3/26/2006:
Today is Alf Clausen’s birthday. He was born in 1941, grew up in Jamestown, and you may have heard his work – in fact we’re pretty sure you have – if you’ve ever seen an episode of Moonlighting, or the television spoof, Alf or The Simpsons after its 12th episode – Clausen wrote the music.
In Jamestown, Clausen showed a major inclination toward music. He ended up at the Berklee School of Music in Boston where, upon graduating, he was hired as an instructor. But after a year he went west and ended up orchestrating for movies and TV shows – including, recently, The Simpsons.
Simpsons creator, Matt Groening, calls Clausen their “secret weapon.” With the unpredictable directions the show takes, a composer has to be able to keep up, and Alf has the experience to score whatever’s necessary. This Jamestown boy’s been nominated for 14 Emmies.
Written by Merry Helm