Clausen, Alf 1941–

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Clausen, Alf 1941–

(Alf Clauson)

PERSONAL

Full name, Alf Heiberg Clausen; born March 28, 1941, in Minneapolis, MN; son of Alf and Magdalene (maiden name, Heiberg) Clausen; married Judy Kaye Landstrom, June 5, 1965 (marriage ended); married Sally Maureen Taron, January 9, 1993; children: (first marriage) Karen Leigh, Scott Owen, Kyle Evan. Education: North Dakota State University, B.A., 1963; attended University of Wisconsin, 1963; diploma in music composition and arranging from Berklee College of Music, 1966; studied with John Bavicchi, William Maloof, Herb Pomeroy, and Earle Hagen. Politics: Republican. Religion: Lutheran. Avocational Interests: Record collecting, carpentry, sports, computers.

Addresses:

Agent—Soundtrack Music Associates, 2229 Cloverfield Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405.

Career:

Composer and orchestrator. Karleigh Music Co., president; Dick Grove Music Workshops, instructor; University of California, Los Angeles, instructor in music arranging and composition. Composer for Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra Concert Series, 1968; adjudicator for Playboy All-Star Intercollegiate Jazz Festival Competition and Western Division Intercollegiate Jazz Festival Competition.

Member:

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (member of jazz crafts committee), Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), American Society of Music Arrangers, National Association of Jazz Educators, Dramatists Guild, Songwriters Guild, Society of Composers and Lyricists (member of board of directors), American Federation of Musicians, Screen Actors Guild, Blue Key, Phi Kappa Phi, Kappa Kappa Psi.

Awards, Honors:

One O'Clock Awards, North Texas State University, 1978, 1979, 1980; Clio nomination, 1979; Emmy Award nomination (with Jack Elliot and Bill Goldstein), outstanding achievement in music direction, 1981, for Omnibus; Alumnus Recognition Award, Berklee College of Music, 1984; Emmy Award nominations, outstanding achievement in music composition for a series—dramatic underscore, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, and outstanding achievement in music direction (with others), 1988, 1989, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Award, top television series, 1988, all for Moonlighting; Alumni Achievement Award, North Dakota State University, 1986; Emmy Award (with others), outstanding music and lyrics, 1997, 1998, Emmy Award nominations, outstanding individual achievement in music composition for a series—dramatic underscore, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, outstanding music direction, 1997, 1998, and outstanding individual achievement in music and lyrics (with others), 1994, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Awards, top television series, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, Annie Award, best individual achievement—music in a television production, 1997, Annie Award (with others), outstanding individual achievement for music in an animated television production, International Animated Film Society, 1998, 2000, 2004, all for The Simpsons; University of Wisconsin scholar; National Endowment of the Arts fellow; Berklee College of Music fellow.

CREDITS

Film Orchestrator:

The Beastmaster (also known as Beastmaster—Der Befreier), United Artists, 1982.

(Uncredited) Mr. Mom (also known as Mr. Mum and Perfect Daddy), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1983.

(Uncredited) The Last Starfighter, 1984.

Weird Science, Universal, 1985.

Into the Night, Universal, 1985.

My Science Project, Buena Vista, 1985.

Wise Guys, United Artists, 1986.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Paramount, 1986.

Number One with a Bullet, Cannon, 1987.

(As Alf Clausen) Dragnet, Universal, 1987.

The Naked Gun—From the Files of Police Squad!, Paramount, 1988.

Also worked as orchestrator for Buddy, Buddy; Jinxed; Table for Five; Up the Creek; Miracles.

Film Additional Orchestrator:

Splash, Buena Vista, 1984.

Micki + Maude, Columbia, 1984.

Film Appearances:

Himself, Memories of "Moonlighting," Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment, 2006.

Television Work; Series:

Orchestra leader, Mary, CBS, 1978.

Musical director, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 1979.

Music arranger, Face the Music, 1980.

Music arranger (with Bill Goldstein), Omnibus, ABC, 1980.

Music director and music arranger, Moonlighting, ABC, 1985-87.

Television Orchestrator; Movies:

Lots of Luck, 1985.

Mirrors, 1985.

Also worked as orchestrator for Happy Endings; Remembrance of Love; Miss All-American Beauty; This Is Kate Bennett; For Ladies Only; The Other Lover; Letting Go; The Long Way Home; Sparkling Cyanide; Princess Daisy; Quarterback Princess; Caribbean Mystery; I Want to Live; Legs; Six Months with an Older Woman; Two of a Kind; Listen to Your Heart.

Television Appearances; Specials:

"The Simpsons": America's First Family, 2000.

Stage Orchestrations:

Mother Earth, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1972.

WRITINGS

Film Music:

Number One with a Bullet, Cannon, 1987.

Half Baked, 1998.

Memories of "Moonlighting" (documentary short), Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment, 2006.

Level Seven, Power Point Films, 2008.

Also wrote music for (uncredited) Force: Five; An Eye for an Eye; Fast Walking; Forced Vengeance; Airplane II: The Sequel; and The Journey of Natty Gann.

Film Additional Music:

Weird Science, Universal, 1985.

(As Alf Clausen) Dragnet, Universal, 1987.

Television Music; Series:

Mary, 1978.

The Mary Tyler Moore Hour, CBS, 1979.

Moonlighting, ABC, 1985-87.

Lime Street, ABC, 1985.

Alf, NBC, 1986-89.

Harry, ABC, 1987.

The Simpsons, Fox, 1990—.

My Life and Times, 1991.

The Critic (animated), 1993-95.

Bette, CBS, 2000.

Television Theme Songs:

Alf, NBC, 1986.

Spacecats, NBC, 1991.

Television Music; Movies:

Stranded, NBC, 1986.

Agatha Christie's "Murder in Three Acts" (also known as Murder in Three Acts), CBS, 1986.

Double Agent, ABC, 1987.

The Watch Commander (also known as Police Story and Police Story: The Watch Commander), ABC, 1988.

My First Love (also known as Second Chance and One More Time), ABC, 1988.

Mutts, 1988.

She Knows Too Much (also known as Lady Be Good), NBC, 1989.

Easy Come, Easy Go (also known as Christine Cromwell), ABC, 1989.

The Wickedest Witch, 1989.

Only the Good Die Young, ABC, 1990.

In Vino Veritas, ABC, 1990.

Also composer for Happy Endings; Remembrance of Love; Miss All-American Beauty; This Is Kate Bennett; For Ladies Only; The Other Lover; Letting Go; The Long Way Home.

Television Music; Specials:

The Paul Lynde Comedy Hour, ABC, 1978.

A Very Retail Christmas, NBC, 1990.

Television Music; Pilots:

Mutts (also known as Conversations with My Dog), ABC, 1988.

Channel 99, NBC, 1988.

Television Music; Episodic:

"Easy Come, Easy Go," Christine Cromwell, 1989.

Wrote music for episodes of Father Murphy; Little House on the Prairie; Shell Game; The Mississippi; Fame; Wizards and Warriors; Partners in Crime; Dads; Bronk; Jigsaw; The FBI; Ripley's Believe It or Not; Scene of the Crime; and Trauma Center.