Thomas Newman

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Thomas Newman was born in 1955, the son of the film composer Alfred Newman. He studied at Yale. His style differs greatly from his father's. He builds music from small, repeating patterns on piano, marimba, tabla, hammered dulcimer and electronics, often using unusual playing techniques. In The Shawshank Redemption (1994) he also uses warm strings to evoke the prisoners' hope. The piano theme with percussion from American Beauty (1999) was imitated endlessly. For Pixar he wrote Finding Nemo (2003) and WALL-E (2008). His sound is also recognisable in the Bond film Skyfall (2012) and the war film 1917 (2019). He has been nominated for an Oscar many times.

Listening

• 
  Shawshank Redemption · Thomas Newman, 1994
• 
  Any Other Name · Thomas Newman, 1999
• 
  Nemo Egg (Main Title) · Thomas Newman, 2003
• 
  Define Dancing · Thomas Newman, 2008

Discography

Studio albums

• 1990Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1992Fried Green Tomatoes: Original Motion Picture Score (soundtrack)
• 1992The Linguini Incident: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1992The Player: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1992Those Secrets (soundtrack)
• 1993Flesh and Bone: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1993Josh and S.A.M. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1993Scent of a Woman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1994Little Women: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1994The Shawshank Redemption: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1995How to Make an American Quilt: Music From the Motion Picture (soundtrack)
• 1995Unstrung Heroes (soundtrack)
• 1996American Buffalo: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1996The People vs. Larry Flynt (soundtrack)
• 1996Up Close & Personal: Original Score Album (soundtrack)
• 1997Mad City: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1997Oscar and Lucinda: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1997Red Corner: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1998Meet Joe Black: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1998The Horse Whisperer: Original Score (soundtrack)
• 1999The Green Mile: Music From the Motion Picture (soundtrack)
• 2000American Beauty: Original Motion Picture Score (soundtrack)
• 2000Erin Brockovich: Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2000Pay It Forward: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2001In the Bedroom: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2002Road to Perdition (soundtrack)
• 2002The Salton Sea: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2002White Oleander (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (soundtrack)
• 2003Angels in America: Music From the HBO Film (soundtrack)
• 2003Finding Nemo (soundtrack)
• 2004Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2005Cinderella Man: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2005Jarhead (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (soundtrack)
• 2006Little Children: Original Motion Picture Score (soundtrack)
• 2006The Good German: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2008Revolutionary Road (soundtrack)
• 2008Towelhead (Original Motion Picture Score) (soundtrack)
• 2008WALL-E (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• 2008WALL·E: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2009Brothers (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (soundtrack)
• 2011The Adjustment Bureau (soundtrack)
• 2011The Debt (soundtrack)
• 2011The Help (Original Motion Picture Score) (soundtrack)
• 2011The Iron Lady (soundtrack)
• 2012Skyfall: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2012The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (soundtrack)
• 2012Whispers in the Dark (soundtrack)
• 2013Saving Mr. Banks (soundtrack)
• 2013Side Effects (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (soundtrack)
• 201435 Whirlpools Below Sound
• 2014The Judge (soundtrack)
• 2015Bridge of Spies (soundtrack)
• 2015He Named Me Malala (soundtrack)
• 2015Spectre (soundtrack)
• 2015The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2016Finding Dory: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2016Less Than Zero (Original Motion Picture Score) (soundtrack)
• 2016Passengers: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2017Thank You for Your Service (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (soundtrack)
• 2017Victoria & Abdul (soundtrack)
• 2018The Man With One Red Shoe (soundtrack)
• 20191917 (soundtrack)
• 2019The Highwaymen (Music from the Netflix Film) (soundtrack)
• 2019Tolkien (soundtrack)
• 2020Let Them All Talk (soundtrack)
• 2021The Little Things (soundtrack)
• 2022A Man Called Otto: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2022Operation Mincemeat: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2023Elemental: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2024Feud: Capote vs. The Swans (Original Soundtrack) (soundtrack)
• 2024Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) (soundtrack)
• 2024White Bird: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2025My Cinematic Autumn
• 2025Of Mice and Men: Music From the Original Ballet (soundtrack)
• 2025The Thursday Murder Club: Soundtrack From the Netflix Film (soundtrack)
• 2026In the Blink of an Eye: Original Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2026Winter Walking: Soundtracks for Cold Days

Other work

• 1994The Shawshank Redemption
• 1999American Beauty
• 2008WALL-E
• 2012Skyfall
• 1992Scent of a Woman
• 1998Meet Joe Black
• 1999The Green Mile

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• Film Music Map^NL Map
• The Dream Factory: Film Reel 3^NL Reader
• The Dream Factory: Film Reel 7^NL Reader

Mentioned in other articles

• American indie film GenreThomas Newman built the score of American Beauty (1999) from marimbas, tablas and other percussion.
• Pixar and digital animation GenreIn Finding Nemo (2003) and WALL-E (2008), Thomas Newman used unusual instruments and small tone colours.

See also

• American indie film
• Pixar and digital animation
• Bond and spy sound