Skitch Henderson

That was probably the stamp that went into my mind, because I worked in television for many years, doing that kind of music, so that really was my strong forte.

If you don’t operate it as a business, you aren’t going to be around very long.

I think my favorite experience is whatever I’m doing now.

Although we are being presented in Carnegie Hall, we have to furnish a budget for our guest stars, and for the music writing – which is a huge budget in any orchestra that plays popular music.

I also work with the regular orchestras in Munich, Germany and other similar orchestras.

Then I went to radio with Sinatra and I watched that disappear.

I listen to everything.

I had had a classical education prior to that.

While there used to be one or two Pops orchestras, now there are all kinds of European orchestras that suddenly look upon this as a golden wand that can enable them to make money recording this music.

I grew up on film scores and scores from films.

And then I went into television; and then television moved from the East Coast to Hollywood.

Well, in our business, it’s a very tough profession.

We try to say it’s creative and in a manner it is creative, but it is a business, because today, with the cost factor in crossing the boundaries that you do.

We do a lot of light classical programming with that, too… obviously… a lot of Tchaikovsky music, Grieg, things like that which have become less classical with classical concerts.

I worked with practically everybody in the business in all of the years in NBC, but I worked personally many years with people like Crosby and Sinatra, so of course that was a great ground school for me.

But I listen to everything, I listen to all artists that come along.

Do, What you’re going to do in longevity. Not just what happens tomorrow.

In a way, yes, because I was starting something fresh, and it was something totally independent.

Well, I worked with lots of different artists, of course.

I recorded with Sinatra, but the recording business is a very strange strata right now.

Symphonic orchestras have almost become a glut in the market.

I’ve watched the demise of the Hollywood orchestra, the house orchestras of the big studios.

I started off as a studio pianist in Hollywood.