Joel McNeely
Born: March 1959, Madison, Wisconsin
Biography:
Composer Joel McNeely made a real impression on the film music scoring scene during the 1990s, having previously worked as one of Hollywood's most accomplished orchestrators. Born into a musical family, McNeely's interest in music began at an early age. A meeting with legendary composer Elmer Bernstein at the age of 12 inspired him to embark on a career writing music for film. At age 14, he was accepted into the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and began concentrated music studies in composition and flute performance. After graduating from Interlochen, McNeely headed to the University of Miami, where he studied jazz composition and performance. While still an undergraduate, he toured the world, playing with legendary performers including Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Al Green, Melissa Manchester, Chuck Mangione, Bobby Caldwell, Jaco Pastorius and Dave Leibman. McNeely earned a master's degree in composition at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where the renowned educator Rayburn Wright influenced him deeply as both a composer and an orchestrator. At Eastman, McNeely also studied with well-known composer Christopher Rouse. Following his move to Hollywood, McNeely initially came to prominence as a composer of high-quality television music such as the Warner animation "Tiny Toons Adventures", and the Emmy Award-winning "Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" series. Since then, McNeely gone on to be regarded by many respected authorities as one of the most talented composers in Hollywood. His list of credits includes such films as "Iron Will" (1994), "Terminal Velocity" (1994), "Flipper" (1996), "The Avengers" (1998, where he was a very late replacement for Michael Kamen), "Soldier" (1998), "Virus" (1999), the TV series "Dark Angel" (2000), “Holes” (2003), "Ghosts of the Abyss" (2003) and “I Know Who Killed Me” (2007), as well as a number of animated sequels to popular Disney features, such as "Return to Neverland" (2002), "The Jungle Book 2" (2002), “Mulan II” (2004) and “Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch” (2005). He also contributed additional music to Jerry Goldsmith's "Air Force One" (1997). However, arguably his most famous work comes from an unlikely source - the original music he wrote as a companion piece to Steve Perry's best selling novel "Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire", which included arrangements of John Williams' timeless Star Wars score as well as completely original cues. In addition to composing, McNeely has worked extensively with record label Varèse Sarabande's on their re-recordings of classic film scores. His wife, violinist Margaret Batjer, is concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and a member of the University of Southern California music faculty.
Reviews:
The Avengers, Ghosts of the Abyss, Holes, I Know Who Killed Me, Lover's Prayer, Mulan II, Sally Hemings: An American Scandal, Tinker Bell and Virus
Filmography:
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Scandal of 1920 (2008), The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Winds of Change (2008), Tinker Bell (2008), The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Demons of Deception (2007), The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Love's Sweet Song (2007), The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Passion for Life (2007), Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007), I Know Who Killed Me (2007), The Fox and the Hound 2 (2006), Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005), Mulan II (2005), Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (2005), America’s Heart and Soul (2004), Stateside (2004), Ghosts of the Abyss (2003), Holes (2003), Uptown Girls (2003), The Jungle Book 2 (2003), Return to Neverland (2002), All Souls (2001), Dark Angel (2000), Lover's Prayer (2000), Santa Who? (2000), Sally Hemings: An American Scandal (1999), Road Rage (1999), Virus (1999), The Avengers (1998), Soldier (1998), Zack and Reba (1998), Air Force One (1997), Buffalo Soldiers (1997), Wild America (1997), National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation (1997), Flipper (1996), Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (1996), Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain (1995), Young Indiana Jones and the Attack of the Hawkmen (1995), Radioland Murders (1994), Terminal Velocity (1994), Iron Will (1994), Squanto: A Warrior's Tale (1994), Young Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the Blues (1993), Young Indiana Jones and the Phantom Train of Doom (1993), Young Indiana Jones and the Scandal of 1920 (1993), Supercop (1992), The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992), Frankenstein: The College Years (1991), Samantha (1991), Polly: Comin' Home (1990), Parent Trap IV: Hawaiian Honeymoon (1989), Parent Trap III (1989), Splash Too (1988), The Pick-Up Artist (1987), You Talkin' to Me? (1987).
Highest Grossing Films as at end of 2007 (adjusted for inflation):
Holes ($79.1m), Return to Neverland ($59.0m), The Jungle Book II ($56.2m), National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation ($56.1m), Uptown Girls ($43.7), Iron Will ($35.6m), The Avengers ($35.3m), Flipper ($32.2m), Terminal Velocity ($27.9m), Supercop ($26.1m)
Awards:
1993 Emmy Awards – Winner, Outstanding Music Composition for a Series – Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
Links:
Official Site
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