Pete Carpenter Fellows Announced
The BMI Foundation proudly congratulates Aiko Fukushima and co-composers Jason Poss and Danita Ng-Poss, who were recently named winners of the 13th Annual Pete Carpenter Fellowship for aspiring film composers under the age of 35. The Fellowship was established by the BMI Foundation and Carpenter’s family, colleagues and friends to honor the late composer whose credits include television themes and scores such as The A-Team, Magnum P.I., The Rockford Files, Hardcastle and McCormick, Hunter and Riptide.
 Aiko Fukushima |  Jason Poss |  Danita Ng-Poss |
The Pete Carpenter Fellowship is directed by renowned BMI TV composer Mike Post, writer of some of the most memorable theme songs of the last century, including music co-written with Carpenter for shows such as Hill Street Blues, Magnum P.I., The Rockford Files, Martial Law, NewsRadio, NYPD Blue, The A-Team, The Commish, Law and Order, Renegade, Silk Stalkings, L.A. Law, Quantum Leap and City of Angels. This year’s winners, chosen by a panel of notable composers that included Post, tied for the opportunity to work for one month in Los Angeles on a day-to-day basis with some of the most distinguished theatrical, film and television composers in the field. In addition, Ms. Fukushima and the Poss’s will each receive a $2,000 stipend for travel and living expenses.
Born in Japan, Aiko Fukushima studied classical composition at Tokyo Gakugei University before receiving a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston where she now lives. She studied with artists Jay Chattaway and Leni Stern and has had several of her pieces performed by Berklee’s various orchestras. Ms. Fukushima is currently working as an arranger on the musical Semmelweis opening in Spring 2002, as well as writing music for a Nefertiti Productions documentary entitled Take It From Me. Her winning composition, “The Riders of the Golden Field,” was written as the main title for a TV western.
Husband and wife writing team Jason and Danita Poss, also both graduates of Berklee College of Music, submitted three short works for vocals and percussion that were originally concept sketches created for another project. The winning works were conducted by Jason, with vocals by Danita and others. Born in Malaysia, Danita Ng-Poss began her career as an assistant composer intern at Steve Ford Music, where she assisted on commercials for Anheuser-Busch, Sears, American Airlines, Disney and Procter & Gamble. She is currently Assistant Producer at Headroom Digital in New York City, as well as a freelance composer for short films and commercials. Composer, teacher, and jazz and Latin vibraphonist Jason Poss is currently performing in a variety of studio and live venues. He has studied with Dave Samuels, Giovanni Hidalgo and Victor Mendoza, and served as vibraphonist for the Barrett Deems Big Band, led by Barrett Deems, legendary drummer for Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman.
A number of past Pete Carpenter Fellowship recipients have launched dynamic television and film scoring careers, including BMI composer Christopher Tyng (TV shows Futurama, The Parent Hood, CityKids and feature films Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis, Bumble Bee Flys Away, Attack of the 5-2 Women, The Associate, Kazaam), as well as Chris Beck (TV shows Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, The Practice, NewsRadio, Law and Order and feature films Guinevere, Dog Park, Bring It On) and Roger Neill (TV shows Chicago Hope, King of the Hill, Renegade, Silk Stalkings, Doogie Howser, L.A. Law, Law and Order, NYPD Blue, Blossom and feature films Savage, The Outsider, Mercenary).
The BMI Foundation, founded in 1985 by BMI Senior Vice President Theodora Zavin, offers grants which make possible the continuation and development of creative programs for the composition of new music and the performance of these new compositions. With the aid of the distinguished writers, composers and publishers who serve on the Foundation’s Advisory Panel, the Foundation’s grants offer a platform of support that fosters the growth of young composers and ensures the continuation of the heritage of American musical ingenuity for generations to come.
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