Barend G. Bendorf
- Composer
- Music Department
Barend G. Bendorf, born in Ojai, California, began his musical endeavor at 3 years old playing piano and singing in his church choir. Barend then began studying classical piano and trumpet under Shirley Leek from Juilliard at age 7 and continued through age 18.
Barend entered the U.S. Army in 1983. While in the U.S. Army, Barend arranged brass band parts for the Officers Club and composed jazz pieces and pop rock instrumentals that were played. While in the Army, Barend continued music classes at Georgia Tech, and played piano and organ at a local small church.
Upon receiving a honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, and decorated for outstanding service, good conduct and Grenada support under General Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf, Barend moved back to Santa Monica and played in several bands as a keyboard player and featured the E.V.I. (Electronic Valve Instrument) designed by Nyle Steiner.
Barend was contacted by E-Mu Systems who had heard his synth/sampler sounds using E-mu's racked samplers. E-Mu Systems asked him to help design the Emulator EIIIxp, help adapt the Orchestral Libraries, and test new hardware and user interface. Barend designed patches in the "Proteus" lines of products, EIV, and Morpheus.
During Barend's study at UCLA he met Steve Jobs at a technical convention and was introduced to Mark Of the Unicorn Company making a sequencing software "Professional Composer" and its new product "Performer" (Known as DP today) a Mac OS run product. Also "Unisyn" a program that uses Sysex to request and store synths and sampler's internal patches and setups so that snapshots of hours of work could be saved with a click of the mouse on the Mac. Barend went on to help design the user interface in Performer and features needed so it could be used in the Film/TV industry, revolutionizing computer based clicks, enabling sync to SMPTE, cue hit markers and hit points, tempo curves in conductor tracks, and debugging software.
Barend then met the company named Alesis and helped them test new synths and reverbs and other hardware and developed patches of orchestral instruments. During all this time Barend continued to sample everything with a Portable DAT player and Fostex stereo mic and programmed it into all his E-MU samplers and Roland samplers to develop his own Virtual Classical Orchestra.
Barend developed his own sample and synth orchestral library. Working at several studios at night arranging and playing on albums Barend got use of the Synclavier and worked sampling sessions, hired players to develop his Arco string libraries and pop brass libraries, and French horns which would be used for Walt Disney's TV animations, including "Goof Troop," "Bonkers," "Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," "Marsupilami," "MGM Return of the Pink Panther," "Winnie-the-Pooh," "Timmy the Tooth," "California Lottery," "Mann Theaters," "Star Trek Next Generation," the list goes on.
While attending UCLA Extension classes Barend met Mark Watters; they hit it off and formed an informal partnership to revolutionize the "Digital Band," which used keyboard samplers and synths playing Strings, Brass, Woodwinds, Percussion with one player from each section to glaze over the harsh synths and samplers with real players.
The combination hybrid sound was excellent and started a new era of the electronic digital age, and fusion of sampler/ live musicians.
Barend had a wonderful, honest relationship with Mark Watters, and they developed a bond and friendship that lasted decades. Together they refined a portable affordable Digital Orchestra that they would use on most of Walt Disneys TV animation lineup, that others would copy and become the standard on TV shows today.
Barend composed cues weekly as needed and also sequenced and proofed all the other composer's scores and gen-locked to time-code to video for recording sessions weekly. Barend's "Rig" provided Click Tracks to all the players and studio using Digital Performer on his Apple Quadra 950. Barend not only corrected scores but would call the copyist and ensure there were no "CLAMS" for the date and enjoyed every minute as he loved what he was doing. Barend also would play back all the music multiple times after playing it into the computer and sequencer to ensure all the click tracks and timings, hits, and Tempo Curves were correct, and that articulations were sounding as real as possible, so all the hits were perfect. This entire process enabled Barend to learn every aspect of the "Business of Music." It also enabled Barend to learn every composer's styles, penmanship, and Kung Fu moves with the orchestra, as most of the composers in the industry all worked with Mark Watters and Walt Disney.
Barend worked on several game show themes and ghost-wrote for daytime sitcoms, did multiple commercials including Mr. Bubble, and helped others who were overwhelmed and could not meet the deadlines, or had no clue what was going on on their first gigs. This entire process allowed Barend to form lifelong relationships with other composers. Barend's recording studio was broken into in North Hollywood, and over half a million dollars of recording gear and all the samplers and keyboards used on Disney's TV shows were stolen, including his racks for cartage and a special fax machine being used for all seven composers who faxed over scores in wide large format. Insurance did not cover all the losses, and with no time to recover or purchase or rebuild the entire studio and 5 rack towers of samplers, synths, Digital EFX, Lexicon reverb's, Barend had no choice but to discontinue his work with Disney, to save the shows and let Mark Watters continue his career.
"The show must go on:" Barend left Hollywood and continued his works on several commercials, Budweiser, California Lottery themes, Mutual of Omaha commercials, American Express, Hann Malls, and many other big name corporations. Barend worked late nights composing on friend's shows, and repurchased most of his equipment again.
Over the years Barend has ghost-written on multiple films, orchestrated and proofed parts for new composers and taught them the tools of the trade, and still contributes his orchestral samples and knowledge of orchestration. Barend has donated musical instruments to local schools and purchased over 60 Dell laptops for the inner schools in downtown Los Angeles, and he cherishes his award from the City of Los Angeles for outstanding charity and has a plaque on the wall from the high school he donated laptops to for the music classes, enabling every student regardless of financial situation to pursue music as a career and enjoy musical composition.
Barend continues to volunteer his studio and talent to teach new Film/TV composers the ins and out of the industry and assists them in internships, and in getting their first gigs. Barend has ghost-written many themes for hit feature films with no credits, as he loves composing and helping other composers who are in a bind as new industry time constraints make it impossible to meet deadlines. He continues to compose and teach guitar, piano, and trumpet in Ojai.
Barend has composed over twelve fugues, nine sonatas, six chamber pieces, sixteen church hymns, and an opera in his free time. Barend is happily married and has five children. His BMI royalties have assisted him in building his studio again. Barend loves every aspect of music, but not the crowded, busy life of Los Angeles/ Hollywood. Barend accumulated a huge arsenal of MIDI synthesizers and samplers over the years, and has built two studios with vintage synths like Moog, Sequential Circuits, Korg, Yamaha TX816's, Kurzweil, E-Mu, Roland, Rupert Neve, Alesis, UAD, and Oberhiem. Barend's studio owns almost every VST orchestral library available include VSL, EastWest, Audiobro, Kontakt, Orchestral Tools, Spitfire, 8DIO, Cinesamples, ProjectSam, VIR, Sonokinetic, Best Services, UVI, and the list goes on. Barend always finds time to assist new composers to survive in the competitive industry, and he helps software and hardware companies make their technology more interactive.
Barend doesn't look at a music career as a financial tool. Barend's philosophy is that music is a God-given talent that should be cultivated and pursued to help guide others to experience emotions, love, compassion, and enjoyment in a universal vocabulary understood by all.
Barend entered the U.S. Army in 1983. While in the U.S. Army, Barend arranged brass band parts for the Officers Club and composed jazz pieces and pop rock instrumentals that were played. While in the Army, Barend continued music classes at Georgia Tech, and played piano and organ at a local small church.
Upon receiving a honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, and decorated for outstanding service, good conduct and Grenada support under General Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf, Barend moved back to Santa Monica and played in several bands as a keyboard player and featured the E.V.I. (Electronic Valve Instrument) designed by Nyle Steiner.
Barend was contacted by E-Mu Systems who had heard his synth/sampler sounds using E-mu's racked samplers. E-Mu Systems asked him to help design the Emulator EIIIxp, help adapt the Orchestral Libraries, and test new hardware and user interface. Barend designed patches in the "Proteus" lines of products, EIV, and Morpheus.
During Barend's study at UCLA he met Steve Jobs at a technical convention and was introduced to Mark Of the Unicorn Company making a sequencing software "Professional Composer" and its new product "Performer" (Known as DP today) a Mac OS run product. Also "Unisyn" a program that uses Sysex to request and store synths and sampler's internal patches and setups so that snapshots of hours of work could be saved with a click of the mouse on the Mac. Barend went on to help design the user interface in Performer and features needed so it could be used in the Film/TV industry, revolutionizing computer based clicks, enabling sync to SMPTE, cue hit markers and hit points, tempo curves in conductor tracks, and debugging software.
Barend then met the company named Alesis and helped them test new synths and reverbs and other hardware and developed patches of orchestral instruments. During all this time Barend continued to sample everything with a Portable DAT player and Fostex stereo mic and programmed it into all his E-MU samplers and Roland samplers to develop his own Virtual Classical Orchestra.
Barend developed his own sample and synth orchestral library. Working at several studios at night arranging and playing on albums Barend got use of the Synclavier and worked sampling sessions, hired players to develop his Arco string libraries and pop brass libraries, and French horns which would be used for Walt Disney's TV animations, including "Goof Troop," "Bonkers," "Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," "Marsupilami," "MGM Return of the Pink Panther," "Winnie-the-Pooh," "Timmy the Tooth," "California Lottery," "Mann Theaters," "Star Trek Next Generation," the list goes on.
While attending UCLA Extension classes Barend met Mark Watters; they hit it off and formed an informal partnership to revolutionize the "Digital Band," which used keyboard samplers and synths playing Strings, Brass, Woodwinds, Percussion with one player from each section to glaze over the harsh synths and samplers with real players.
The combination hybrid sound was excellent and started a new era of the electronic digital age, and fusion of sampler/ live musicians.
Barend had a wonderful, honest relationship with Mark Watters, and they developed a bond and friendship that lasted decades. Together they refined a portable affordable Digital Orchestra that they would use on most of Walt Disneys TV animation lineup, that others would copy and become the standard on TV shows today.
Barend composed cues weekly as needed and also sequenced and proofed all the other composer's scores and gen-locked to time-code to video for recording sessions weekly. Barend's "Rig" provided Click Tracks to all the players and studio using Digital Performer on his Apple Quadra 950. Barend not only corrected scores but would call the copyist and ensure there were no "CLAMS" for the date and enjoyed every minute as he loved what he was doing. Barend also would play back all the music multiple times after playing it into the computer and sequencer to ensure all the click tracks and timings, hits, and Tempo Curves were correct, and that articulations were sounding as real as possible, so all the hits were perfect. This entire process enabled Barend to learn every aspect of the "Business of Music." It also enabled Barend to learn every composer's styles, penmanship, and Kung Fu moves with the orchestra, as most of the composers in the industry all worked with Mark Watters and Walt Disney.
Barend worked on several game show themes and ghost-wrote for daytime sitcoms, did multiple commercials including Mr. Bubble, and helped others who were overwhelmed and could not meet the deadlines, or had no clue what was going on on their first gigs. This entire process allowed Barend to form lifelong relationships with other composers. Barend's recording studio was broken into in North Hollywood, and over half a million dollars of recording gear and all the samplers and keyboards used on Disney's TV shows were stolen, including his racks for cartage and a special fax machine being used for all seven composers who faxed over scores in wide large format. Insurance did not cover all the losses, and with no time to recover or purchase or rebuild the entire studio and 5 rack towers of samplers, synths, Digital EFX, Lexicon reverb's, Barend had no choice but to discontinue his work with Disney, to save the shows and let Mark Watters continue his career.
"The show must go on:" Barend left Hollywood and continued his works on several commercials, Budweiser, California Lottery themes, Mutual of Omaha commercials, American Express, Hann Malls, and many other big name corporations. Barend worked late nights composing on friend's shows, and repurchased most of his equipment again.
Over the years Barend has ghost-written on multiple films, orchestrated and proofed parts for new composers and taught them the tools of the trade, and still contributes his orchestral samples and knowledge of orchestration. Barend has donated musical instruments to local schools and purchased over 60 Dell laptops for the inner schools in downtown Los Angeles, and he cherishes his award from the City of Los Angeles for outstanding charity and has a plaque on the wall from the high school he donated laptops to for the music classes, enabling every student regardless of financial situation to pursue music as a career and enjoy musical composition.
Barend continues to volunteer his studio and talent to teach new Film/TV composers the ins and out of the industry and assists them in internships, and in getting their first gigs. Barend has ghost-written many themes for hit feature films with no credits, as he loves composing and helping other composers who are in a bind as new industry time constraints make it impossible to meet deadlines. He continues to compose and teach guitar, piano, and trumpet in Ojai.
Barend has composed over twelve fugues, nine sonatas, six chamber pieces, sixteen church hymns, and an opera in his free time. Barend is happily married and has five children. His BMI royalties have assisted him in building his studio again. Barend loves every aspect of music, but not the crowded, busy life of Los Angeles/ Hollywood. Barend accumulated a huge arsenal of MIDI synthesizers and samplers over the years, and has built two studios with vintage synths like Moog, Sequential Circuits, Korg, Yamaha TX816's, Kurzweil, E-Mu, Roland, Rupert Neve, Alesis, UAD, and Oberhiem. Barend's studio owns almost every VST orchestral library available include VSL, EastWest, Audiobro, Kontakt, Orchestral Tools, Spitfire, 8DIO, Cinesamples, ProjectSam, VIR, Sonokinetic, Best Services, UVI, and the list goes on. Barend always finds time to assist new composers to survive in the competitive industry, and he helps software and hardware companies make their technology more interactive.
Barend doesn't look at a music career as a financial tool. Barend's philosophy is that music is a God-given talent that should be cultivated and pursued to help guide others to experience emotions, love, compassion, and enjoyment in a universal vocabulary understood by all.