Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth interview with Dan Foliart, Film and Television Composer
About Harvey's guest:
Dan Foliart’s music has been indelibly etched on the landscape of network television. He is serving his fifth term on the ASCAP Board of Directors, currently as the Writer Co-Chairman. He sits as the immediate past- president of the Society of Composers & Lyricists, after serving that organization for five terms over ten year, developing the New York chapter and instigating the Ambassador Program, recognizing excellence in the field of film music.
Included among his recent projects are George Lopez’s Saint George, ABC Family’s successful series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager and the eleven-year run of 7th Heaven, for the WB. Along with Emmy nominations, Foliart has garnered 38 ASCAP Film & Television Awards, including 16 in the ‘Most Performed Theme’ category. Although short lived, the reboot of Roseanne with Dan’s theme and underscore was recently the year’s number one show.
Of the 50-plus series he has composed for, many continue to air both in syndication and internationally. Beginning at Paramount Studios with then partner Howard Pearl, Foliart started an extended run that included such favorites as Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Angie, Bosom Buddies, Joanie Loves Chachi, and cable’s first series, Brothers. Other series that he has composed for include Home Improvement, Beverly Hills 90210, 9 to 5, Guns of Paradise, Island Son, Carol & Company, Soul Man, Burke’s Law, Malibu Shores and 8 Simple Rules.
Growing up in Oklahoma City, he was proud to have his symphonic work Oklahoma Trilogy performed as part of the state’s centennial celebration. Currently he is completing a follow-up symphony based on The Trail of Tears. While enrolled at Amherst College, where he received his BA degree, he had the opportunity to write the song score for GD Spradlin’s film The Only Way Home. The songs were co-written with Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame writer Tom Shapiro, with whom he penned over 100 more. He and Tom have recently reunited on a retrospective of their songs. Other works in development include the musicals, “Back in the Game” and “A Lovely Part of Town” with collaborator Rob Dames.
He has served for thirteen years on the ASCAP Foundation Board, ten years on the Television Academy’s Music Peer Committee and sits on the Advisory Board of the Film Music Society. Along with Paul Williams, he served as the ASCAP representative on the MLC Writer Selection committee mandated by the Music Modernization Act. He believes that the relationships that he has nurtured through meetings with members of Congress, as well as friendships that he has fostered with his colleagues here and around the world, will be valuable components that he will continue to bring to the ASCAP Board, whether virtually or face to face. He is honored to have been part of ASCAP’s prestigious We Write the Songs program at the Library of Congress, where he performed his television themes before members of Congress.
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