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"The ideas were as much about how music was transitioning from moment to moment or feeling to feeling, as much as the individual feelings or moments themselves. So it’s a lot more effort. There’s a lot more notes, and there’s a lot more things that animation has to do."
— Thomas Newman
Finding Nemo was the first Pixar film not to be scored by Randy Newman. Instead, his cousin Thomas was recruited to score the film, for whom it marked his first score for an animated film. Stanton mainlined Thomas' scores for the dramatic films The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Meet Joe Black and The Horse Whisperer (1998) while writing the script, up to the point where he felt like the composer was an essential character in the film and his music helped him set the script's tone. Newman said that "In animation, action is changing so quickly that there’s really not a lot of suspended moments. In live-action, sometimes a mood or a feeling can go on for quite a while. Animation is a lot more effort. There are a lot more notes."
In contrast the exuberant music composed by Randy for Toy Story and Monsters, Inc., Newman had a "more fluid and emotionally atmospheric" which suited the tone of the film. Another approach for the film's music is instead of having metal sounds and colors to give a kind of watery feeling which was onomatopoetic, he approached for a low hum of ocean and underwater sound, which was enough to imply water as opposed to restating it over and over again.
Reception
Filmtracks.com wrote "the phenomenal diversity of Tom Newman's selection of dozens upon dozens of specialty instruments and electronic sounds, as well as those rumbling pianos and choppy strings, is what floats his music for Finding Nemo. As unlikely as his involvement with the project may have initially seemed, he made it work, and even if it didn't resemble any other Disney score in history, you can't help but applaud the risk that was taken, as well as Tom Newman's answer to the challenge." Noah Marconi of Soundtrack World wrote "Despite minimal melodic material, Newman binds the score with his characteristic orchestration, string gestures and harmonies." James Southall of Movie Wave called it as "easily the best score of the year".
Music critic Jonathan Broxton commented that the score Finding Nemo as an "amalgam of best Thomas Newman scores ever heard" but criticised the "lack of thematic material". Music critic Alex Burns wrote "Thomas Newman’s score throughout Finding Nemo is really effective with some exciting twists and turns". Reviewing the main title "Nemo Egg", he called "serves its purpose of setting the scene of the film, with Newman’s colourful scoring shining through. A calm and peaceful opening before the chaos begins." Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote "From dreamy to scary to silly, each of Newman's 39 cues for Finding Nemo is a wonderfully intricate, miniature composition. While this score may not be quite as dazzling as his work on scores like American Beauty, this is still a thoughtful and rewarding collection of music that is absolutely perfect for the film it supports."
Ranking it as one of Newman's best soundtracks, Natasha McMeekin of Collider commented that the score "not only embodies the movie's characters and their subsequent emotions, but the sea itself — calm, beautiful, soothing, but at the same time, harsh, unforgiving, and unpredictable." It was also ranked fifth on the "Best Pixar Scores" by Maria M. on MovieWeb who further commented "The depth of the score showcases Newman's attention to detail and ability to compose pieces that add another layer to the story."
Original score composed and conducted by Thomas Newman
Produced by Bill Bernstein and Thomas Newman
Recorded by Tommy Vicari and Dennis Sands at The Village and Signet Recording Studios
Orchestra recorded by Armin Steiner at the Sony Scoring Stage
Orchestrated by Thomas Pasatieri
Concertmaster: Sid Page
Orchestra contractor: Leslie Morris
Assistant engineer: Okhee Kim and Tom Hardisty
Mixed by: Tommy Vicari
Mastered by: Joe Gastwirt
Music editor: Bill Bernstein
Assistant music editor: Michael Zainer
Technician: Jesse Voccia
Music supervisor: Tom MacDougall
Music co-ordinator: Deniece LaRocca-Hall
Music preparation: Julian Bratolyubov
Music production assistants: Jill Iverson and Joel Berke
Production manager: Andrew Page
Executive producer: Chris Montan
Art direction: Luis M. Fernández
Design: Marcella Wong and Tiffany Quon
Liner notes: Andrew Stanton
Instruments
Brass and clarinet: Steve Tavaglione
Electric piano and organ: John Beasley
Flute: Steve Kujala
Processed flute and clarinet: George Budd
French horn: Brian O'Connor, Daniel P. Kelley, David Duke, Joe Meyer, John A. Reynolds, Kurt Snyder, Mark Adams, Phil Yao, Steve Becknell and Todd Miller
Lap steel guitar: Chas Smith
Piano: Thomas Newman and John Beasley
Synthesiser: Rick Cox
Percussion: Michael Fisher and Peter Engelhart
Trombone: Booth, Bill Reichenbach, Bruce Otto, Charles Loper, George Thatcher, Phil Teele and Steven Holtman
Trumpet: Chris Tedesco, Dan Savant, Gary Grant, Jeff Bunnell, Jon Lewis, Malcolm McNab, Rick Baptist and Wayne Bergeron
Tuba: Jim Self
Ukulele Banjo, bajo sexto, lyre, dulcimer and electric guitar: George Doering
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Fernandez, Maria Elena; Greg Braxton (January 28, 2004). "Dawn's early rite". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
