John Powell is one of the wittiest composers on the planet. You can’t spend 10 minutes with the composer of Happy Feet, Rio and How to Train Your Dragon without appreciating both his accomplishments and his dry sense of humor. Last night I was privileged to participate in SAG-AFTRA’s fourth “Meet the Composer” event at the Writers Guild Theater, interviewing Powell about writing for voices and choral groups. It was a one-of-a-kind evening that incorporated video clips, Powell demonstrating how he works with singers, and a moving vocal tribute by some of L.A.’s finest. An estimated 500 performers, composers, students and other film professionals attended.
Tag Archives: How to Train Your Dragon
Interviewing John Powell at ASCAP Expo
John Powell is one of today’s very finest composers for film. If you’ve seen the Bourne thrillers, How to Train Your Dragon, Happy Feet or the Rio movies, you’ve heard his music. He’s an absolute delight in person, and I was happy to interview him today at ASCAP’s “I Create Music” Expo in Hollywood.
Coincidentally, Variety this week published my series of stories about John and his career. Here is the main story, something of an overview with some high praise from his collaborators. A second story deals with his decision to leave film music (temporarily, we hope). And finally, a few choice remarks by the composer himself on five of his notable scores.