The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2003-11-19 13:56
Michael Kamen was my friend. He was the oboe player in a woodwind quintet we had together at Juilliard in the late 1960s. Michael was always late to our early morning "kiddie concerts." I told him if he kept that up he'd never make it as an oboe player. I was right.
But how "right" Michael was for the music business!
He was a great composer, a great musician, a great collaborator, a great crossover artist, a great humanitarian, and a courageous fighter of MS.
He died yesterday in his home in London, and we were shocked here in NYC.
Michael will be missed by all of us who knew him and his wonderful music.
Michael, you were so RIGHT!
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-Obit-Kamen.html
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
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Author: ken
Date: 2003-11-19 16:31
Enormously talented and prodigious soundtrack composer. I will now enjoy and appreciate his music all the more. v/r Ken
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Author: donald
Date: 2003-11-19 18:03
sorry to hear that your friend has died- he did a lot of great work over the years, i remember his name on the back of quite a few album covers, and remember trying to copy his string scoring when i first started arranging strings for a band in 1988.
a very talented guy.
didn't he use the E flat clarinet quite a bit in "tear down the wall"? this would be the first time i noticed that instrument (at age 12 or so)
donald
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Author: msloss
Date: 2003-11-19 20:12
Let's not forget his incredibly important contribution to the future of youth music education through the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation.
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Author: eddiec ★2017
Date: 2003-11-20 01:18
I had the privilege of playing under Kamen at the 96 summer olympics and at another concert the next year with the ASYO. He was really great with us and very complimentary. We did his music for the closing ceremonies, Robin Hood, Brazil, and Mr. Holland's Opus (I got the solo on that).
A few years later I was watching Pink Floyd's "The Wall." There was a lot of rock band stuff, and it was ok, but then some brilliant orchestra parts came in. I was impressed enough to wait for the credits. Orchestration by Michael Kamen.
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-11-20 20:01
John, sorry to hear of the death of this chap ... he was, obviously, a very gifted musician in many spheres.
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2003-11-21 00:22
Thank you all for your kind thoughts about a dear friend, Michael Kamen.
Today's NY Times Obit:
[ deleted - the story is copyright. Please visit the NY Times site for the obit. Mark C. ]
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Author: john gibson
Date: 2003-11-21 20:05
I have always been a big fan of the WHO....and Kamen directed the orchestra at carnegie Hall when Roger Daltry played there on his 50th birthday. It was a tribute to Pete Townshend and one of the best DVDs ever. Kamen opened the concert with a medley of WHO songs orchestrated to show just how brilliant Townshend was/is. It is a big loss.
He was a BIG HAIRED maestro of epic proportion.
John Gibson
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2003-11-24 20:22
Kamen was also the co-writer of "GRAVEDIGGER", the only song ever written about necrophilia.
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