Thomas Newman | Full Q&A | Oxford Union 

one of the best composers

This man is able to give you comfort and peace with his music. He creates music for our souls. When I was a teenager I used to have some problems (the common problems a 17 years old can have). I was in pain and felt like no one could understand me. Thomas Newman's music helped me to feel understood. I remember the nights I've stayed up watching the stars and listening to "Any other name", then a breeze came and made the trees dance. That was like a hug from God. Thank you Mr. Newman for your music.

Thomas is so underrated, he has to be one the most influential composers in the last 20 years. Genius!

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Finding Nemo, Road To Perdition, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, American Beauty. Some of the most innovative and emotionally powerful scores I have ever had the privilege of listening to. How he doesn’t have multiple Oscars at this point is beyond me

Road to Perdition, an absolutely PERFECT musical score, and a criminally underrated and underappreciated film.

Thomas Newman is one of the great artists to have been scoring movies over the last thirty years. He is unique, personal, often melancholy, complicated, complex, and always interesting. The failure of the Academy and the Golden Globes to recognize his genius is a living testament to the cheap, commercial schlock embraced by the herd, return on investment mentality. Kudos to the Grammys for having recognized Thomas Newman eight times.

What a lovley man - so normal! Great composer!

Oscars dont deserve him!

a rare combination of humility with greatness

His "Road To Perdition" score is one of my favorite score.

I just read that he was born in 1955, making him 60/61 in this interview. Holy cow! Man could pass for mid-late forties!

The wisdom here is staggering. These are life lessons for anyone. Priceless. Thanks Thomas.

A phenomenal storyteller and musician. His scoring and the relationship to picture is the best in the business right now

The Greatest Composer of our time. No Doubt..Hands Down... A True Empath. This man Alone has pushed my art more than Any other Composer. Thank God he Exists! Pure Brilliance.

He's one of my greatest influences lately.

This guy's a legend!

The best film composer working today. Nobody touches him.

Thomas Newman is one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. Such musical power and storytelling talent in one mind is beyond human !

Excellent composer, my favourite, Shawshank, American Beauty, so many. Oh my!

Thomas Newman is a genius. So lucky they were able to meet him, the interview was great! The Oscars are awful.

I love his compositions so much. I found I was looking for certain songs from movies, I.e little women, finding Nemo, meet joe black and realized they were all Thomas. He is a genius.

I like many composers, but I think Thomas is the one who best evokes my particular emotions and the way I see a film.

this guy wasn't born on earth .... he descended from heaven. his music takes my soul on a magical journey

Very gifted man, The Letter That Never Came, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Saving Mr Banks END TITLES, That next place......the list is endless.

My favourite composer.

I love his scores to road to perdition , American beauty and desperately seeking Susan 😍

that track he played that he said he forgot. damn. that bass was insane. that's one thing I love about Newman's work. is his bass lines.

"I don't know but good luck!" I love so many things he says, especially about being shy and still having a career.

Would love to see Newman offer a Masterclass. I've been listening to his soundtrack for 1917 nonstop for over a week.

A true genius - humble and kind!

Favorite human.

Finding Nemo, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Road to Perdition, American Beauty, Skyfall etc He is a beautiful composer.

Perhaps, because of the times we live in only one year after this was posted, I SO appreciated a forum offering intelligent questions, intelligent thoughtful and humble answers, and a host who thanked each audience member for their thoughts before moving on to the next! What a break from the daily shit show! I saw "Thelma & Louise" when it was first released but the first time Mr. Newman's music really hit me was two years later, with his floating (melancholy-plus-ocean-like-flushes of symphony) score to "Less Than Zero" (1987) and then, by accident, I heard his same particular voice again while projecting "Fried Green Tomatoes" (1991) for a local movie theater! Realizing it was the same person made me really happy! I've loved all sorts of crazy experimental or underground music in my life ('60's free jazz, modern classical composers, European and Japanese noise, jungle rave, glitch, lowercase minimal, trap) but I will always include Thomas Newman's beautiful Hollywood scores among my very favorite recordings.

This man is a genius. Beautiful sound tracks. I want Any other name played at my funeral

I really really hope he finally wins an academy award for 1917. EDIT: they screwed him AGAIN

God bless this man and his amazing work!

American Beauty, PERFECT Score, thank you.

Thank you for "That Next Place", Sir.

My absolute favorite composer

Absolutely sublime Composer, and very humble also. I like him even more now

He kinda looks like Tom Cruise at first glance...

This mans's awesome. His Interviews are amazing. He looks at the Person he answers to and really answers question so that you can take something from it, instead of just giving some good sounding Quotes. No need to say how great his music is!

Something so cool about someone being at the top of their game, yet down to earth. Imagine what a cool guy Tom would be as an uncle

what a wonderful dialogue! he's very well spoken and seems quite humble. truly one of the greatest composers of our time!

I don't know if the guy is great at choosing good movies, or great at making music that makes movies become great. But he's got an impressive resume. And frankly, Wall-E, Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty, etc are all such great scores.

Wow he's 61 he aging well

The greatest composer of our age.

What a man, what a composer!! Thank you especially for ADJUSTMENT BUREAU - action, ethereality, beauty, love, introspection He conveys so much through his scores

Fantastic interview! What a great guy.

Love Thomas Newman, such an awesesome composer and person

This is a wonderful interview. I could listen to him all day.I would love to ask him several questions, as I'm interested in classical music and soundtrack, he is quite articulate.

I can’t believe these interviews are free! I’m learning so much

I feel that the great Alfred Newman would be proud of Thomas, who alongside David, is one of his two sons who chose to follow in his footsteps.

Absolute gentleman and a truly humble artist of great integrity.

'To My Mother' - Saving Mr. Banks and 'Amen' and 'First White Baby' from the 2011 movie The Help...mind blowing beauty! I fell in love with his music after Shawshank...I think most of the soundtrack buffs of this world did. I work to his music and it inspires my photo editing. I thank God that God created this mind...I wonder what Beethoven or Mozart would have thought of his melodies. He seems to have an endless amount of heavenly tunes in his head. Thomas Newman is A GENIUS! and the fantastic thing is, he is young and could be writing for another 30 years!...what a beautiful thing to look forward to. If I could only listen for to one artist for one hour, once a year...it would be this man's music.

So was Red!!! Thanks for that Mr. Newman!!!!

For me he is Genius!!! I Love his music!!!

Every single soundtrack he did in Skyfall is genius and so well put.

Thomas Newman's music and James Horner's music both sound alike and both of their styles have a lot in common, too. 🎼

LEGEND.❤️

The Best Composer By Far 👍

I Like him. He's so theoritical about what he doing in order to please our emotional .

First time I see this guy and I like him even more then before.

I wish there were more young people like these who listen and appreciate such music.

I am here for his 'The Next Place' from Meet Joe Black. 🥰

My HERO!

I have listened to his scores for years. Some of my favorite music.

I became a BIG fan of Mr. Newman after watching the not so popular (AMAZING) Brad Pitt film, "Meet Joe Black" for possibly the 3rd time when I just had to scour those credits to see who did the music which so added to that particular film. I pulled up this video through search after having viewed the recent film, "Passengers" On my flight this evening from Los Angeles to Dallas, seeing it for in fact the 3rd time! While we were landing, watching through the credits, seeing that Mr. Newman's name came up (again) and indeed I have to say, his score for this film so helps drive what is turning out to be one of my favorite movies of all time (Passengers). Thanks so much for posting this video!

Great series. Noticed Mr. Newman's work more on compositions unrelated to film. Those really stood out to this listener. Composing for H-Wood often falls into a well trodden formulaic structure. Not so with him. His words about "silence" (and perhaps space) are well appreciated.

He has to win for the 1917 soundtrack

An excellent interview with some really thought out questions, especially from the lead interviewer.

This man is a genius,

Amazing, person…and music

My list: Thomas Newman, Hans Zimmer, Ennio Morricone, Giorgio Moroder & Alan Silvestri

Thomas newman is great his music in movie passengers was best

I always love his work. I was glad to hear him reference Road To Perdition several times because I believe it’s his best. Although American Beauty is exceptional as well. My favorite of the animated works is WALL-E.

Excellent

This was awesome! Thank you! 😊👍🏻

1917 and American Beauty are my favs.

yes.....that guy finally got the mic!!! YES!!!

Great!!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Amazing!

His scores for Gillian Armstrong’s films are his best. Astonished that neither is being singled out as such.

If one wants to relax and look into themselves, nobody is better. How he never won for Meet Joe Black is criminal.

Thomas Newman deserves a "Hollywood in Vienna" tribute concert and a Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award. Sandra Tomek, if you're reading this comment, please consider it! 🎼🏆

What a beautiful man.

Creator of hauntingly beautiful music for Less Than Zero and The Player.

It's interesting how he frequently ends up working with Roger Deakins. They make a good pair together.

11:15 thank you to be here with us, you make the world a better place.

Wish I was there

Mr Newman, i love the Soundtrack you made for the film Phenomenon. You remember the Apple eating scene. Thank you sir

A master. No question

I hope the next movie will be his first Oscar! Tom you're a legend!

The diversity in this room is awesome...

I loved his song called, the letter that never came

total musical genius in the room

just watching Little Women 1994 and thought the music was Thomas Newmans!! my favorite score of his must be Meet Joe Black, its an absolute masterpiece!! and what a charming, genuine, eloquent gentleman he is in person, a fantastic gentleman

The coolest..

I know there must be a lot of questions on the moderator's sheet, but I feel like when Thomas would be explaining something cool and seeking the students' thoughts he would get cut off by the next question.

Thomas newman one question: "Where the hell is your Oscar"!