Danny Elfman MasterClass Review –What I Learned (And If It’s Worth It)

Danny Elfmans MasterClass Review: Whether you accept it or not, but most of the online music courses are just another word for the scam. Yes, you heard it right after exploring the various courses.

I can say with confidence that most of the courses are just created to make profit, not to teach people what it takes to become a successful musician.

But when it comes to Danny Elfman Masterclass, things were different. This master class is raw, honest and shows you how to break rules and find your true sound instead of following the traditional music norms and the rules.

That’s where it grabbed my attention and I decided to try this course too and to find out its complete truth, value and determine whether it’s worth considering or not.

In this Danny Elfman Masterclass Review post, I have shared EVERYTHING that you need to know from the topics it covers, to the thing it lacks and many more.

So make sure to read this article and explore things in detail.

Danny Elfmans MasterClass Review

What is the Danny Elfman MasterClass?

The Danny Elfman Masterclass is an online music course hosted on the masterclass platform, a stage known for offering high quality courses created by the world class express who have decades of experience in their field.

In this course, he teaches you everything that you need to know about composing the music for films and beyond this he has also shared his own technical and the creative process of film scoring.

Lastly, he has also broken down the process of his iconic soundtrack like The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Simpsons theme. From my experience this course has compiled his 30 years of experience in the Music Industry.

About the Instructor: Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman Is a four time Oscar nominated composer, singer and songwriter Who have more than 30 years of experience in crafting the unforgettable scores or films like Batman Edward Scissorhands, and Spider-Man.

Additionally, he also founded Oingo Boingo which was one of the most popular musical bands known for his hits like ‘Dead Man’s Party “and” Weird Science” As he was the lead vocalist and songwriter for this band, it helped him to gain popularity.

Here is list of some of the achievement of the Danny Elfan that shows his credibility

• Four Oscar nominations for film scores like Milk and Big Fish. 
• Composed iconic The Simpsons theme, a globally recognized TV score. 
• Scored The Nightmare Before Christmas, a beloved cult classic soundtrack.

What I liked about this course is his honesty. Danny mentioned he has not done any formal classical training which makes it relatable & easy to understand for the participants.

Overall, his journey will show you no matter how much difficulty comes along your way, if you truly have the passion for your art you will find the way and make a big name in the industry.

What Does the Danny Elfman MasterClass Course Cover?

Danny Elfman consists of 14 video lessons that cover everything that you need to know about composing film music and each lesson will teach you the different concepts about music composition.

Here, I have shared the complete and in depth overview of each of the lessons that will help you understand what you can expect from this course.

Part 1: Getting Started with Film Music

This course begins with the introduction, where Danny shares about his early journey from performing with the Mystic Knights to leading the band Oingo Boingo – he also shares how he began with the film music.

Overall, the section is all about the personal stories that help you to know more about your mentor and you can connect with him throughout this course.

Part 2: The Scoring Process

This is where the practical lessons begin here. Elfman explains to you how to start writing music for a film. He teaches you about spotting sessions and shows you how you have to align your music with the director’s vision.

Beyond this,  You will also understand where music should go in each scene and how you can work with the small and big budget film. Even being creative within different limits.

Part 3: Creating Your Own Sound

This part is all about teaching you how you can build your own musical voice using  a different instrument. He also explains to you how to stay organized with the tools like the big board and other musical instruments.

In addition to this, he also teaches you about experimenting with different sounds and the music without being scared. Lastly, he also shares his own favorite music software and digital performer.

Overall, this section is helpful for the people who want to learn how to stand out and manage their work effectively along with being organized.

Part 4: Teamwork and Musical Tools

There is no doubt that composing music is not a work of one person. You need to have a team of people who can collaborate with you.

And this is what you will learn in this section. This part is all about teaching you how to work with others. He talks about building your music team, how to choose the right instrument to match the film’s emotion.

Most importantly he shares the tips on how to collaborate with the director, producer and the musician to bring your vision to life that can connect with the people.

Part 5: Challenges, Failures & Real Advice

This is the last part of this course where Elfman gets honest about this struggle of being composer, like facing failure, having self doubt and creative pressure. He also talks about the movement when he felt stuck or unsure and how he managed to push through by staying true to his art.

Additionally, he also encourages you to trust your instinct. Keep learning and never give up, even when things get tough or you are having self doubt.

Overall, this section offers you valuable advice and motivation to pursue your music career and stay focused.

How Did the Danny Elfman MasterClass Course Help Me?

Danny Elfman Masterclass helped me in various ways. Firstly, It taught me a lot about  Film music and I really liked his creative approach towards using the new sound and experimenting it without any fear.

Beyond this,  I was inspired by the supporting session where he explained how you can match your music with the director’s vision. I have even used this particular lesson in one of my short film projects as well.

As mentioned before he was too honest throughout the master class. He openly talked about his fears, his own doubt and the struggle that made me feel more connected and become more confident and less alone in my journey.

What stood out for me is that he not only explains the concept, but also gives you the real life case studies from his own popular hits soundtrack, However, I feel that this course expects you to know some basic music concepts so it can help you to understand the concept even in a better way. 

Speaking from my experience, this course is really power packed and practical for anyone who want to understand the science behind composing film music.

How Much Does Danny Elfman Masterclass Course Cost?

The Cost of Danny Elfman Masterclass depends on the plan you choose or want to subscribe that you can choose as per your preference and the budget, currently the masterclass offers the three plans for their customer (Check: Is Masterclass Worth it? Complete review ) that you can choose based upon your need and requirement. Here is the complete breakdown.

• Standard Plan: $15/month (billed annually at $180), allowing access on one device.
• Plus Plan: $20/month (billed annually at $240), supporting two devices and offline downloads.
• Premium Plan: $23/month (billed annually at $276), allowing six devices.

Note : Keep in mind that all the above plans are billed annually, I know may seems costly but from my personal experience this amount in completely worth it.

What I liked about this subscription is it’s only give you the access of one course, but you will hundred of courses on the different topics and the subject they also offers the 30 free day trial – so you can try it before you decide to buy thier subscription.

Final Thoughts: Is the Danny Elfman MasterClass Worth It?

In conclusion, from my experience, the Danny Elfman master class is a great course for anyone who is interested to learn about, composing a film, music and want to discover the secret of becoming a successful musician.

No matter whether you are a beginner or an experienced professional, this course has something for anyone who wants to learn from Danny, who has more than 30 years of experience in the music industry.

The best part is this course is a great mixture of theoretical and practical knowledge that you can apply to it without any hurdle –  However, keep in mind that there are few lessons that require a basic knowledge of music to understand it.

But still this course looks great – it comes with the practical workbook and the honest stories which will make this course even more enjoyable.

So what are you waiting for ? Sign up today and unlock this power packed course NOW