Is Musical Scoring Really an Important Factor? 

Throughout the world of cinema, music has played such a prominent role. I am a huge fan of movies and all things cinema. Through the world of television and movies, one is able to leave the clouded and somewhat stressful atmosphere of life and embark on another emotional journey, vicariously living through another character. It is the perception of movies and television where we ourselves are able to analyze or connect with the overall message and adapt it to our daily lives. But what makes movies or tv shows so intriguing? Sure, the story is the starting point and the core of the audience’s fascination, but can there be other factors that may be superior to others? Music has managed to delve into various parts of the entertainment business for centuries. In the early developments of cinema, crucial musical scoring allowed the audiences to stay inserted in the story through the silent film era.

I’m sure you are aware of the social disease that is “binging”. If you have been living under a rock, binging is the notion of following a series from the beginning to end, with no interruption. One would think that through the essence of life’s reaction, that binging is not plausible for the average person in today’s society. Far from true. It has been overly apparent that binging is an infectious incline that we all encounter once in our streaming lives.

It is the foundation of music that music brings a sense of emotional pull and tug for one’s psyche. Music has this extraordinary power to entice even a rigorous mind to relax and infuse an alternate emotion. We have seen that power invested in the cinematic world. With the 1997 James Cameron film, “Titanic” to the famous theme song of “Star Wars”, music has the ability to set the story into a deeper dimension. However, the essence of music, in my opinion, is properly overlooked. Is music one of the deciding factors as to deciding what your favorite movie is?

Listen to “My Heart Will Go On” from the movie “Titanic” Now!

Music scoring is a written form of musical composition or can refer to background music scoring, film/ TV soundtrack for the purpose of accompanying a scene. According to DailyTrojan.com, movies would be definitely slow-moving and boring if it wasn’t for music. With movies such as Leonardo DiCaprio’s “Inception”, music that matches the intensity of the scene allows the audience to feel the severity of the emotions. It’s a different perspective listening to a symphony of classical music, versus hearing classical music through a cinematic lens. For me, I can allow my mind to float into a wonderful cloud of deep thought and emotion as I sit (sometimes uncomfortably in a chair) in the classical or operatic auditorium. However, I can tend to drift off into a boredom spell. If I hear the same music within a movie, there is a distinct reason and decisions made for the placement of the song within that very section of the story. The song almost comes to life as it aids the character and story to express the feelings of the scene in an instrumental way. I find it very fascinating.

With my musical, constantly instrumental mind evolving through the various outlets of music, music is the only deciding factor in whether the movie is good or not. There are two distinct movies that justify my thinking. The 2006 Nancy Meyers films, “The Holiday” features stars such as “Jack Black” and “Cameron Diaz” is a holiday classic for me and my family. Through this non-stereotypical, emotional depiction of the changing of years, this movie is one of my ultimate favorites. The movie opens up with such a sweet, and emotional soundtrack surrounding a passionately intense monologue from actress “Kate Winslet”. The song not only pulls at the heartstring but also allows the viewer to fall into the deepest yet relatable thoughts of the careers surrounding the boundaries and hesitations of love.

Watch the beginning of “The Holiday” Now!

Another favorite of mine is “Diane Keaton” and “Jack Nicholson” in 2003 Nancy Meyers film, “Somethings Gotta Give”. The movie is one of my favorites simply because it is my dad’s as well. I tend to lean positively towards my father’s choices in artistic expression.  The movie captures love in the further years of two individual’s life. Through this romantic comedy, the movie captivates later year romance and the idea of love being forever endless. The musical scoring for this movie paints the picture of each character, and allows especially me, a chance to fall head over heels for each character and hope for the best in terms of this tumultuous relationship.

Listen to “Remember Me” by Heitor Pereira Now!

People fascination in musical/ film scoring is constantly growing. Many people in today’s modern world, download and stream songs placed within movies. From apps such as “Shazam” (my saving grace) are built-in applications that can indicate the song through simple voice recognition. For artists, being able to have their songs placed in various movies allows a wider audience of following, creating a persistent pool of music listeners to expand their listening horizons. But to say one or the other is totally subjective. For a strong music fanatic as myself, music would dictate the purity and the total my likeness of the movie. What we can agree on, is that all artistic components upon the screen, help tell the powerful story in multitude of ways! I challenge you reader, that the next time you watch a movie or television show, listen to the musical placement. You may be surprised with how perfect; the song matches the cinematic emotion.

Photo: Shutterstock

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