Monday, October 17, 2011

Film Scoring, another outlet for “classical” Music

I checked my Twitter as I rode into Boston today. There was an ad linked from Craig’s List asking for a film composer for a low budget horror film.

I heard in my head the sound of a horror movie with its dissonant string glissandi and stop-muted horn hits. The suspense created by the dark colors and sharp contrasts in dynamics are characteristics that make horror movies my favorite.

In 2008, I attended a film scoring master class near Smith College in North Hampton,MA. The clinician was Alexandar Janko, a local composer from Vermont who composed the score to the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I was new to the concept of composing for film and was fascinated by the different roles composers assign to their scores in film.

The concept of underscoring a scene and the various nuances that help evoke specific emotions was thought provoking. It made me wonder about my experiences watching movies. Just try listening to your favorite movie again with the sound turned off.

Music has a powerful place in the cinema experience. Movies insure the existence of the orchestra well into the 21st century and beyond.

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