Music

Theresa Galbraith · From: Goodlettsville,Tn. USA

Wonder what "Movies" would be like without it? Theresa

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

BORING! Most movies these days are boring with music. Taking the music out definitely would not be a good thing, IMO

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Mark Twain said he would like Wagner's operas better in pantomime.

erik · Posted 3 Feb 2002 3:38 pm

Well Theresa, first of all your topic is extremely broad.

But i'd say it might be an interesting experiment to have a movie without music. How often do you hear music playing as you go through your daily routine? (I'm referring to music that accents and transitions your thoughts and moods). My mother likes musicals. I always joke about how often do people break out in song and dance during the course of a day. Of course it's art and expression. Perhaps the music is necessary in a movie to make it seem greater than ordinary life. Otherwise, why go see a movie? This is more than you wanted to contemplate in a reply, isn't it?

[This message was edited by erik on 03 February 2002 at 03:40 PM.]

Johan Jansen · From: Europe

It's nice to see the effect it has on viewers when you replace the music, let's say you put the Jaws-theme under a commercial of washingpowder, you expect the shark jumping out of the dryer

Theresa Galbraith · From: Goodlettsville,Tn. USA

Gregg and I rented "South of Heaven West of Hell", "For the Love of the Game", and "All the Pretty Horses" last week. I thought
how BORING without music. Three different movies with great story lines,great acting, but without the music it wouldn't be the same. The versatile way music can touch our souls without saying a word. Music is never boring to me

Theresa

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

If the music is done well, it enhances the scene, punctuates 'key' moments like a head turn or some singular action by the actor, builds tension and it helps the flow from one scene to another. If it is done really well, it's transparent, the viewer isn't noticing the music and is engrossed in the film. I've played on somewhere between 40 and 50 soundtracks. My job is usually to get in and out without bringing attention to myself unless it's something obvious where the steel guitar is being used to 'set' the scene in a southern location.

If the studio wants to sell a lot of soundtrack albums, the emphasis will be on the 'pop' songs as the source music cluttering up the movie, and you can thank 'Titanic' for movies having an out of context ballad while they roll the credits. Even if it was a good ballad, it was out of context and on 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon', it was offensive.

One of the problems for the composer is he has to write something that pleases the director and/or pleases the 'suits', who are writing the checks, and these 'geniouses' aren't always musically sophisticated. Or he may be getting the locked video at 3am and is expected to be at the scoring stage at 10 am with the music for that scene. Or he has been given a budget of $18k and they want a full orchestra and choir (a full orchestra on a union date is typically $20k per hour) and if you can't do the job, you don't take the call, and on and on and on...

Back to the original question, silences can be used to create tension or a release depending on the scene. Also, usually all of the other sounds that you hear aren't real either, they're cut in from an effects library and for that matter, it's likely that the dialog isn't original either, it's been re-recorded on a looping stage and cut in.

[This message was edited by chas smith on 03 February 2002 at 10:28 PM.]

Dave Birkett · From: Oxnard, CA, USA

Eric Rohmer's films rarely have music.

Mike Weirauch · From: Harrisburg, Illinois**The Hub of the Universe

......You would never know when the bad guy was sneaking up on the good guy without that certain "danger" type music.

Good topic Theresa!

Pat Burns · From: Branchville, N.J. USA

...and of course the point is driven home when you see a scene played with incongruous music...the Looney Tunes theme song played behind a hot love scene...

...imagine storming the D-Day beaches, or Ahab driving his harpoon into Moby Dick to the tune of "Dream a Little Dream of Me"...

...on the other hand, serious music behind a comical scene can add to the humor..

Greg Vincent · From: Folsom, CA USA

Theresa,

One of my favorite movies, "Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid" has a famous soundtrack, yet only one dialogue scene uses music beneath it (the scene where Etta splits).

Still, it's a very effective movie. We remember the characters AND the music.

How did they do that?

--GV

Ray Jenkins · From: Gold Canyon Az. U.S.A.

Fred Murphy · From: Indianapolis, In. USA

I like it when you know the Indians are coming to scalp somebody.

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I notice that when I play orchestral music for people, they always try to relate it to movie scenes. Then it occurred to me - movies are the only place where people hear orchestral music these days!

I heard part of John Williams' score for the Harry Potter movie the other day. What great music - even without the movie!

------------------

Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic) Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)

John Steele (deceased) · From: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada

I'm not sure I agree.

I think Brittany Spears videos are alot more enjoyable to watch if you turn the sound off.
-John
I learned that from patrick smith !

Pat Burns · From: Branchville, N.J. USA

..

..I would expect that from 'ol Dr. PMS..

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

Dave Birkett · From: Oxnard, CA, USA

Quote: "My all time favorite is 'Laura' by David Raskin."
I'll second that. And then Bird did it! In fact, I'm going to put that on right now.

[This message was edited by Dave Birkett on 04 February 2002 at 09:28 PM.]

John Steele (deceased) · From: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada

For Dave and Chas, in case you missed it:
Laura Thread & Tab

-John

[This message was edited by John Steele on 04 February 2002 at 11:09 PM.]

Dave Birkett · From: Oxnard, CA, USA

Thanks, John. You know, that would be a great topic: great songs that have yet to be recorded on steel. I haven't heard "Midnight Sun" or "'Round Midnight". I can hear them in my mind but don't have the chops. Steel is great for tunes that are conducive to lush harmonies. Has anyone done "Moonlight in Vermont" sort of in the style of Johnny Smith? I bet BE could do a hell of a version of Nelson Riddle's "Route 66".
Dave

[This message was edited by Dave Birkett on 05 February 2002 at 01:17 AM.]

nick allen · From: France

Surely *someone* must have recorded a steel version of Route 66?
I saw/heard Jimmy Day do a terrific version live, at the Hilltop in TX, not long before he passed away.
Nick

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

John, thank you. I didn't try to play it on steel because I used to play it on piano and I always heard it with close voicings. I know that that's clinging to a narrow perspective, but there are some things I just don't want to change.

Chip Fossa · From: Monson, MA, USA (deceased)

My mom, God rest her soul, when a show she'd
be watching was boring [yup, even back in the 40's & 50's] used to love to turn the
TV's volume off. And just "interpret" facial
expressions and body gestures using her imagination without audio/vocal interference.

She actually got more enjoyment/fun watching these audio-less shows, than the shows as a whole; after all, she did grow up during the silent movie era.

Try it sometime; it is funny.

FWIW...ChipsAhoy

Dave Van Allen · From: Souderton, PA , US , Earth

Joe GOldmark did a cover of Route 66- the mancini theme for the tv show, not the Nat Cole/Bobby Troupe one...