Reddit mentions of On the Track

Here's a few that I like:

Fred Karlin's On the Track is a very good place to start, and among the best books from a musical point of view. It's expensive, though. Check your bookstore and library for a used copy, but it's a great book.

There's a pretty comprehensive study of music in Hitchcock films by Jack Sullivan. Only available on kindle, but again, check your library. If you're at a school with a big music and/or film department I wouldn't be surprised to find it there.

Hearing the Movies and Reel Music both offer a pretty good overview of the history. Reel Music is from a non-musician perspective, Hearing the Movies covers musical material as well.

That being said, there are a lot of books that can be very helpful from a non-musical point of view. The Bernard Herrman biography, Heart at Fire's Center, is a fascinating read and incredibly insightful. Do you like James Bond at all? Jon Burlingame (well known around LA as the journalist/historian) wrote an incredible book, detailing every movie. The paperback is an updated version with a Skyfall chapter.

Watch these:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi5adKU9gu4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1PcGSnFlUw

The first is a roundtable with Danny Elfman, Alexandre Desplat, Fernando Velasquez, Mychael Danna, Marco Beltrami and Patrick Doyle. The second with Hans Zimmer, Christophe Peck, Henry Jackman, Thomas Newman, Steven Price and Alan Silvestri.

Google "John Williams." You've probably heard the name. Listen to him talk. He's brilliant. If you're ever in LA at the end of August, go see him conduct at the Hollywood Bowl.

And the best thing you can do? Score movies! There's value in rescoring scenes from films, and, if you can, find a film school (possible at the same school if you're at a place like NYU or USC) and reach out to the students there. Offer to score their films. The best way to get into it is really just to do it.



Amazon links:
http://www.amazon.com/Track-Guide-Contemporary-Film-Scoring/dp/0415941369/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412216822&sr=1-1&keywords=fred+karlin

http://www.amazon.com/Hitchcocks-Music-Jack-Sullivan-ebook/dp/B0015MTOQ8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412217334&sr=1-1&keywords=hitchcock+music

http://www.amazon.com/Reel-Music-Exploring-Years-Film/dp/0393925749/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412217613&sr=1-8&keywords=film+music

http://www.amazon.com/Hearing-Movies-Music-Sound-History/dp/0195327799/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412217613&sr=1-11&keywords=film+music

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Fires-Center-Bernard-Herrmann/dp/0520229398/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412217247&sr=1-1&keywords=bernard+herrmann

http://www.amazon.com/Music-James-Bond-Jon-Burlingame/dp/0199358850/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412217281&sr=1-1&keywords=jon+burlingame

http://vi-control.net/community/

I used to frequent this forum when I was just interested in the composition scene.

Also, grab up these books if you're interested in TV or film scoring:

Music Composition for Film and Television. I just came across this, but since it's written by Lalo Schifrin, you really should get it...and I should, too.

The Reel World: Music Pro Guides. Haven't finished this one, but the book comes with a website that gives audio examples to what Rona is talking about.

Complete Guide To Film Scoring. This one is not only helpful because of the chapters on getting the jobs, but the second half of the book is full of interviews by actual composers whose jobs include writing for TV or film. You'll find every one of them got into the scene through a different avenue. Extremely informative.

On the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring. Have it, haven't read it yet.

I feel like I'm forgetting one or two, but I think this should be a start. Also note that these links might not be the best place to buy the books; I just linked the first correct hits I found so you know what to look for.

http://www.amazon.com/Track-Guide-Contemporary-Film-Scoring/dp/0415941369/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463427882&sr=8-1&keywords=on+the+track

I have this as well, but it's pretty pricey: http://www.amazon.com/On-Track-Guide-Contemporary-Scoring/dp/0415941369/ref=pd_sim_14_7?ie=UTF8&dpID=51u7SR14KxL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR125%2C160_&refRID=0D13VP5ZQZF4BCAKXWGV