The BMI Conducting Workshop recently completed its ninth year at the American Federation of Musicians Local 47 in Hollywood, Calif. "Conducting for the Film Composer" is a two-week course taught by conductor/composer Lucas Richman and coordinated by BMI's Ray Yee, Senior Director of Film/Television Relations.

Designed for composers who wish to refine their conducting skills, the free annual workshop is limited to eight BMI-affiliated professional film and television composers. This year's students included Joseph Julian Gonzalez (Resurrection Blvd., Price of Glory), James Venable (Powerpuff Girls, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Clerks 2), Joseph Vitarelli (Revelations, Last Seduction), Andreas Kapsalas (Black Gold, Sundance Composer Lab fellow), Mervyn Warren (Honey, The Wedding Planner, A Walk to Remember), Walterio Pesquira (Mujeres Insumisas, La Usurpadora, Plaza Sesamo [Sesame Street]), Stephen Ridley (The Sharktank Redemption) and George Shaw (Purity, Kidnapping of Ingrid Betancourt).

A highly touted lab, past participants include composers Cliff Martinez, Stewart Copeland, Camara Kambon, Danny Pelfrey, Richard Gibbs, Bill Brown, Bennett Salvay, Rolfe Kent, Julie and Steve Bernstein, Mark De Gli Antoni, Anthony Marinelli, Alex Wurman, Pete Scaturro, Mick Muhlfriedal, Dominic Messenger, Gary Kuo and Laura Karpman.

Now celebrating more than 65 years in business, BMI is an American performing right organization that represents approximately 300,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in all genres of music. With a repertoire of approximately 6.5 million musical works from around the world, the non-profit-making corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.


Front Row (L-R): Andreas Kapsalis (Composer), David Low (Contractor), Alan Steinberger (Pianist), Lucas Richman, Ray Yee, Endre Granat (Concert Master), Anne Cecere, Walterio Pesqueira (Composer), Joseph Julian Gonzalez (Composer), James Venable.

Back Row (L-R): Chris Ledesma (Editor), Victor Lawrence (Cellist), George Shaw (Composer), Mervyn Warren (Composer), Mark Robertson (Violinist), Stephen Ridley (Composer), Joseph Vitarelli (Composer), Phil Shrut.

Photos by Anna Maria DiSanto