Maurice Blackburn (composer) facts for kids
Joseph Albert Maurice Blackburn (born May 22, 1914, died March 29, 1988) was a talented Canadian artist. He was a composer (someone who writes music) and a conductor (who leads an orchestra). He also worked as a sound editor for movies. Plus, he built string instruments like violins! Blackburn is most famous for creating music for animated films.
Contents
About Maurice Blackburn's Life
Maurice Blackburn was born in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. He studied music at two well-known schools. These were the Université Laval in Quebec and the New England Conservatory in Boston. In 1940, he won an important award called the George Allan Prize.
He was married to a writer named Marthe Blackburn, who wrote movie scripts. They had a daughter, Esther Rochon, who became a science fiction writer.
Maurice Blackburn's Amazing Career
From 1942 to 1978, Blackburn worked for the National Film Board of Canada. This is a famous place that makes films. There, he often worked with a very creative filmmaker named Norman McLaren.
Creating Sound and Image on Film
Together, Blackburn and McLaren invented special ways to put sound and pictures directly onto film. This was a new and exciting technique called graphical sound. It meant they could draw or etch the sound waves and images right onto the film strip.
Blackburn wrote the music for McLaren's animated film Blinkity Blank (1954). This film was a huge success! It won twelve awards, including the top prize for short films at the famous Cannes Film Festival.
His Own Animated Film
In 1969, Maurice Blackburn even created his own animated film. It was called Ciné-Crimé.
He also composed an opera (a play where most of the words are sung). It was called Une mesure de silence. His wife, Marthe, wrote the story for this opera.
In 1983, the government of Quebec gave him a special award. It was called the Albert-Tessier Prize. This award honors people who have done great things in Quebec's film industry.
Music Compilations
Albums Featuring His Work
- Filmusique-Filmopéra with Yves Daoust (Analekta, AN 7005/06, 1996) (2CD)
