Not hackwork

I read with great interest “Classical Crossover” by Victoria Looseleaf (Nov. 9). It was wonderful to see an article about the genre of film music and some of the exceptional participants. The scores for the “Matrix” series by film composer Don Davis are a wonderful example of some of the great work that is coming out of L.A. film scoring stages.

In the article, Times Music Critic Mark Swed referred to various musicians as being caught up in “the film thing” and becoming “hacks.” He seemingly implies that the act of recording film music strips away all of a musician’s artistic value. I am sure that I speak for the entire film recording community when I say that the musicians participating in film scoring for their life’s work do not feel that they are “cheap” or “second-class” musicians in any sense. We have recording musician members in the Recording Musicians Assn. of Los Angeles who have come from more than 300 of the world’s greatest orchestras and have integrated themselves into the musical and artistic fabric of L.A. We also have numerous top jazz and pop recording musicians whose contributions are no less significant. These musicians don’t see their work or contributions as being the musical act of “hacks.”

Brian O’Connor

Hollywood

Brian O’Connor is president of the Recording Musicians Assn. of Los Angeles