Watch the panel with Harry Gregson-Williams and guests
We launched our educational YouTube channel Virtual Orchestration with an illustrious event at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Our guests Harry Gregson-Williams, Kara Talve, Sami Goldberg, Sean McMahon, and Hendrik Schwarzer share their personal insights on music education and the finer points of surviving as a professional composer.
Thanks again to all our guests, and thank you to everyone at Berklee!
Harry Gregson-Williams
Harry Gregson-Williams has too many AAA-league credits to list—it’s probably sufficient to say he’s a go-to composer for Ridley Scott and a huge influence on contemporary film music. Recent highlights include the Netflix documentary Return to Space, House of Gucci, The Last Duel, and Disney’s live action Mulan. And that’s how we connected—we worked together to create Phoenix Orchestra, which Harry used to write the score for Mulan. Harry is a great friend of Berklee, and we were very proud to have him on board to announce Virtual Orchestration.
Kara Talve
Currently blazing a name for herself in Los Angeles, Kara is Principal Composer for The Simpsons at Bleeding Fingers Music, and co-composer for Apple TV’s Prehistoric Planet, alongside Hans Zimmer and Anze Rozman. Importantly, she’s also a Berklee Screen Scoring graduate. As such, she’s a shining example of how a good musical foundation combined with raw talent can fuel a career as a composer, and it also makes her an essential guest for our panel.
Sami Goldberg
When we compiled our wishlist for our panel guests, Sami was an obvious choice: Not only is she a recent Berklee Screen Scoring graduate, she’s also working as Kara’s assistant in the role of Junior Composer at Bleeding Fingers Music. She recently composed additional music for FOX’s Masterchef, Peacock’s The Traitors, and Lifetime’s The 12 Days Of Christmas Eve. We felt her voice was an important contribution to the discussion, with her unique position at the fulcrum of talent and potential.
Sean McMahon
Sean is Chair of Screen Scoring at Berklee College of Music in Boston, which means he effectively runs the show. Himself a Berklee graduate, Sean has worked as a composer and orchestrator, and earned his industry spurs before taking up his current job. Sean’s been instrumental in our collaboration and in the development of Virtual Orchestration, so we’d like to say a big thank you to him and his team.
About Virtual Orchestration
Just starting out writing orchestral music? Looking to fine-tune your MIDI mockups? Or in search of the secret sauce that transforms your tracks from hobby-level to pro? Check out Virtual Orchestration: A YouTube channel dedicated to helping you create better MIDI mockups—and ultimately better music. Hosted by composer Alex Lamy, this free series takes a deep dive into writing with sampled orchestral instruments, with a wealth of tips and tricks that you can use straight away.
Developed hand-in-hand with the faculty at Berklee College of Music, Virtual Orchestration offers real insight in a direct, fresh format. Alex and a team of special guests will take you through the creative process—from the broadest basic brushstrokes to the finest surgical details. So whether you're just starting out or already well on your way, this free resource will help you on your path.
Get started today: The first episodes of season 1 are online now. And subscribe to the channel so you never miss a video. New episodes every Sunday!
