Joey Newman
Encyclopedia
Joey Newman is a Los Angeles
-based film composer, orchestrator, arranger
and conductor
working in the fields of film and television. Joey was educated at the Berklee College of Music
in Boston, MA.
in the 1960s and the pop group Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
in the 1970s and his mother, Jenifer Newman (a classically trained ballerina
who danced with the New York City Ballet
and the Boston Repertory Ballet
) nurtured his musical beginnings. Further inspiration and guidance came from his grandfather, Lionel Newman
(the Oscar-winning composer/conductor who headed 20th Century Fox
’s Music Department for 47 years after his older brother and nine-time Oscar winner, Alfred Newman
, retired and his composer cousins, Randy Newman
, David Newman
and Thomas Newman
. His cousin Maria Newman (Alfred's youngest daughter) is a well known composer of music for the concert stage.
Born with an innate sense of rhythm, Joey was drumming at the age of three, owning his first set of drums at the age of eight. At nine, he was chosen for the boy’s chorus of The Los Angeles Master Chorale where he performed with The Deutsche Oper Berlin Company's production of Tosca
and Die Tote Stadt
, featuring Placido Domingo
. That same year, he performed in the boy’s chorus of La Boheme
at UCLA’s Royce Hall
. At the age of 11, he studied piano under the tutelage of Herb Donaldson. A self-taught drummer until the age of 15, he began his serious approach to drumming under the instruction of veteran drummer, Michael Barsimanto (Mark Isham, Jean Luc Ponty, Ivan Neville, Billy Preston).
Joey began serious composition studies at the Berklee College of Music
in Boston, earning his Bachelor of Music degree. He returned to his hometown of Los Angeles where he began his career working in television with Emmy®-winning composer W.G. “Snuffy” Walden
, co-composing the final seasons of Once and Again
, starring Sela Ward
, and Providence
, starring Melina Kanakaredes
. Joey also provided orchestrations for Aaron Sorkin
’s The West Wing as well as a number of other primetime dramas and sitcoms.
On his own, Joey has composed the music to features, network/cable television series, and video games. From 2001-2006, Joey composed the orchestral score to NCsoft’s Lineage
, one of the biggest online role-playing games in history. In 2003, Joey began a fruitful collaboration with his cousin Randy, providing orchestrations for Universal’s Seabiscuit
and later Disney/Pixar's Cars
. He also conducted the music to the Disney California Adventure ride Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
which his cousin, Randy, originally scored. For six seasons, Joey composed the score to the everyday life of the Roloff family in TLC's hit docu-series, Little People, Big World
, including the Grand Canyon episode in season 3 which earned him a 2008 Emmy nomination. Currently in its third season, Joey's music can be heard on the ABC comedy The Middle
starring Patricia Heaton
and Neil Flynn
.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based film composer, orchestrator, 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...
working in the fields of film and television. Joey was educated at the Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston, MA.
Biography
Joey Newman is a third generation film composer born into a diverse, musical family. His father, Joe Frank Carollo (a Mississippi-born rock/R&B bass player who played with the T-BonesThe T-Bones
The T-Bones were an American pop group active in the mid 1960s. The group had a hit single in 1966 with their instrumental "No Matter What Shape ", whose melody was from a commercial for Alka-Seltzer...
in the 1960s and the pop group Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds was a 1970s AM soft rock trio from Los Angeles. The original members were Dan Hamilton , Joe Frank Carollo , and Tommy Reynolds , all of whom had previously played in The T-Bones, a 1960s band noted for the instrumental hit "No Matter What Shape ".The group first hit...
in the 1970s and his mother, Jenifer Newman (a classically trained ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
who danced with the New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
and the Boston Repertory Ballet
Boston Ballet
Boston Ballet, founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams, was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. Boston Ballet’s national and international reputation developed under the leadership of Artistic Directors Violette Verdy , Bruce Marks , and Anna-Marie Holmes...
) nurtured his musical beginnings. Further inspiration and guidance came from his grandfather, Lionel Newman
Lionel Newman
Lionel Newman was an American conductor, pianist, and film and television composer. He was the brother of Alfred Newman and Emil Newman, uncle of Randy Newman, David Newman and Thomas Newman, and grandfather of Joey Newman....
(the Oscar-winning composer/conductor who headed 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
’s Music Department for 47 years after his older brother and nine-time Oscar winner, Alfred Newman
Alfred Newman
Alfred Newman was an American composer, arranger, and conductor of music for films.In a career which spanned over forty years, Newman composed music for over two hundred films. He was one of the most respected film score composers of his time, and is today regarded as one of the greatest...
, retired and his composer cousins, Randy Newman
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
, David Newman
David Newman (composer)
David Louis Newman is an American composer and conductor known particularly for his film scores. In a career spanning nearly forty years, he has composed music for nearly 100 feature films.-Life and career:...
and Thomas Newman
Thomas Newman
Thomas Montgomery Newman is an American composer and conductor, best known for his many film scores. He is one of the more respected and recognized composers for modern film and has scored over fifty feature films in a career which spans nearly three decades.Newman has received a total of ten...
. His cousin Maria Newman (Alfred's youngest daughter) is a well known composer of music for the concert stage.
Born with an innate sense of rhythm, Joey was drumming at the age of three, owning his first set of drums at the age of eight. At nine, he was chosen for the boy’s chorus of The Los Angeles Master Chorale where he performed with The Deutsche Oper Berlin Company's production of Tosca
Tosca
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
and Die Tote Stadt
Die tote Stadt
Die tote Stadt is an opera in three acts by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The libretto is by the composer and Paul Schott , and is based on Bruges-la-Morte, a short novel by Georges Rodenbach.-Performance history:When Die tote Stadt had its premiere on December 4, 1920, Korngold was just 23...
, featuring Placido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
. That same year, he performed in the boy’s chorus of La Boheme
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
at UCLA’s Royce Hall
Royce Hall
Royce Hall is a building on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles . Designed by the Los Angeles firm of Allison & Allison in the Italian Romanesque Revival style and completed in 1929, it is one of the four original buildings on UCLA's Westwood campus and has come to be the...
. At the age of 11, he studied piano under the tutelage of Herb Donaldson. A self-taught drummer until the age of 15, he began his serious approach to drumming under the instruction of veteran drummer, Michael Barsimanto (Mark Isham, Jean Luc Ponty, Ivan Neville, Billy Preston).
Joey began serious composition studies at the Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston, earning his Bachelor of Music degree. He returned to his hometown of Los Angeles where he began his career working in television with Emmy®-winning composer W.G. “Snuffy” Walden
W. G. Walden
W. G. Snuffy Walden is a musician and composer for television shows. He has been awarded or nominated for numerous Emmy Awards and BMI Awards.- Early life :...
, co-composing the final seasons of Once and Again
Once and Again
Once and Again is an American television series that aired on ABC from September 21, 1999 to April 15, 2002. It depicts the family of a single mother and her romance with a single father...
, starring Sela Ward
Sela Ward
Sela Ann Ward is an American movie and television actress, perhaps best known for her television roles as Teddy Reed on the American TV series Sisters and as Lily Manning on Once and Again...
, and Providence
Providence (TV series)
Providence is an American drama series that aired on NBC starring Melina Kanakaredes. The show ran for five seasons from January 8, 1999 until December 20, 2002.-Synopsis:The show revolves around Dr...
, starring Melina Kanakaredes
Melina Kanakaredes
Melina Eleni Kanakaredes Constantinides is an American actress. She is widely known for two starring roles on U.S. prime-time television drama series; playing Detective Stella Bonasera in CSI: NY and portraying Dr...
. Joey also provided orchestrations for Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Benjamin Sorkin is an Academy and Emmy award winning American screenwriter, producer, and playwright, whose works include A Few Good Men, The American President, The West Wing, Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Social Network, and Moneyball.After graduating from Syracuse...
’s The West Wing as well as a number of other primetime dramas and sitcoms.
On his own, Joey has composed the music to features, network/cable television series, and video games. From 2001-2006, Joey composed the orchestral score to NCsoft’s Lineage
Lineage (computer game)
Lineage is a medieval fantasy, massively multiplayer online role-playing game released in the United States in 1998 by the South Korean computer game developer NCsoft. It is most popular in Korea and is available in Chinese, Japanese, and English language versions...
, one of the biggest online role-playing games in history. In 2003, Joey began a fruitful collaboration with his cousin Randy, providing orchestrations for Universal’s Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit (film)
Seabiscuit is a 2003 American biographical film based on the best-selling non-fiction book Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand...
and later Disney/Pixar's Cars
Cars (film)
Cars is a 2006 American animated family film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Joe Ranft. It is the seventh Disney·Pixar feature film, and Pixar's final, independently-produced motion picture before its purchase by Disney...
. He also conducted the music to the Disney California Adventure ride Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! is a dark ride attraction at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California...
which his cousin, Randy, originally scored. For six seasons, Joey composed the score to the everyday life of the Roloff family in TLC's hit docu-series, Little People, Big World
Little People, Big World
Little People, Big World is a reality television series produced in the United States that aired on TLC. The series follows the six-member Roloff family farm near Portland, Oregon...
, including the Grand Canyon episode in season 3 which earned him a 2008 Emmy nomination. Currently in its third season, Joey's music can be heard on the ABC comedy The Middle
The Middle (TV series)
The Middle is an American situation comedy television series that premiered on ABC on September 30, 2009. The show features Frances "Frankie" Heck , a working-class, Midwestern woman married to Mike Heck who resides in the small fictional town of Orson, Indiana. They are the parents of three...
starring Patricia Heaton
Patricia Heaton
Patricia Helen Heaton is an American actress, comedienne, producer and model, best known for portraying Debra Barone on the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996 to 2005, for which she won two Emmy Awards....
and Neil Flynn
Neil Flynn
Neil Richard Flynn is an American actor and comedian, known for his role as Janitor in the medical comedy-drama Scrubs. He currently portrays Mike Heck in the ABC sitcom The Middle.-Early life:...
.