by dogs. They are simply bottom-sniffings raised to the rank of formal ceremonies."



Artistically speaking, what mediums do you like to use? And where can we find examples of your artwork showcased?

I've always loved pen and ink, the graphic-design-end of things. I have limited experience with oils, but have enjoyed using watercolors and acrylics. My "serious art" is all in the hands of others - commissions, that sort of thing. In fact, the famous collector Norton Simon wanted to buy one of my paintings from the person I gave it to, but she wouldn't sell it. Some of my more outrageous stuff can be seen in the first two issues of my web magazine, TheScreamOnline. Another example is my label for the best olives in the world, Armstrong Olives.



Each month we have invited filmmakers, designers, digital artists, painters, illustrators and more. Who or what type of artist would you like to see featured on Scene 360?

Tim Girvin in Seattle. He is a very gifted graphic designer, having elevated the art of calligraphy to a new level. I was introduced to his work through my wife, Joanne Warfield, who knew him in Spokane, Washington, when he first began his career. He's a master calligrapher, and has gone on to create logos for over 375 films ("Apocalypse Now," "Dances With Wolves") and hundreds of products. It has always fascinated me to see a logo, which started out in someone's imagination, become associated with a product and recognized the world over. The logo becomes inseparable from the product and the two become one and the same thing. Think of Coke and Nike, for example. Coke's logo carries with it the experienced taste of the product. Nike's little curved symbol immediately speaks "shoes," "sports," "excellence," maybe even the smell of the basketball court. Visuals are a powerful thing. You should know, Adriana.

[print] [x] [top]

Credits:

Intro, interview, and design by Adriana de Barros | about the author

Cover photo: "Stuart Balcomb with large Paiste Planet Gong," © 2002 Sam R. Balcomb.

Batman Comic Book Logo T and © 2001 DC Comics, Inc.

© 2002 Scene 360. All rights reserved.