Hagen wrote the popular themes for The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Danny Thomas Show, I Spy, That Girl, The Mod Squad, Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, and many more. He composed original music for more than 3,000 individual television shows during his tv career, which spanned more than three decades.

He was also active in the film business, mostly as an arranger and orchestrator for 20th Century-Fox. He received a 1960 Oscar nomination (shared with Lionel Newman) as musical director for the Marilyn Monroe film Let’s Make Love.

Hagen composed the jazz standard “Harlem Nocturne.” Written in 1939 for big-band leader Ray Noble, the mellow tune went on to be recorded by Charlie Barnet, Les Brown, Glenn Miller, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Ray Anthony, Ted Heath and many other bands. It eventually became the theme for the “Mike Hammer” series in 1984.

He was an author and educator, penning one of the first how-to books for aspiring film composers and later leading the film-scoring workshop for BMI for a decade in the 1980s and ’90s.

Hagen was born July 9, 1919, in Chicago but moved to Los Angeles as a youngster and began playing the trombone while in junior high school. A proficient player by the time he was 14, he began writing modest arrangements for his school bands and, graduating early from Hollywood High School, went on the road playing with big bands at the age of 16.

Hagen played trombone with the Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey bands in 1937 and 1938, joining the Ray Noble band in 1939. For Noble, he not only played trombone but also became one of the band’s top arrangers.

He became a staff musician for CBS in 1941, performing on various radio shows, then enlisted in the Army Air Forces in 1942. It was during his wartime stint as part of the Radio Production Unit in Santa Ana, Calif., that he gave up playing and became a full-time arranger, writing for the unit’s 65-piece orchestra. He also, during his off-duty hours, began more intensive study of music with classical composer Ernst Toch.

Also during the war years, he began to write arrangements for movie musicals, including Cover Girl for Rita Hayworth at Columbia; and afterwards, for popular singers including Frank Sinatra, Tony Martin, Dick Haymes, Frances Langford and others. Several record labels — including Mercury, MGM, Decca and RCA Victor — sought out Hagen’s services.

Alfred Newman, the music director at 20th Century-Fox, liked the orchestral arrangements Hagen had written for Majestic Records and, in late 1946, signed him as a contract arranger and orchestrator for Fox. There Hagen spent several years working on dozens of films — mostly musicals — including With a Song in My Heart, Call Me Madam, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and There’s No Business Like Show Business.

Hagen left Fox in 1952 and formed a partnership with fellow arranger Herbert Spencer. Together, they launched the Spencer-Hagen Orchestra, which recorded albums for RCA and Liberty; more significantly, they began writing music for television series.

Beginning in 1953, they scored Make Room for Daddy (later re-titled The Danny Thomas Show) and Where’s Raymond (later The Ray Bolger Show). The format of both comedies required the composers to write and arrange music before shooting; for Hagen to conduct the band on-stage during production; and to create the underscore later, during post-production.

Several weeks into production on the Thomas show, Hagen met director Sheldon Leonard. The two became fast friends and, when Leonard began producing his own tv shows, Hagen was his primary composer. They worked together for nearly two decades; co-owned the music publishing firm that controlled the music of several of their shows; and took a round-the-world trip together scouting locations for Leonard’s adventure series I Spy.

The Spencer-Hagen partnership broke up in 1960. Subsequently Hagen wrote the themes and much of the underscore for many Thomas- and Leonard-produced series, including the Griffith and Van Dyke shows; spinoffs including Gomer Pyle, USMC and Mayberry RFD; and other shows, including I Spy, That Girl, Accidental Family, My Friend Tony, and others.

For The Andy Griffith Show, Hagen not only wrote the folksy tune but can be heard whistling it on the soundtrack. It, along with the big-band Dick Van Dyke Show theme, the elegant That Girl and the driving theme for The Mod Squad, remain iconic musical moments for the small screen.

Hagen became television’s leading composer of the 1960s and 1970s. His other series included The Bill Dana Show, Rango, The Guns of Will Sonnett and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. He contributed music to, but did not write the themes for, such other shows as The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Eight Is Enough and The Dukes of Hazzard.

For I Spy, which was shot on location around the world with Robert Culp and Bill Cosby, Hagen produced his most colorful scores, often flavored with the ethnic music of the Far East, Mexico or the Caribbean. Hagen received Emmy nominations for all three seasons of the show and won for the “Laya” episode in 1968.

His final work for television was on the Stacy Keach “Mike Hammer” movies Murder Me, Murder You and More Than Murder, which led to the weekly series; and on the Griffith show reunion movie Return to Mayberry in 1986.

Hagen wrote three books. “Scoring for Films,” which for many years was the only available textbook on how to handle the technical aspects of writing music for movies, was published in 1971. It was an outgrowth of a private study group he held in his home for composers interested in learning the techniques of film scoring (an avid golfer, he “charged” for his services by asking students to bring three dozen golf balls).

That study group ultimately became the more formal BMI film-scoring workshop, an eight-week course that Hagen ran beginning in 1986. Hagen wrote a second how-to book, “Advanced Techniques for Film Scoring,” in 1990, and an autobiography, “Memoirs of a Famous Composer (Nobody Ever Heard Of)” in 2002.

Hagen won BMI’s Richard Kirk Award, a lifetime achievement honor, in 1987; its President’s Award, for teaching the workshop for a decade, in 1996; and its Classic Contribution Award, for his iconic themes and lifetime of mentorship, in 2006.

In October 2007, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences presented him with a special award at an event in North Hollywood “for his pioneering work and enduring contributions to television music.” And on April 20 of this year, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (the New York-based “other” TV Academy) inducted him into its Gold Circle for 50 years of service to the television industry.

“Earle Hagen, his heart and his music will always be one of our most precious assets in the composing community,” said BMI President & CEO Del Bryant. “He gave willingly of himself to mentor, educate and inspire. His legacy is global and his music will forever be a part of the fabric of television and movie history. He created a path that has enabled many of our television and film composers to create successful, long-lasting careers for themselves. Our hearts go out to his family. His passing is a loss to us all.”

BMI Film/TV Relations Vice President Doreen Ringer Ross noted that, “In addition to being a brilliant, successful composer, Earle has consistently been a generous mentor and gifted teacher in his community. He was a loyal and true friend with a biting sense of humor. Earle nicknamed his most recent BMI honor ‘The Last Man Standing Award.’ He will be deeply missed.”

Hagen’s wife of 59 years, the former Elouise Sidwell, died in 2002. Survivors include his second wife, the former Laura Roberts; two sons, Deane Hagen and James Hagen, both of Palm Desert, CA; three stepchildren and four grandchildren.

Funeral plans are pending. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, www.mhopus.org.

BMI honored the composers and songwriters of the music from the past year's top-grossing films, top-rated prime-time network television series and highest-ranking cable network programs at its annual Film & Television Awards. Held May 17 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, the black-tie gala was hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and Film/TV Relations Vice President Doreen Ringer Ross, who handed out more than 100 BMI Crystals throughout the evening.

	BMI Film/TV Awards Photo Slideshow
	2006 Film/TV Awards list
	Harry Gregson-Williams Bio

A highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the BMI Richard Kirk Award for Outstanding Career Achievement to versatile film composer Harry Gregson-Williams. Named after late BMI Vice President Richard Kirk, the prestigious award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music. Past honorees include Jerry Goldsmith, Mike Post, Thomas Newman, Michael Kamen, Mark Mothersbaugh, Lalo Schifrin, Danny Elfman, Alan Menken and John Williams.

Harry Gregson-Williams	Earle Hagen

One of Hollywood's most sought-after composers, Harry Gregson-Williams has infused his unique musical talent into the scores of such diverse films as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, Man on Fire, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Shrek, Shrek 2, Spy Game, Chicken Run, Kingdom of Heaven, Antz and Domino. The British-born Golden Globe nominee, who was named Composer of the Year at the 2005 Hollywood Film Festival, is currently working on the music to Shrek the Third and Déja Vu.

Celebrated BMI composer Earle Hagen received the Classic Contribution Award in recognition of more than 50 years as a BMI affiliate. He was also cited for 10 years of dedication as a mentor and teacher of the BMI workshop he founded in 1986, where he was instrumental in fostering the careers of many young film and television composers. A past Richard Kirk Award recipient, Hagen has written some of the most memorable themes in TV music history, including The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Spy, Make Room for Daddy, Gomer Pyle, USMC, That Girl and The Mod Squad, among others. He is also the author of three books, two of which are considered the definitive textbooks in the film scoring field.

BMI's Oscar-, Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning composers were also feted, including Latin rock pioneer Gustavo Santaolalla, whose Brokeback Mountain music earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Score and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song for "A Love That Will Never Grow Old" from the movie's soundtrack. Danny Elfman's Emmy-winning theme to the ABC hit Desperate Housewives gave the composer two of his three wins; his score to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory also earned him a BMI Film/TV Award.

The gala ceremony also honored Rolfe Kent for the comedies Failure to Launch and Wedding Crashers, Trevor Rabin for sports drama Coach Carter, BMI Icon Brian Wilson for the theme to HBO's Big Love, Mark Mothersbaugh for the underscore to Big Love and family film Herbie: Fully Loaded, Charlie Clouser for the sequel Saw II and hit TV show Numb3rs, John Williams for the Golden Globe-winning Memoirs of a Geisha and blockbuster film War of the Worlds, David Newman for the romantic comedy Monster-In-Law, Alex Wurman for the groundbreaking documentary March of the Penguins, and Christopher Young for the horror movie The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

BMI Television and Cable Awards went to Steve Jablonsky for Desperate Housewives, Larry Groupe for Commander in Chief, Kevin Kiner for CSI: Miami, Peter Manning Robinson for Without a Trace, Charlie Midnight for Daisy Does America, James Levine for The Closer, and Dain Blair and Tony Phillips for the hit series Deal Or No Deal and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Also taking home multiple BMI Crystals were repeat triple winner Pete Townshend (PRS) for CSI, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY, as well as double winners Dominic Messinger for the soaps All My Children and One Life to Live, and Mike Post for the long-running Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

The award for Outstanding Career Achievement is named after past BMI Vice President Richard Kirk and is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to the field of film and television music. Past honorees include Jerry Goldsmith, Thomas Newman, Michael Kamen, Mark Mothersbaugh, Danny Elfman, Alan Menken, Mike Post, Lalo Schifrin and John Williams.

One of Hollywood's most sought-after composers, Golden Globe nominee Harry Gregson-Williams has infused his unique musical talent into the scores of such diverse films as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, Man on Fire, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Spy Game, Shrek, Shrek 2, Chicken Run, Kingdom of Heaven, Antz and Domino. The British-born composer, who was named Composer of the Year at the 2005 Hollywood Film Festival, is currently working on the music to Shrek The Third and Déjá Vu.

The gala ceremony, which will also salute BMI's Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy-winning composers, will feature an award for the most performed song from a motion picture, as well as the Classic Contribution Award to past Richard Kirk honoree Earle Hagen. The 2006 BMI Film & Television Awards will be hosted by Del Bryant, President & CEO, along with Doreen Ringer Ross, Vice President of Film/TV Relations.

BMI honored the composers and songwriters of the music from this year's top-grossing films, top-rated prime-time network television series and highest-ranking cable network television series at its annual Film & Television Awards dinner. Held May 18 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, the black-tie gala was hosted by BMI President and CEO Del R. Bryant and BMI Vice President Film/TV Relations, Doreen Ringer Ross. More than 100 awards were announced during the ceremonies.

One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the BMI Richard Kirk award for Outstanding Career Achievement to composer Graeme Revell. Named after late BMI Vice President Richard Kirk, the prestigious award is given annually to the composer who has made significant contributions to film and TV music. Past recipients include John Barry, Randy Edelman, Danny Elfman, Charlie Fox, Jerry Goldsmith, Earle Hagen, Michael Kamen, Alan Menken, Mark Mothersbaugh, Thomas Newman, Mike Post, Lalo Schifrin, Alan Silvestri, Richard and Robert Sherman, W.G. "Snuffy" Walden, John Williams and Patrick Williams.

Graeme Revell	Counting Crows

Revell, a New Zealand native, is in the midst of a historical career in film and television music. With credits including "Sin City," "Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D," "Dead Calm," "The Crow," "The Insider," "CSI: Miami," "The Negotiator," "Blow," "Open Water" and more, he has become known for his blending of traditional ethnic music and ambient sounds. He started his scoring career after picking up on rhythms in patient vocalizations at an Australian hospital for the mentally ill, where he worked as an orderly. His experiments with recordings of human and insect sounds and industrial machinery led him to create the early industrial band SPK. His first score was for director Philip Noyce and producer/director George Miller with "Dead Calm," for which he won an Australian Film Industry Award for Best Score.

Kevin Eubanks	Lalo Schifrin	Stu Phillips

Honoring Revell at the dinner via video messages were directors Robert Rodriguez, Phillip Noyce, Danny Cannon, David Twohy and Carl Franklin, as well as journalist Jon Burlingame. Chucky, the star of the "Chucky" film series for which Revell scored "The Bride of Chucky," narrated the video salute to Revell.

Calling Revell, "...the best secret weapon a director can ever have," director Noyce described working with him on the film "Dead Calm." "Graeme immediately sparked at the material and the opportunity. He hadn't scored a film before, but he had that great composing sense. We wanted a composer who would bring a completely different score to a very elemental movie. Graeme started at the idea of taking sounds that were part of the movie and incorporating them into the score; sound of wind, sound of water.

Mike Post	Pete Townshend

"The movie was completely different once we put Graeme's score in," he added. "He added tension, he added pace, he created drama, and he gave the film a unique aural quality."

Revell's skill at collaboration with the director was a theme that permeated throughout the evening. "Honest," "innovative," "soulful" and "a true renaissance man" were just some of the descriptions that the directors offered. His vast range of musical talents were lauded, including his use of a wide array of ethnic sounds and voices, atmospheric noises and wide ranging knowledge of obscure percussion and voice styles. His encompassing musical style constantly delivers a fresh new sound and approach to each score he has done. Cannon said, "Graeme is modern and he is up to date. That's what is great about him. He is so willing to use new techniques, new inspirations and is always willing to try something different, move the goalposts."

BMI also gave out the award for the Most Performed Song From A Motion Picture to the Counting Crows and their publishing companies for the "Shrek 2" song, "Accidentally in Love." BMI also recognized this year's Emmy Award winners for music.

The first BMI Spotlight Award was given to television composer Frank Gari and the inaugural BMI Classic Contribution Award was presented to the creators of "The Tonight Show" themes, composed by Johnny Carson, Paul Anka and Kevin Eubanks.

With a nod to the digital music age, BMI handed out its first Ringtone Awards for the TV music themes that have become the most-performed songs in the mobile space; the awards went to Stu Phillips for the theme to �Knight Rider� and Lalo Schifrin for the theme to �Mission Impossible.�

Taking home multiple awards at the dinner were past Richard Kirk recipient Mike Post with four Television Awards for the "Law & Order" series "Law & Order," "Law & Order: SVU," "Law & Order: CI" and "Law & Order: Trial By Jury." Pete Townshend picked up three awards for "CSI," "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: NY." Double winners included Harry Gregson Williams for the films "Shrek 2" and "Man On Fire"; Rolfe Kent for the films "Sideways" and "Mean Girls"; Harald Kloser for "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Alien vs. Predator"; Thomas Newman for "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "Six Feet Under"; John Keane for "CSI" and "The Amazing Race 7"; and Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, Anthony Jackson, Jeff Lippencott and Mark T. Williams for "The Apprentice 2" and "The Apprentice 3."

Revell, a New Zealand native who's known for the blending of traditional ethnic music and ambient sounds, ghostly vocals and tribal percussion, most recently scored "The Hard Goodbye" vignette in director Robert Rodriguez's Sin City. His composing and ominous percussive film noir score fuels Mickey Rourke's frenzy of vengeance in that segment of Sin City.

Revell started his scoring career after picking up on rhythms in patient vocalizations at an Australian hospital for the mentally ill, where he was working as an orderly. His experiments with recordings of human and insect sounds and industrial machinery led him to create the early industrial band SPK. Their cinematic theatrics, featuring slides and films of surgery and the use of flame-throwers and oil drums, convinced directors George Miller and Philip Noyce to employ him on Dead Calm, for which he won an Australian Film Industry Award for Best Score. His unique style has been responsible for the riveting atmosphere of some of Hollywood's most tense thrillers, such as Open Water and The Negotiator, dark dramas including The Crow, Blow and The Insider, and exhilarating actioners like Collateral Damage, Chronicles of Riddick and Pitch Black.

Revell worked in the swashbuckling style of Korngold and Williams on Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn and he has furthermore proven an aptitude at scoring big budget blockbusters with Spawn, Daredevil, and Tomb Raider. Proving his sound can successfully cross both genres and platforms, Revell's mixture of melody and sound design was instrumental in setting the mood for the first season of "CSI: Miami."

The BMI award for Outstanding Career Achievement is named after former BMI Vice President Richard Kirk. Past recipients include John Barry, Randy Edelman, Danny Elfman, Charlie Fox, Jerry Goldsmith, Earle Hagen, Michael Kamen, Alan Menken, Mark Mothersbaugh, Thomas Newman, Mike Post, Lalo Schifrin, Alan Silvestri, Richard and Robert Sherman, W.G. "Snuffy" Walden, John Williams, Patrick Williams and Hans Zimmer.

BMI saluted the premier country music songwriters, artists and publishers at its 2004 Country Awards, staged last night (11/8) at the BMI offices on Music Row in Nashville.

Country Awards Song List

Country Awards Event Photos

Crystal Gayle; BMI President & CEO Del Bryant; Shania Twain; Kitty Wells, Casey Beathard; Toby Keith, Loretta Lynn; Universal Music Senior VP/GM Pat Higdon; BMI President Emeritus Frances Preston; and Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville President & CEO Donna Hilley.

Shania Twain's "Forever and For Always" was proclaimed Country Song of the Year. Casey Beathard earned the title of Country Songwriter of the Year, with superstar Toby Keith collecting Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year honors. Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville was named Country Publisher of the Year. A highlight of the gala was a tribute to Loretta Lynn, who was named a BMI ICON for "her enduring influence on generations of music makers."

The black-tie ceremony was hosted by Del Bryant, BMI President and CEO. Frances W. Preston, President Emeritus, and Paul Corbin, Vice President of Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville, assisted with the presentations to the BMI-affiliated writers and publishers of the 50 most performed songs in the country music format.

Loretta Lynn	Shania Twain

"Forever and For Always," written and recorded by Shania Twain, won the 36th Robert J. Burton Award as Most Performed Country Song of the Year for tallying the most US broadcast performances during the eligibility period. Included on Twain's 10-times platinum Mercury Nashville album, UP!, "Forever and For Always" was published by her company Loon Echo, Inc., and by Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc., and was co-written with her husband, Robert John "Mutt" Lange (share not licensed through BMI).

Casey Beathard	Toby Keith

"Forever and For Always" is Twain's fourth BMI Song of the Year win. It was named Song of the Year at the 2004 BMI London Awards, and her smash "You're Still the One" received the honor at both the 1999 BMI Pop and Country Awards. She was also named BMI Songwriter of the Year at both the 1999 and 2000 Pop and Country Awards and now owns a total of 28 BMI Awards.

The BMI Country Songwriter of the Year trophy went to Casey Beathard, who placed five titles on the most performed list: "Drinkin' Bone" (recorded by Tracy Byrd), "Hot Mama" (Trace Adkins), "The Love Song" (Jeff Bates), "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems" (Kenny Chesney) and "Walk a Little Straighter" (Billy Currington).

Toby Keith was crowned BMI Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year on the strength of his #1 hits "American Soldier," "Beer For My Horses" and "I Love This Bar." Keith, who now has 15 BMI Awards, was also named Songwriter/Artist of the Year in 2001.

Eight songwriters were double winners, contributing two songs each to the most-performed list: Bob DiPiero, Scotty Emerick, Tony Martin, Wendell Mobley, Tim Nichols, Tom Shapiro, Jeffrey Steele, and Twain.

Other writer/artists earning awards were Keith Urban, Sara Evans, Lonestar's Richie McDonald, Clint Black, Kix Brooks & Ronnie Dunn, Buddy Jewell, Craig Morgan, Pat Green, Jeff Bates, and Sherri� Austin.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville was named BMI Country Publisher of the Year by accumulating the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs. Donna Hilley, President & CEO, accepted on behalf of the publisher, which boasted 18 songs on the most-performed list (through its companies Sony/ATV Acuff Rose and Sony/ATV Tree).

Other publishers with multiple award-winning songs included Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (8); Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc. (6); EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. (4); Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc./Zomba Songs Inc., and Tokeco Tunes (3 each).

President Emeritus Frances Preston was recognized with the President's Award; BMI's Del Bryant led the tribute, joined by Kris Kristofferson, Vince Gill, and Alabama's Randy Owen. Preston, who joined BMI in 1958 and created the Country Awards in 1959, served as President & CEO from 1986 until August of this year. The award, given to those in the entertainment industry deserving of special recognition, has previously been bestowed on the group Alabama, Merv Griffin, Earle Hagen, Harlan Howard, Willie Nelson, Billy Sherrill, Pete Townshend and Brian Wilson.

The evening culminated in the ICON tribute to Loretta Lynn, which included an introduction by Preston, remarks from Kitty Wells, and performances by Crystal Gayle, Lynnís sister (singing Coal Minerís Daughter�) and Martina McBride (�You Ainít Woman Enough�). A BMI affiliate for 43 years, the Kentucky-born Lynn launched her career in 1960 with her self-composed "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl." Soon she was topping the charts with the feisty female classics she wrote, including "You Ain't Woman Enough" (1966), "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin'" (1966), "What Kind of Girl (Do You Think I Am)" (1967), "Fist City" (1968), "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1970), "You're Lookin' at Country" (1971), "Rated X" (1972) and "The Pill" (1975). The first woman ever to become the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year, she released her 71st album, the acclaimed Van Lear Rose, earlier this year.

Lynn joins a distinguished list of previous BMI ICONS, including country songwriter/artists Bill Anderson and Dolly Parton; pop songwriting master Brian Wilson; R&B legends James Brown, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Isaac Hayes and Al Green; Motown songwriting trio Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland; and blues/rock/soul artist Van Morrison.

Danny Elfman	Thomas Newman

Ringer Ross will focus the conversation on the two composers' thoughts on film music - from working with directors to the creative muse - as well as amusing anecdotes from their careers. The informal talk is part of the Los Angeles Film Festival's "Coffee Talks" program featuring filmmakers in a relaxed setting. Considered two of the most influential composers in film and television music today, Elfman and Newman will each bring a unique perspective to working with independent filmmakers as well as the many commercial properties in their credits.

A highly prolific and influential musician, Elfman carries dual notoriety: that as a highly respected and revered composer and as the lead singer of seminal Southern California rock band Oingo Boingo. Elfman entered the world of film music in 1985, when director Tim Burton and star Paul Reubens called him to write the music for Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. His other credits include Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Big Fish, Hulk, Men In Black, Men In Black II, Planet of the Apes, Proof of Life, Spy Kids, Good Will Hunting, Mars Attacks!, Mission: Impossible, Dead Presidents, To Die For, Dolores Claiborne, Black Beauty, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, The Simpsons, as well as songs for such diverse films as Ghostbusters 2, Weird Science and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Elfman won a Golden Globe for his score for The Nightmare Before Christmas, a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition for the theme to Batman and three Saturn Awards for Best Score for Spider-Man, Mars Attacks! and The Nightmare Before Christmas. He is a three-time Academy Award nominee, and has also earned various Grammy, Emmy and BAFTA nominations.

Newman, a six-time Oscar nominee and BAFTA, Emmy and Grammy award winner, has scored such films as Finding Nemo, Road To Perdition, In The Bedroom, White Oleander, Six Feet Under, The Shawshank Redemption, The Horse Whisperer, The Player, Little Women, Fried Green Tomatoes, American Beauty, The Green Mile and many others. The youngest son of legendary composer Alfred Newman, Thomas studied composition and orchestration at USC, completing his academic work at Yale. He scored his first film, Reckless, at the age of 29, and his reputation for originality and for intensifying mood and character grew with his work starting with such films as Gung Ho, Scent Of A Woman and Citizen Cohn, continuing up to his current work on Finding Nemo and the upcoming Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and Cinderella Man.

Both Elfman and Newman are past recipients of the BMI Richard Kirk Award for Outstanding Achievement.

As Vice President, Film/TV Relations, Los Angeles, Ringer Ross oversees all activity from the Los Angeles based department serving film and television composers. During her tenure at BMI, she has established many programs for film and television composers, including the Earle Hagen Film Scoring Workshop, The Sundance Institute's Composer's Lab and the BMI Conducting Workshop. She also oversees the BMI Film Scoring scholarships at USC, UCLA and Berklee School of Music, and sponsorship involvement with the Sundance Film Festival, Independent Feature Film Market, Independent Feature Project-West, Independent Feature Project-Midwest and the SXSW Film Festival.

Ringer Ross works closely with BMI's many other celebrated film and television composers, including the late Michael Kamen, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Dave Grusin, John Barry, Mike Post, W.G. "Snuffy" Walden and David Newman. She is responsible for signing many composers to BMI, including Graeme Revell, Chris Young, David Arnold, Stewart Copeland, Mychael Danna, Harry Gregson Williams, Terence Blanchard and Rachel Portman.]]> 2004-06-03T18:00:00-05:00