Dennis Dreith
Encyclopedia
Dennis Dreith is a motion picture music
composer
, arranger
, and conductor
. He is also known as an influential advocate for studio musician's rights.
, Dreith showed a talent for music at an early age. He learned to play a variety of keyboard
and reed
instruments while still in his teens. He formed a jazz
combo in the late 1960s; the late music promoter Raymond D. Bowman
(1917–2001) scheduled them for a number of Monday night concerts at the legendary Ice House in Pasadena
.
Although Dreith has been the composer for such films as Purple People Eater (1988), The Punisher
, and Gag (2005), he has never scored a major motion picture theatrical release. The Punisher
was released in theaters worldwide except in the US (because of the studio's bankruptcy). He is better known in the industry as an orchestrator and conductor of film music scores. His work (often uncredited) can be heard in the soundtracks of Jurassic Park
, Misery
, Braveheart
, Addams Family, Sleepless in Seattle
, Heart and Souls
, A League of Their Own
and others. He has been providing services to several well-known composers. Among them, John Williams
, Lalo Schifrin
, Dominick Frontiere, Marc Shaiman
, Hans Zimmer
, Elliot Goldenthal
, Mark Isham
and Cliff Eidelman
.
Dreith was also a member and consultant for the American Federation of Musicians
Negotiating Sub-committee for every major electronic media agreement negotiated by them. During that time, he was also AFM liaison to both the Theatrical and Television Motion Picture Special Payments Fund (MPSPF), and the Phonograph Record Manufacturers' Special Payments Fund, even addressing the House Sub-committee on Intellectual Properties in support of Digital Performers Rights legislation in Washington, D.C.
that was signed into law by President Bill Clinton
in November 1995.
where he negotiated and executed a "Friendship Agreement" between the Musicians Rights Commission of Japan and the RMA, which in turn has resulted in the substantial distribution of Japanese royalties to U.S. recording musicians.
Dreith is currently the Administrator of the Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund
as well as the Independent Administrator of the AFM & AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund, overseeing the Japanese Record Rental Royalty Fund, the AHRA Fund (Audio Home Recording Act), and Digital Performance Royalties on behalf of the American Federation of Musicians
(AFM) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).
Dennis Dreith is a frequent panelist for music industry seminars and has often been a guest lecturer at a number of universities. He has been a speaker at a variety of music education and related conferences in the United States
and at the Cannes film festival
. He is a former member of the faculty at UCLA
Extension as well as a past member of the UCLA Advisory Board to the Department of Entertainment Studies and Performing Arts.
Dreith is on the board of directors for a charity "Environment of People Foundation, Inc." which according to its website "strives to ensure that music remain a central part of our children's lives and growth.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
, and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
. He is also known as an influential advocate for studio musician's rights.
Life
A native Californian born in GlendaleGlendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
, Dreith showed a talent for music at an early age. He learned to play a variety of keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and reed
Reed (instrument)
A reed is a thin strip of material which vibrates to produce a sound on a musical instrument. The reeds of most Woodwind instruments are made from Arundo donax or synthetic material; tuned reeds are made of metal or synthetics.-Single reeds:Single reeds are used on the mouthpieces of clarinets...
instruments while still in his teens. He formed a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
combo in the late 1960s; the late music promoter Raymond D. Bowman
Raymond D. Bowman
Raymond DeArmond Bowman was an important American classical, jazz and ethnic music critic, concert promoter and writer, based in Southern California...
(1917–2001) scheduled them for a number of Monday night concerts at the legendary Ice House in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
.
Career
Dreith grew to work as a musician in the film music industry and eventually worked with the Recording Musicians' Association (RMA), becoming its president, a post he held for over 15 years.Although Dreith has been the composer for such films as Purple People Eater (1988), The Punisher
The Punisher (1989 film)
The Punisher is a 1989 film starring Dolph Lundgren as Frank Castle, directed by Mark Goldblatt from a screenplay by Boaz Yakin. It is loosely based on the Marvel Comics' character The Punisher. The film changes many details of the comic book origin and the main character does not wear the...
, and Gag (2005), he has never scored a major motion picture theatrical release. The Punisher
The Punisher (1989 film)
The Punisher is a 1989 film starring Dolph Lundgren as Frank Castle, directed by Mark Goldblatt from a screenplay by Boaz Yakin. It is loosely based on the Marvel Comics' character The Punisher. The film changes many details of the comic book origin and the main character does not wear the...
was released in theaters worldwide except in the US (because of the studio's bankruptcy). He is better known in the industry as an orchestrator and conductor of film music scores. His work (often uncredited) can be heard in the soundtracks of Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park (film)
Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck...
, Misery
Misery (film)
Misery is a 1990 American Psychological Horror Film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates' performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes...
, Braveheart
Braveheart
Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
, Addams Family, Sleepless in Seattle
Sleepless in Seattle
The film was originally to have been scored by John Barry, but when he was given a list of 20 songs he had to put in the film, he quit.#As Time Goes By - Jimmy Durante #A Kiss to Build a Dream on - Louis Armstrong #Stardust - Nat King Cole...
, Heart and Souls
Heart and Souls
Heart and Souls is a 1993 fantasy/comedy film about the souls of four deceased people who are trapped on earth and can only be seen by a single living human being who is recruited to help them take care of their unfinished business...
, A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Directed by Penny Marshall, the film stars Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell...
and others. He has been providing services to several well-known composers. Among them, John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
, Lalo Schifrin
Lalo Schifrin
Lalo Schifrin is an Argentine composer, pianist and conductor. He is best known for his film and TV scores, such as the "Theme from Mission: Impossible". He has received four Grammy Awards and six Oscar nominations...
, Dominick Frontiere, Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman is an American composer, lyricist, arranger, and performer for films, television, and theatre. He is perhaps best known for writing the music and co-writing the lyrics for the Broadway musical version of the cult John Waters film Hairspray, for which Shaiman won Tony and Grammy...
, Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer
Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
, Elliot Goldenthal
Elliot Goldenthal
Elliot Goldenthal is an American composer of contemporary classical music. He was a student of Aaron Copland and John Corigliano, and is best known for his distinctive style and ability to blend various musical styles and techniques in original and inventive ways...
, Mark Isham
Mark Isham
Mark Isham is an American trumpeter, synthesist, and film composer. He works in a variety of genres, including jazz, electronic, and film.-Life and career:...
and Cliff Eidelman
Cliff Eidelman
Clifford Glen “Cliff” Eidelman is an American composer and conductor who scored films such as Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Free Willy 3: The Rescue, and Christopher Columbus: The Discovery.- Career :Eidelman began his formal training in violin at the age of eight and continued with...
.
Dreith was also a member and consultant for the American Federation of Musicians
American Federation of Musicians
The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada is a labor union of professional musicians in the United States and Canada...
Negotiating Sub-committee for every major electronic media agreement negotiated by them. During that time, he was also AFM liaison to both the Theatrical and Television Motion Picture Special Payments Fund (MPSPF), and the Phonograph Record Manufacturers' Special Payments Fund, even addressing the House Sub-committee on Intellectual Properties in support of Digital Performers Rights legislation in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
that was signed into law by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
in November 1995.
International negotiations
In 1996, he traveled to JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
where he negotiated and executed a "Friendship Agreement" between the Musicians Rights Commission of Japan and the RMA, which in turn has resulted in the substantial distribution of Japanese royalties to U.S. recording musicians.
Dreith is currently the Administrator of the Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund
Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund
The Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund is a not-for-profit organization that collects and processes residual payments from producers and distributes them to film and television musicians...
as well as the Independent Administrator of the AFM & AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund, overseeing the Japanese Record Rental Royalty Fund, the AHRA Fund (Audio Home Recording Act), and Digital Performance Royalties on behalf of the American Federation of Musicians
American Federation of Musicians
The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada is a labor union of professional musicians in the United States and Canada...
(AFM) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).
Other work
For several years, Dreith has his own publishing company "Magic Closet Music" and is a partner in "Maverick Music", a music production company for films and commercials. This is not the same "Maverick Music" music label and publishing company previously owned by Madonna and now owned by Warner Music Group.Dennis Dreith is a frequent panelist for music industry seminars and has often been a guest lecturer at a number of universities. He has been a speaker at a variety of music education and related conferences in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and at the Cannes film festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. He is a former member of the faculty at UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
Extension as well as a past member of the UCLA Advisory Board to the Department of Entertainment Studies and Performing Arts.
Dreith is on the board of directors for a charity "Environment of People Foundation, Inc." which according to its website "strives to ensure that music remain a central part of our children's lives and growth.