Gary Chang
			Film Composer and musician Gary Chang has led the way for many in his field, establishing himself as one of the most celebrated soundtrack composers of our time. Gary has excelled in different styles of music during his career, mixing atmosphere with melodies and technology to create a hybrid of new sounds and expression. Born during the McCarthy Era, Gary found that being a first-generation Chinese-American left him alienated among his peers. While the Chang’s were one of very few Asian families in Western Pennsylvania, Gary knew that his true passion would be to escape. The son of an M.I.T. Doctor of Science (a hi-fi buff who built his own stereo system), and a New England Conservatory Of Music vocalist, the seeds of technology and music were planted at a very early age. In 1971, Gary attended Tufts University in Boston. A washout year in school, Gary spent most of his time at the now-defunct Jazz Workshop club (with fake id in hand), witnessing the likes of Miles Davis, Weather Report, McCoy Tyner and the Herbie Hancock Sextet, religiously taking in every set they had to offer in Boston that year. Permanently "scarred" from this experience, Gary pursued music composition that utilized many of the techniques found in Miles' music. At Carnegie-Mellon University, he spent his days in the computer center wrestling MUSIC5 (the first computer music program), and nights playing piano in his quartet. Gary received his BFA from CMU, writing music influenced by Miles, Elliot Carter, and Charles Ives. In January 1976, Gary loaded up the car and trekked across the country to Los Angeles. His development in diverse rounds of music--jazz, contemporary chamber, r&b and electronic, brought him to California Institute Of the Arts, working under the golden wing of Morton Subotnick (Silver Apples Of the Moon, The Wild Bull), earning an MFA in 1977. Gary has since been one of the leaders in the use of computer music technology in film. In the early 1980's, experience with World Music and his expertise in operating the primitive analog and digital music instruments of the time, led Gary to opportunities as a studio musician. His collaborations included: Robbie Robertson, Al Jarreau, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock and eventually with film music composers Patrick Williams (Mary Tyler Moore, That Old Feeling) and Giorgio Moroder, (Midnight Express, American Gigolo, Flashdance). With Gary's unique point of view and musical interpretation, he has been scoring films since 1984, having composed music for many notable filmmakers, including John Frankenheimer (The Island Of Dr. Moreau, Dead Bang, 52 Pickup); Andrew Davis (Under Siege); Jonathan Demme (Miami Blues); John Hughes, (The Breakfast Club) and Jan Egleson (A Shock To the System staring Michael Caine). His style of subtle Asian, African and South American rhythms make him a chameleon, equally comfortable with merging electronic beats with string quartets. His television work has included scores for numerous critically acclaimed features, including Stephen King's Storm Of the Century (Emmy Award-winning six-hour mini-series for ABC), The Burning Season, Against the Wall (Emmy Award-winning cable features directed by John Frankenheimer for HBO), George Wallace and Andersonville, (Emmy Award-winning cable mini-series directed by John Frankenheimer for TNT). Working from his studio in Calabasas, Ca., Gary has completed over seventy film music projects, including 18 feature films and has most recently completed for A&E, The Crossing, starring Jeff Daniels as George Washington. He Received National Endowment Of the Arts Grant for Jazz Composers in 1977. FORGOTTEN MEMORIES (1978), an abstract electronic music piece has been performed throughout the West Coast, and was favorably reviewed in the LOS ANGELES TIMES, and in HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE. Mr. Chang composed the score for CHOREOGRAPHY, a hand-animated short film by Margaret Ann Craig, which has received screenings in fourteen film festivals internationally, and has won several awards, including tho Gold Plaque at the Chicago International Film Festival in 1981. Gary is a member of BMI, the Society Of Composers & Lyricists, the American Federation Of Musicians, the Recording Musicians Of America, the Screen Actors Guild, and the Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences.
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