Thomas Newman – Any Other Name

Thomas Newman (born October 20, 1955) is an American film score composer and a member of a family who established a film-scoring dynasty in Hollywood. He was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of composer Alfred Newman (1901-1970) (who scored Battle of Midway, My Friend Flicka, Song of Bernadette, Gentlemans Agreement, All About Eve, and The Robe) and his wife Martha Louise, née Montgomery. He was educated at Yale University. His uncle Lionel Newman scored Hello, Dolly!. His brother David Newman scored Daddy Day Care, Death to Smoochy, and Ice Age. His cousin Randy Newman is noted for series of popular albums. Musical Style One of the most interesting things about Newman is his change of styles, beginning with his score for American Beauty, which received critical acclaim. Before this, Newman gravitated more towards the orchestra for his music, like in most other film music. However, in American Beauty his fans witnessed his take on a minimalistic score with an array of odd instruments and a rhythmic style. Since then Newman has alternated and mixed in both his traditional sweeping orchestral scores along with his new, creative style. He is notorious among score listeners for using plenty of instruments the average listener would never have heard of.