--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've been extremely lucky to work with…" description: "\"I've been extremely lucky to work with Elmer Bernstein, Howard Shore over the years, but I've always imagined films with my own scores, because I don't..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/martin-scorsese-1663_classical-music_i-ve-been-extremely-lucky-to-work-with-e_139685.jpg" --- # I've been extremely lucky to work with Elmer Bernstein… ![“I've been extremely lucky to work with Elmer Bernstein, Howard Shore over the years, but I've always imagined films with my own scores, because I don't come from that world or that period of filmmaking. And so how could I make up my own score on a film like this where it isn't necessarily made up…” quote by Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/martin-scorsese-1663_classical-music_i-ve-been-extremely-lucky-to-work-with-e_139685.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/martin-scorsese-1663_classical-music_i-ve-been-extremely-lucky-to-work-with-e_139685.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/martin-scorsese-1663_classical-music_i-ve-been-extremely-lucky-to-work-with-e_139685.jpg) > “I've been extremely lucky to work with Elmer Bernstein, Howard Shore over the years, but I've always imagined films with my own scores, because I don't come from that world or that period of filmmaking. And so how could I make up my own score on a film like this where it isn't necessarily made up of popular music from the radio or the period; it isn't necessarily classical music. But what if it's modern symphonic music?” [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A filmmaker can create original scores by blending modern symphonic elements, even when traditional sources are unavailable. **In simple terms:** Create new music with modern symphonics. Key Takeaway Innovate scoring with contemporary sounds. Themes creativity film music innovation Mood excited curious Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - indie film - period drama - experimental cinema Key Concepts composition sound design Questions to Reflect On - How can you adapt music to fit a film’s tone? - What unconventional sounds could enhance storytelling? A Different Perspective Budget constraints may limit options. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Classical music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classical-music/) [Elmer Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elmer-bernstein-1580761/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Filmmaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaking/) [Films Scores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films-scores-1580759/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Lucky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern Symphonic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-symphonic-1580760/) [My own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-own/) [Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periods/) [Popular music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular-music/) [Radio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radio/) [Score](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/score/) [Score Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/score-film-1580758/) [Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shore/) [Symphonic Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symphonic-music-777407/) [What if](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-if/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [An interviewer once asked me to discuss my collaboration with Elmer Bernstein, and precisely why I chose to work with him. My first thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/an-interviewer-once-asked-me-to-discuss-my-collaboration-with-elmer/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [I always loved the motion picture scores and the great film composers like Elmer Bernstein.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra-jr/i-always-loved-the-motion-picture-scores-and-the-great-film-composers/) [Frank Sinatra Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra-jr/) > [Elmer had a sailboat. Every summer he would take it up to Alaska and come back down, and he kept his boat in Bellingham…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-mccreary/elmer-had-a-sailboat-every-summer-he-would-take-it-up-to-alaska-and/) [Bear McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-mccreary/) > [I studied under Elmer Bernstein.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-mccreary/i-studied-under-elmer-bernstein/) [Bear McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-mccreary/) > [When I was 16 years old, I had a chance meeting in Bellingham, Washington, of all places on planet Earth, with the legendary composer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-mccreary/when-i-was-16-years-old-i-had-a-chance-meeting-in-bellingham/) [Bear McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-mccreary/) > [Classical music fulfills for me the function of narrative. I spend 90 minutes a day listening to symphonic music - Beethoven to Bartók -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/classical-music-fulfills-for-me-the-function-of-narrative-i-spend-90/) [James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/) > [There's the Bacon society, which is fostered by his fourth wife Helen Bacon, but I don't know what kind of performances his music gets.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlisle-floyd/there-s-the-bacon-society-which-is-fostered-by-his-fourth-wife-helen/) [Carlisle Floyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlisle-floyd/) > [The orchestral or symphonic music never interested me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-obel/the-orchestral-or-symphonic-music-never-interested-me/) [Agnes Obel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-obel/) > [The sounds proceeding from the instruments of symphonic music seem to be the very organs of the mysteries of creation; for they reveal, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/the-sounds-proceeding-from-the-instruments-of-symphonic-music-seem-to/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [I'm a fan of many different styles of classical and symphonic music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sheehan/i-m-a-fan-of-many-different-styles-of-classical-and-symphonic-music/) [Billy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sheehan/) > [When David Fincher called me up a few years ago and said, 'Hey, I'd like you to score this film 'The Social Network,' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/when-david-fincher-called-me-up-a-few-years-ago-and-said-hey-i-d-like/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [I want to write a score for a film. It can be a proper film, maybe for a film kind of like... I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/i-want-to-write-a-score-for-a-film-it-can-be-a-proper-film-maybe-for/) [Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/) > [I heard a lot of different kinds of music. I heard country music, I heard jazz, I heard symphonic music, opera, everything you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-oliveros/i-heard-a-lot-of-different-kinds-of-music-i-heard-country-music-i/) [Pauline Oliveros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-oliveros/) > [I like philharmonic music a lot. That kind of symphonic music has always been an integral part of the arrangements in many of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vidyasagar/i-like-philharmonic-music-a-lot-that-kind-of-symphonic-music-has/) [Vidyasagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vidyasagar/) > [Today's symphonic music is sponsored by the upper structures of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-ra/today-s-symphonic-music-is-sponsored-by-the-upper-structures-of/) [Sun Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-ra/) ## More by Martin Scorsese > [The young people today are the 21st century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/the-young-people-today-are-the-21st-century/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [There was always a part of me that wanted to be an old-time director. But I couldn't do that. I'm not a pro.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/there-was-always-a-part-of-me-that-wanted-to-be-an-old-time-director/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [Being independent... is being innovative out of inspiration as well as necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/being-independent-is-being-innovative-out-of-inspiration-as-well-as/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [I have a desire to tell stories. And I'm never quite satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-have-a-desire-to-tell-stories-and-i-m-never-quite-satisfied/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [We can't keep thinking in a limited way about what cinema is. We still don't know what cinema is. Maybe cinema could only really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/we-can-t-keep-thinking-in-a-limited-way-about-what-cinema-is-we-still/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [As a child I had terrible asthma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/as-a-child-i-had-terrible-asthma/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [Rock & roll seemed to just come to us, on the radio and in the record stores. It became our music. . . But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/rock-roll-seemed-to-just-come-to-us-on-the-radio-and-in-the-record/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [Working with HBO was an opportunity to experience creative freedom and 'long-form development' that filmmakers didn't have a chance to do before the emergence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/working-with-hbo-was-an-opportunity-to-experience-creative-freedom/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [Any film, or to me any creative endeavour, no matter who you're working with, is, in many cases, a wonderful experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/any-film-or-to-me-any-creative-endeavour-no-matter-who-you-re-working/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [People want to classify and say, 'OK, this is a gangster film.' 'This is a Western.' 'This is a... ' You know? It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/people-want-to-classify-and-say-ok-this-is-a-gangster-film-this-is-a/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [I wish I could do everything in 3D.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-wish-i-could-do-everything-in-3d/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [“Movies touch our hearts and awaken our vision, and change the way we see things. They take us to other places, they open doors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/movies-touch-our-hearts-and-awaken-our-vision-and-change-the-way-we/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [You have to remain strong. That's the kind of filmmaker I want to encourage. Orson Welles was the one who said, you know, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/you-have-to-remain-strong-that-s-the-kind-of-filmmaker-i-want-to/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [You can be born-again and believe in Jesus, believe in Jesus' ideas and try to live them out, without becoming totally intolerant of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/you-can-be-born-again-and-believe-in-jesus-believe-in-jesus-ideas-and/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [Always get to the set or the location early, so that you can be all alone and draw your inspiration for the blocking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/always-get-to-the-set-or-the-location-early-so-that-you-can-be-all/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) [Explore all 217 Martin Scorsese quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) ## More Classical music quotes > [I'm very fond of classical music, especially Mozart. I find it relaxes me and helps me concentrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guler-sabanci/i-m-very-fond-of-classical-music-especially-mozart-i-find-it-relaxes/) [Guler Sabanci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guler-sabanci/) > [It's something he used to say when he was happy. It could be a very, very simple day. We might be sitting out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-grant/it-s-something-he-used-to-say-when-he-was-happy-it-could-be-a-very/) [Jennifer Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-grant/) > [I listen to classical music very much. There's a lot of jazz that I don't enjoy listening to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-konitz/i-listen-to-classical-music-very-much-there-s-a-lot-of-jazz-that-i/) [Lee Konitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-konitz/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [My roots are in classical music and jazz, and I want the freedom of being able to improvise. This freedom is possible only in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan-sami/my-roots-are-in-classical-music-and-jazz-and-i-want-the-freedom-of/) [Adnan Sami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan-sami/) > [You know how some people seem to think that their love for classical music makes them spiritual or at least something quite special? And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-stout/you-know-how-some-people-seem-to-think-that-their-love-for-classical/) [Ruth Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-stout/) > [I have been exposed to different kinds of Marathi and Hindi music, classical music, and English songs since childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urmila-matondkar/i-have-been-exposed-to-different-kinds-of-marathi-and-hindi-music/) [Urmila Matondkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urmila-matondkar/) > [I love Adele and Lykke Li. I also listen to classical music as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/birdy/i-love-adele-and-lykke-li-i-also-listen-to-classical-music-as-well/) [Birdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/birdy/) > [I have never heard enough classical music to be able to enjoy it; & the simple truth is, I detest it. Not mildly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-have-never-heard-enough-classical-music-to-be-able-to-enjoy-it-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Obviously there are pieces of classical music that are some of the most beautiful music ever written, for me anyway is a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/obviously-there-are-pieces-of-classical-music-that-are-some-of-the/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [I know this will blow your mind, but most people would probably never ever get it, but I listen to classical music when nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanilla-ice/i-know-this-will-blow-your-mind-but-most-people-would-probably-never/) [Vanilla Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanilla-ice/) > [“Finally, every society develops a system of aesthetic standards that get manifested in everything from decorative art, music, and dance to the architecture and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/finally-every-society-develops-a-system-of-aesthetic-standards-that/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [Kolkata is a musical city. What I like about people here is the lack of diplomacy. Some of the best Indian classical musicians belong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sukhwinder-singh/kolkata-is-a-musical-city-what-i-like-about-people-here-is-the-lack/) [Sukhwinder Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sukhwinder-singh/) > [I was able to turn to classical music many people, who saw my programs live and on YouTube, and this is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksey-igudesman/i-was-able-to-turn-to-classical-music-many-people-who-saw-my-programs/) [Aleksey Igudesman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksey-igudesman/) > [I know I’m an African-American, and I know I play the saxophone, but I’m not a jazz musician. I’m not a classical musician, either.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-braxton/i-know-i-m-an-african-american-and-i-know-i-play-the-saxophone-but-i/) [Anthony Braxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-braxton/) [Browse all 620 Classical music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classical-music/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've been extremely lucky to work with Elmer Bernstein, Howard Shore over the years, but I've always imagined films with my own scores, because I don't come from that world or that period of filmmaking. And so how could I make up my own score on a film like this where it isn't necessarily made up of popular music from the radio or the period; it isn't necessarily classical music. 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