Research Point: Music in Film

Having almost completed an OCA course in Narrative & Dialogue, I have gained some experience of the necessities of music in film.   Bucari (2012:3) writes, “film music was born along with motion pictures; starting with the silent film era, who music was somehow the ‘verb’”.

The history of ‘Film Music’ dates back to the age of Silent Movies and even before that.   Theatre orchestras provided an audio ‘backdrop’ for the audience and of course, the musical accompaniment in an Opera plays a huge role throughout history.   

Exercise: Listening to music in film

John Williams' orchestral score for Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) provides an infamous backdrop the film, carefully crafted to create suspense, horror and tension.  The full orchestra used throughout the suite has the capabilities of providing the drama and overwhelming tension of the piece, whilst also being able to offer a contrasting lighter and brighter sound.

The title music begins with the rumble of the double bass which slowly crescendos introducing horns and dissonant seventh chords by the string and brass sections.   At the main crescendo of the piece, the intensity of the music is so strong it creates a feeling of sensory overload and desire to seek an escape; perfectly complimenting the themes of the storyline.  The simplicity of the two-note chromatic ostinato in the main theme is echoed throughout, also providing a leitmotif to the shark.  

In contrast to the ‘darkness’ provided by the main theme, there are a number of places where a more serene and happy style can be heard.  This not only gives the orchestra the opportunity to display a different sound, but is also crucial in giving the audience a sense of safety and security.  The closing titles are an excellent example of this as they provide a reprise to the main theme, but with a more relaxed and contented feeling; signifying to the audience that the conflict is over. 

Throughout the film I definitely heard echoes of horror scores from older pictures such as Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), which echoes of the Baroque period.  I believe that the score of Jaws plays a role of equal importance to the actual film.  The sinister and tense tones of the strings contrasted with the dissonance of the other instruments cannot fail to capture the audience's attention and aid in their ability to ‘put themselves in the story’.  The blasts of jolly wistful melodies reminiscent of quaint TV shows such as Michael Landon's Little House on the Prairie (1974) offer a sense of relief and rest, allowing the audience to continue watching despite the high levels of tension throughout. 

It is easy to see why this score has been described as one of the greatest and most terrifying of the 20^th Century.  It is clear that there was a clear level of collaboration between Williams and Spielberg to enable them interlock the picture and the soundtrack to create this historic and iconic piece of cinematic history.  

Research Point: Music and Technology

In my opinion, music is a reflection of society and therefore must grow, develop and change with its audiences.  Since the development of technology through music, it has been possible for a much wider audience to learn a range of instruments.  In history, learning music was something reserved for the elite classes, but with the development of mass production, availability and ownership of musical instruments has been made more affordable and possible for a wider audience.  This therefore creates opportunities for music to change, grow and develop. 

The development of electric instruments such as the electric piano and guitar are just another example of our desire to create new and exciting sounds.  Many instruments have remained fundamentally unchanged for hundreds or thousands of years and electricity provided an opportunity for music to modernise and move forward. 

In addition to the development of new instruments, computers have also played a huge part in the composition and recording of music.  Electronic studios allow for recording in crystal clear clarity, overlaying pre-recorded tracks to create a finished product; enabling the artist to distribute their work exactly as intended.   However, this technology has also ushered in ‘auto tuning’, arguably enabling artists with very little talent to be launched within the music world.

Computer programs such as Sibelius, Finale and Musescore have given even the untrained musician the opportunity to compose and hear their music via pre-recorded instruments.  Whilst there are a number of benefits to this availability, it is also important to consider its flaws.  Whilst this software has enabled a number of talented artists to create highly successful singles and entire albums, my concern is that this ‘ad-hoc’ approach also undermines the fundamental principles of music history. 

In conclusion, I am very torn on the subject of technology in music.  On one hand I applaud and welcome the opportunities given to the masses to express themselves through music.  However, as this technology also enables anyone to ‘be a musician’, this seems to have opened a gateway within the ‘pop’ genre of caring less about musical talent and choosing new acts based purely on image.