W.G. Snuffy Walden
Composer
About This Interview
In his four-hour Archive interview, W.G. Snuffy Walden outlines his career as a composer. He describes his childhood in Texas, learning to play instruments, and getting very interested in music during his senior year of high school. He discusses several bands of which he was a member (The Showmen, PSY123, Aphrodite, Stray Dog) and recalls his first time touring. Walden openly discusses his struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, quitting music for a time, and returning to music and playing for film and television. He tells of his first composition for television - for thirtysomething - and talks about his ongoing relationship with creators Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskowitz, for whom Walden also composed for on My So-Called Life, Quarter Life, and Once and Again. He details composing for The Wonder Years, Sisters, and I'll Fly Away, and speaks of his relationship with Aaron Sorkin and composing for Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and The West Wing. Walden also describes his writing process, what his studio space is like, and talks of working with a live orchestra. He comments on composing for several TV movies and miniseries, including Winne, Roe v. Wade, and The Outsiders. He touches on the differences between composing for sitcoms and dramas (he composed for The Drew Carey Show, Roseanne, and George Lopez, among others) and demonstrates a few of his compositions - including "Winnie's theme" from The Wonder Years and the theme to The West Wing. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on April 10, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA.
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Highlights
W.G. Snuffy Walden on "Winnie's theme" for The Wonder Years
Clip begins at: 19:44, Duration: 00m 46s
W.G. Snuffy Walden on composing the theme for thirtysomething
Clip begins at: 54:14, Duration: 02m 49s
W.G. Snuffy Walden on composing the prologue theme for The West Wing
Clip begins at: 52:00, Duration: 03m 17s- W.G. Snuffy Walden on the theme to My So-Called Life
Clip begins at: 22:58, Duration: 01m 01s 
W.G. Snuffy Walden on what he strives to achieve with his work
Clip begins at: 30:27, Duration: 01m 53s- W.G. Snuffy Walden on his nickname "Snuffy"
Clip begins at: 02:33, Duration: 01m 41s
Interview
- Part 1
- On growing up in Texas; on his nickname "Snuffy"; on moving from Houston to East Texas and growing up on a cattle ranch; on loving the music of Elvis Presley; on TV shows he liked as a kid; on wanting to be a doctor; on learning to play instruments and getting very interested in music his senior year of high school
Clip begins at: 0:27 - On playing guitar and playing music with his brother in the band The Showmen (which became PSY123); on loving blues and rock and roll and disliking country music at the time; on starting to write his own music; on enrolling in college and dropping out to play music in a strip club
Clip begins at: 14:37 - On feeling like he could have a career as a composer; on his first professional job; on playing with B.J. Thomas when he was 14; on recording albums in the 1970s, playing with the band Aphrodite, and traveling to England; on touring with the band Stray Dog
Clip begins at: 23:12 - On playing back up for Eric Burdon; on his drug use; on starting to produce and moving to Los Angeles; on writing music professionally and his escalating drug and alcohol use; on quitting music, and returning to play guitar for the movie Staving Alive
Clip begins at: 32:06 - On appearing on Laverne & Shirley in 1979; on his first composition for TV - for thirtysomething; on composing the theme for thirtysomething; on instruments in the thirtysomething score; on using a Coke bottle in the score
Clip begins at: 41:49 - Part 2
- On scoring thirtysomething, contd.; on his musical partnership with Stewart Levin; on composing for The Wonder Years
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On his musical partnership with Stewart Levin; on the theme to thirtysomething; on the influence of the theme for thirtysomething
Clip begins at: 10:29 - On composing for The Wonder Years; on "Winnie's theme" for The Wonder Years
Clip begins at: 18:37 - On composing for TV movies: Winnie, Roe vs. Wade; on differences between composing for series and for TV movies; on composing for TV movies Roe v. Wade, The Outsiders, Burning Bridges, Guess Who's Coming For Christmas?
Clip begins at: 25:53 - On composing music for Sisters, and I'll Fly Away; on his approach to writing music; on the theme to I'll Fly Away
Clip begins at: 37:01 - On writing music for episodic television; on the challenges of scoring to dialogue
Clip begins at: 53:04 - Part 3
- On the thirtysomething theme standing apart from the rest of the show; on building a library of music cues for a show, researching music, and his studio space; on how he decides when and where to add music to a show; on working with producers and network executives
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On working with a lyricist; on proteges; on rarely going to set; on recording with an orchestra; on composing for the TV movie Rise and Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story
Clip begins at: 11:58 - On composing for the Stephen King miniseries The Stand; on composing for My So-Called Life
Clip begins at: 16:40 - On differences between composing for sitcoms and dramas; on composing for The Jackie Thomas Show and Roseanne; on building a library of cues for sitcoms; on composing the theme for The West Wing; on composing for Ellen, Tom, Roseanne, The Drew Carey Show, Norm, and Sports Night
Clip begins at: 23:59 - On composing for Providence and Once and Again; on writing themes for characters; on music for Lipstick Jungle
Clip begins at: 40:22 - On composing for The West Wing; on composing the prologue theme for The West Wing and marrying the graphics, visuals, and music together; on using a full orchestra on the series
Clip begins at: 47:23 - Part 4
- On a demonstration of The West Win g theme; on working with a live orchestra; on comparisons of The West Wing theme to Aaron Copeland's compositions
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On composing for George Lopez, The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire, Miracles, Huff, Kidnapped, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip; on Aaron Sorkin's love of H.M.S. Pinafore
Clip begins at: 07:24 - On composing for Friday Night Lights; on his Emmy win for The West Win g; on meaningful moments of recognition in his career; on then-current projects; on working on several Warner Brothers shows
Clip begins at: 17:58 - On the most important thing a composer can bring to a television show; on what he strives to achieve with his work; on composing for television being mostly freelance work; on rarely retaining the rights to his creations
Clip begins at: 28:45 - On his style; on advice to aspiring composers; on how he'd like to be remembered; on a demo of the first piece he ever wrote - for his father
Clip begins at: 36:14
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I love the music of The Wonder Years Season 4, Ep. 12 "Denial"... where is it??
One of my favorites!
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