Ron Grant
A consummate gentleman, Ron was the embodiment of everything good about our profession. His creativity knew no bounds, excelling at any artistic endeavor to which he turned his hand. A gifted composer, artist, photographer and technician, he continually merged his talents and amazed us all with the results.
With well over a quarter of a century scoring for film and television, Ron’s music ran the gamut from Knot’s Landing to Tiny Toons, Casper to Dallas. He was a multiple Emmy® nominee and served as Governor of the Television Academy’s Music Peer Group from 1996-2000 during which time he completely overhauled the voting system which remains in use today. His invention, in collaboration with his brother Richard, of the Auricle: Film Composer’s Time Processor music software revolutionized the film scoring process and earned them both an Academy Award® and an Emmy® for Outstanding Scientific Achievement.
For The Society of Composers & Lyricists, Ron had served on the board, with distinction, for almost 30 years during which time he created our logos, our artwork, our banners, our trophies, even our letterhead. His flair for design and his ability to project just the right impression was unique. His work as a videographer for the SCL was impassioned and tireless, spending thousands of hours filming, editing and archiving our events for posterity. It was of paramount importance to Ron that future generations have the opportunity to look back and see the evolution of the art and craft of music scoring.
But above all of these extraordinary talents was Ron’s humanity. He was one of the kindest, gentlest souls I have ever met. Nothing was too great an imposition: if Ron could do something to help you, or make your life a little easier, he was there. His generosity was unbridled and his reliability absolute.
To say The SCL owes Ron a great deal is an understatement. While it’s inconceivable to consider what the organization would be had Ron not been part of it, it is impossible to imagine it without his presence. However, knowing Ron, he would not want us to dwell too long on his passing but rather be grateful he was able give something to a community he loved so dearly.
The Memorial Celebration of Ron’s life, held at University Synagogue on January 17th, 2017 can be viewed HERE.
Ron’s family have also set up a memorial fund in case anyone cares to make a donation: https://crowdfund.umn.edu/RonGrantMemorial
