--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Any composer should be able to synthesize…" description: "\"Any composer should be able to synthesize the primary feelings that the characters are going through in the movie.\" — James Newton Howard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/james-newton-howard-12227_composer_any-composer-should-be-able-to-synthesiz_211272.jpg" --- # Any composer should be able to synthesize the primary… ![“Any composer should be able to synthesize the primary feelings that the characters are going through in the movie.” quote by James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/james-newton-howard-12227_composer_any-composer-should-be-able-to-synthesiz_211272.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/james-newton-howard-12227_composer_any-composer-should-be-able-to-synthesiz_211272.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/james-newton-howard-12227_composer_any-composer-should-be-able-to-synthesiz_211272.jpg) > “Any composer should be able to synthesize the primary feelings that the characters are going through in the movie.” [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A composer must capture characters' core emotions to enhance a film's storytelling. **In simple terms:** Music should reflect characters' feelings. Key Takeaway Focus on emotional truth in scoring. Themes film emotional storytelling composition Mood creative introspective Type artistic inspirational When to use this quote - film scoring - character development - scene analysis Key Concepts character psychology musical narrative Questions to Reflect On - How do you translate complex emotions into simple motifs? - What balance between character and composer vision? A Different Perspective Music alone cannot convey plot without visual context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) ## Related quotes > [I don't believe in a composer who is only able to compose, who can't play or conduct, can only use a computer. If that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krzysztof-penderecki/i-don-t-believe-in-a-composer-who-is-only-able-to-compose-who-can-t/) [Krzysztof Penderecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krzysztof-penderecki/) > [Fiction writers learn about the development of metaphor, the use of rhythm, the way that language is compacted in order to express the feelings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/fiction-writers-learn-about-the-development-of-metaphor-the-use-of/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [“What truly matters isn’t your feelings or even those of your characters—it’s the emotional experience of your audience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-raywood/what-truly-matters-isn-t-your-feelings-or-even-those-of-your/) Will Raywood > [I do find it sometimes that people project their own feelings on to the characters and I think that there is a certain amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-weiner/i-do-find-it-sometimes-that-people-project-their-own-feelings-on-to/) [Matthew Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-weiner/) > [We cannot judge either of the feelings or of the characters of men with perfect accuracy from their actions or their appearance in public;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-edgeworth/we-cannot-judge-either-of-the-feelings-or-of-the-characters-of-men/) [Maria Edgeworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-edgeworth/) > [Becoming a father allowed me to become a much better composer, because it allowed me to have tremendous patience. I have much more tolerance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/becoming-a-father-allowed-me-to-become-a-much-better-composer-because/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [I really liked doing a number of the projects and directors, and etc., etc., I knew about half-way through that I would never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-elfman/i-really-liked-doing-a-number-of-the-projects-and-directors-and-etc/) [Danny Elfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-elfman/) > [Seen from the point of view of the composer, the most nonsensical practice is that of casting people in musicals who are unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-gold/seen-from-the-point-of-view-of-the-composer-the-most-nonsensical/) Ernest Gold > [If a composer could state in words what being a composer means, he would no longer need to be a composer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-rorem/if-a-composer-could-state-in-words-what-being-a-composer-means-he/) [Ned Rorem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-rorem/) > [The architect is very interesting because the architect is the commander, meaning the one who commands all the workers. The architect is also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-architect-is-very-interesting-because-the-architect-is-the/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [The number of e-mails and letters that I get from choreographers, from sculptors, from composers who are being inspired by science is huge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-number-of-e-mails-and-letters-that-i-get-from-choreographers-from/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [“- Mom, can I tell them there that I'm Romanian? - Sure, why not tell them? - I was thinking that they wouldn't think...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-enescu/mom-can-i-tell-them-there-that-i-m-romanian-sure-why-not-tell-them-i/) George Enescu > [Trombone virtuoso and innovative composer, Papo combines the best of jazz and Latin music to create a genre that is unique and wild. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-brecker/trombone-virtuoso-and-innovative-composer-papo-combines-the-best-of/) Michael Brecker > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [A composer knows that music is written by human beings for human beings and that music is a continuation of life, not something separated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanns-eisler/a-composer-knows-that-music-is-written-by-human-beings-for-human/) Hanns Eisler ## More by James Newton Howard > [My earliest memories are listening to my Grandmother playing the piano at our house as I jumped up and down on the couch. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/my-earliest-memories-are-listening-to-my-grandmother-playing-the/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [Disney movies have had a tradition of excellent music since the beginning. Some of my favorites are 'Fantasia,' 'Dumbo,' 'The Lion King' and 'Toy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/disney-movies-have-had-a-tradition-of-excellent-music-since-the/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [I joined Elton John's band in '75. He not only allowed me to play the electronic keyboard on his albums, he also let me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/i-joined-elton-john-s-band-in-75-he-not-only-allowed-me-to-play-the/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [I loved working with Chris Nolan. I love working with Lawrence Kasdan. Dan Gilroy. Francis Lawrence I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/i-loved-working-with-chris-nolan-i-love-working-with-lawrence-kasdan/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [Something different happened to me when I started to write music to images. It was a feeling of excitement and connection and a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/something-different-happened-to-me-when-i-started-to-write-music-to/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [There's a sadness about love, a melancholy and a sadness about beauty. It's just part of the human experience of living on this planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/there-s-a-sadness-about-love-a-melancholy-and-a-sadness-about-beauty/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [Composing is a natural fit. As far as the creative process goes, I'd rather do this than anything else, by far. Something different happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/composing-is-a-natural-fit-as-far-as-the-creative-process-goes-i-d/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [Becoming a father allowed me to become a much better composer, because it allowed me to have tremendous patience. I have much more tolerance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/becoming-a-father-allowed-me-to-become-a-much-better-composer-because/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [I'm a melody guy. To me, that's a musical souvenir people take from a movie. They remember a theme or a feeling, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/i-m-a-melody-guy-to-me-that-s-a-musical-souvenir-people-take-from-a/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [Well, the first two movies of any size that I did were a movie called 'Everybody's All American' that Taylor Hackford directed - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/well-the-first-two-movies-of-any-size-that-i-did-were-a-movie-called/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [I really don't think about the Oscars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/i-really-don-t-think-about-the-oscars/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [I work independently of the director, and to some extent, that's actually a big relief to them. When I come to them in post-production,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/i-work-independently-of-the-director-and-to-some-extent-that-s/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [Gamelan instruments are exotic and mysterious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/gamelan-instruments-are-exotic-and-mysterious/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [That's what keeps me going: those moments of solving a problem, of what happens to a movie when the right music is added -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/that-s-what-keeps-me-going-those-moments-of-solving-a-problem-of-what/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [The thing about 'Fantastic Beasts' is that it's in the wizarding world, in J.K. Rowling's world, but it's not a Harry Potter movie. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/the-thing-about-fantastic-beasts-is-that-it-s-in-the-wizarding-world/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) [Explore all 55 James Newton Howard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) ## More Composer quotes > [A composer knows that music is written by human beings for human beings and that music is a continuation of life, not something separated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanns-eisler/a-composer-knows-that-music-is-written-by-human-beings-for-human/) Hanns Eisler > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [Trombone virtuoso and innovative composer, Papo combines the best of jazz and Latin music to create a genre that is unique and wild. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-brecker/trombone-virtuoso-and-innovative-composer-papo-combines-the-best-of/) Michael Brecker > [“- Mom, can I tell them there that I'm Romanian? - Sure, why not tell them? - I was thinking that they wouldn't think...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-enescu/mom-can-i-tell-them-there-that-i-m-romanian-sure-why-not-tell-them-i/) George Enescu > [The number of e-mails and letters that I get from choreographers, from sculptors, from composers who are being inspired by science is huge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-number-of-e-mails-and-letters-that-i-get-from-choreographers-from/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [The architect is very interesting because the architect is the commander, meaning the one who commands all the workers. The architect is also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-architect-is-very-interesting-because-the-architect-is-the/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [If a composer could state in words what being a composer means, he would no longer need to be a composer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-rorem/if-a-composer-could-state-in-words-what-being-a-composer-means-he/) [Ned Rorem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-rorem/) > [Seen from the point of view of the composer, the most nonsensical practice is that of casting people in musicals who are unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-gold/seen-from-the-point-of-view-of-the-composer-the-most-nonsensical/) Ernest Gold > [I think there's just been this "thing" that's developed, this way that we have of talking about our music that alienates people. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/missy-mazzoli/i-think-there-s-just-been-this-thing-that-s-developed-this-way-that/) [Missy Mazzoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/missy-mazzoli/) > [The ability to understand and deliver comedy and tragedy is extremely rare in one composer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/signe-baumane/the-ability-to-understand-and-deliver-comedy-and-tragedy-is-extremely/) [Signe Baumane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/signe-baumane/) > [When synthesizers appeared everyone was a composer suddenly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-desplat/when-synthesizers-appeared-everyone-was-a-composer-suddenly/) [Alexandre Desplat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-desplat/) > [A mission that comes from the heart to promote these things and to encourage composers to write, then of course they should do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andre-hamelin/a-mission-that-comes-from-the-heart-to-promote-these-things-and-to/) [Marc-Andre Hamelin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andre-hamelin/) > [The beauty and genius of a work of art may be reconceived, though its first material expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/the-beauty-and-genius-of-a-work-of-art-may-be-reconceived-though-its/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [Every time I see a film or TV show, I think about how that composer made those choices and how that director envisioned music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lopez/every-time-i-see-a-film-or-tv-show-i-think-about-how-that-composer/) [Robert Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lopez/) > [Like any other composer of opera, I choose a subject not for polemical reasons, but because it contains vivid characters in highly charged dramatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlisle-floyd/like-any-other-composer-of-opera-i-choose-a-subject-not-for-polemical/) [Carlisle Floyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlisle-floyd/) [Browse all 885 Composer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Any composer should be able to synthesize the primary feelings that the characters are going through in the movie.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Newton Howard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/any-composer-should-be-able-to-synthesize-the-primary-feelings-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Composer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/any-composer-should-be-able-to-synthesize-the-primary-feelings-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/james-newton-howard-12227_composer_any-composer-should-be-able-to-synthesiz_211272.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/james-newton-howard-12227_composer_any-composer-should-be-able-to-synthesiz_211272.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/james-newton-howard-12227_composer_any-composer-should-be-able-to-synthesiz_211272.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Any composer should be able to synthesize the primary feelings that the characters are going through in the…” — James Newton Howard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Newton Howard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Any composer should be able to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/any-composer-should-be-able-to-synthesize-the-primary-feelings-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/any-composer-should-be-able-to-synthesize-the-primary-feelings-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```