The Music Of M. Night Shyamalan & James Newton Howard Is Coming to Philadelphia (A Twist You May Have Seen Coming)
Long time friend of the Preston & Steve show; famed director M. Night Shyamalan stopped by the studio this morning via zoom. Shyamalan of Sixth Sense fame was joined by long-time partner, composer; James Newton Howard. Newton Howard and Shyamalan have teamed up on numerous projects adapted to the silver screen and the duo gave the MMR crew a peek behind the curtain on their writing process as frequent collaborators.
Night, a Pennsylvania native, revealed that their relationship is likened to that of a band with 2 lead singers. Shyamalan added that he “..has to have the ability to lead sing the band himself…” by creating a story strong enough to stand alone that Newton Howard can then lend his musicality to.
He reveals further that music comes into play in various stages of the project depending on the type of story. But the ideal stage for Shyamalan is within the storyboard stage. Night then adds, he will fly Newton Howard out to Philadelphia and perform a sort of “one man play” for Newton Howard to feel out the movie to which he can then write a suite of music, usually 6-12 minutes, that Night can respond to and breed their creativity.
Newton Howard stated that collaboration was something that was hard for him starting out in composing, but it is ultimately the heart of his and Shyamalan’s relationship. During their conversation, the pair explain a bit of their creative process while working together on the score of a project. Newton Howard even discusses their collaborative dynamic, stating that “in the early days I felt like physically assaulting him… but I got better over time”. He explains how his musical history may have made him arrogant when he began to compose film scores but has since come around to Shyamalan.
The famous suspense duo will be hosting an event titled: “Night After Night: The Music of James Newton Howard” this Friday night at the Marian Anderson Hall. The event is a celebration of the composer’s brilliance, Shyamalan will, of course, be there in support of his partner. Night told the MMR crew it was an honor that Newton felt that their work was worthy of an album, and called their relationship “magical.”
Catch Shyamalan and Newton Howard at Marian Anderson Hall Friday, September 20th. Tickets & info.
– James Barnes & Lily Burke, The Preston & Steve Show Staff
