Master Class with Ian Freebairn-Smith

“Navigating Music in Hollywood:
Composition Plus Advanced Vocal Arranging
for Film, Television & Commercials.”

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Check-In: 10:30 am – Class 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Valley College Music Building

5800 Fulton Ave., Valley Glen, CA
(corner of Fulton and Oxnard, free parking in lot on this corner)

ASMAC Members/Students $25
Non-Members/Guests $40
SCL Members $30

Call 818-994-4661 for more information.

CLICK TO RESERVE

Ian Freebairn-Smith has devoted his life to music in its many forms, from classical to popular, jazz, choral music, and new music. He has extensive experience as a composer and conductor in film and TV, and is a Grammy Award-winning arranger. His formal training in music began with private studies in composition with Julius Toldi while in high school. He then attended the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, the University of Pennsylvania, and UCLA. He later studied film scoring with Leith Stevens.

He began studio work as a group singer, then went on to choral arranging, orchestra arranging, and finally motion picture and TV composing. He won a Grammy Award for best arrangement accompanying a vocalist, for Barbra Streisand’s “Evergreen.” He has arranged and conducted for The Hi-Lo’s, The Four Freshmen, Liza Minelli, Frederica von Stade, Andy Williams, Anthony Newly, Stephen Bishop, Harry Nilsson, Paul Williams, Jeff Beck, and many others.

Film composing and orchestrating credits include: The End, The Strawberry Statement, The Muppet Movie, A Star is Born, and M*A*S*H. TV composing for: Magnum, P.I., Fame, Cagney and Lacy, and Airwolf. He arranged the orchestra and voices, and sang in the vocal group, on the “Gilligan”s Island” theme. He formed the quartet “The Swing Set” to tour with Doc Severensen’s big band with major American symphony orchestras. He sings in Clare Fischer’s vocal group 2+2+2. (New CD out now).

His choral setting of “Season,” by US Poet Laureate WS Merwin was given its world premiere performance by the choral group Volti in December of 2011 in San Francisco. His cello quartet No. 1 was recently performed in Southern California and heard on KUSC. “LA Marathon” was commissioned by the LA Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra and first performed at UCLA’s Royce Hall

Topics:

Film Scoring
Record Arranging
TV Main Titles & Underscores
Vocal Group & Choral Arranging
Commercials
The Role of Overtones in Voices
Understanding Tetrachords
Incredibly Awkward Piano Playing

Moderator: Sylvester Rivers

Composer, arranger and pianist Sylvester Rivers has recorded with numerous hit artists including Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, The Jacksons, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson, Kenny Rogers, Johnny Mathis, Aretha Franklin, New Edition, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Barry White, Marc Bolan & T. Rex, Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio, Deniece Williams, The Fifth Dimension and many others.  Composing, arranging and orchestrating for television and film, as well, such as the television series, “Fame,” songs for the Kevin Bacon/ Laurence Fishburne film, “Quicksilver,” “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo,” “The Arsenio Hall Show” and numerous others, he has been prolific in producing music throughout a wide spectrum.