Mark Snow
It is with a grieving spirit, and immense sadness that we mark the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Mark Snow.
With his vast body of work from a career spanning over five decades, his music helped define the sound of modern television, often blending acoustic elements with electronic textures. An early adopter of the Synclavier, he led the way for so many ‘traditional’ TV composers to embrace the sonic vocabulary available with synthesizers.
I had the good fortune to be introduced to Mark’s work in the early 1990s when we were both working on alternate episodes of a Lorimar series for CBS. Mark had set the tone for the show having written the main title theme and scoring the pilot. As it was my first network show since arriving in the US, I studied his style in order to maintain a sense of musical consistency between our episodes. For me, it was a delightful education as he always knew just how much was required from a cue, and had an innate sense of where it would sit in the overall mix.
In 2013, my first year as SCL president, I had the privilege of honoring him as an SCL Ambassador in New York. What struck me as we chatted was not only his humility despite his stellar career, but just how much he still enjoyed his composing duties after so many years.
My friend and music editor, Chris McGeary, was also Mark’s music editor for virtually all of his shows from the early 2000s onward. Chris has offered a personal tribute below.
Mark, I will forever admire your work ethic, your dedication to our profession, and your ability to connect emotion to sound in the most innovative ways. Generations to come will hear your voice in the music you have left us.
Rest in peace.
Ashley Irwin
SCL President
I was introduced to Mark in 2001 on the television pilot “Smallville.” He was hired to compose the score, and at the urging of producer Tim Scanlan, Mark agreed to hire me as his music editor. He took a chance on me, and I will be forever grateful. That was the start of a twenty-plus year working relationship. Mark was a brilliant composer and musical storyteller. More importantly than that, he was a kind and generous man. We remained great friends, and worked together on numerous projects. I will miss his sense of humor and loyalty.
Rest in peace my friend. You will be missed!
– Chris McGeary
Read more about Mark Snow’s career in this tribute by Jon Burlingame
in Variety.