Danny Elfman: From New-Waver to Film Composer
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Danny Elfman is a musician and composer with an incredibly diverse background that spans various genres and styles.
Now known as a versatile composer, Elfman is associated with some of the most iconic film scores of the golden age of contemporary Cinema. Still, many would struggle to believe that he had barely any formal training at all. He started as a singer and songwriter at the helm of the band Oingo Bongo.
The group started making music in the 1980s, and it focused on new-wave music. This style was particularly popular then, but the band continued to experiment and expand its sonic horizons, particularly because of Elfman’s propensity to stray from traditional song patterns and seek out increasingly more experimental techniques. The band remained active until the early 90s. By that time, it was more focused on guitar-oriented rock music.
While still an active member of Oingo Bongo, Danny Elfman began composing music for film scores as a side project. Eventually, he quit the band to focus exclusively on his composition. Not only did he make the decision because he was becoming increasingly busy scoring, but he was also struggling with hearing damage due to the many years of loud concerts. The studio environment was more sustainable for him as it’s easier to regulate volumes and levels in a more controlled environment.
The film scoring career of Danny Elfman kicked off partly because of film Director Tim Burton. He was a huge fan of Oingo Boingo, so he reached out to Elfman and asked him if he would like to try and come up with something for a movie named “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure,” which he was working on at the time.
The artist was initially reluctant, and he was quite apprehensive about the project, especially because he was not a formally trained composer. Elfman tried to enrol in a music class in high school, but he was rejected because the teacher deemed him unfit for music and claimed he lacked ability. The budding composer thought that he might not have been able to withstand the pressure that such a musical task might entail. Still, he decided to take a leap and deliver a demo of his score idea for the project. Tim Burton was immediately enthusiastic about it, and eventually, his music was turned into a full orchestral piece for the film. To this day, Elfman still recalls hearing one of his compositions performed by a real orchestra. Hearing his work coming to life inspired him to keep going and pursue more film-scoring projects.
He continued his work with Tim Burton, becoming his go-to composer for some of his most successful and iconic movies. These include “Batman,” as well as “Sleepy Hollow” and “Alice In Wonderland.” However, one of the most memorable and best-known compositions in his career is his work on “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Not only did Elfman compose ten original tracks for the movie, but he ended up singing the songs, voicing the musical segments of the main character, Jack. He wasn’t initially supposed to sing in the movie, but he recorded some scratch vocals to use as a guideline for whoever was supposed to sing in the final version. After auditioning candidates, Tim Burton decided that the best voice for the project was Elfman’s!
Danny Elfman‘s musical collaborations in the film scoring world also expanded to various projects with world-famous directors. These include Guillermo Del Toro, Brian De Palma, Gus Van Sant, Ang Lee, and more.
Mostly self-taught, Danny Elfman took his musical education into his own hands, and took it to the next level. In his younger days, he listened to as many different styles as he could, and travelled to Europe and Africa to experience traditional music, folk, and instruments first-hand. He’s an example of a “Rebel” within the Cool Continuum, having become a master of his craft by following his instincts and taking the road less traveled.
Cool Continuum is a collaborative effort by Jason S. Comely and ChatGPT. For more artist profiles and ideas on how you can make your mark on the art world, follow me on Medium.
