Music in Movies

                Music paints a picture if you listen close enough.  Have you ever noticed the background music in movies?  Well I have.  The music matches the kind of scene that is being played out in a movie.  Some of my favorite pieces of music in movies comes from the Pirates of the Caribbean.  The music can be really fast paced in a moment of action and then slow down and be soothing in a more relaxed scene.  The music expresses the feelings and especially in Disney movies it portrays each feeling with different sounds. 
                Long ago when silent films were first invented, music was added to give expression to the two-dimensional image and also commonly covered up the noise that came from the projector.  The majority of silent films were accompanied by full orchestras with pianists and organists.  Scores were books of music published that had ideas for scene music and it was Birth of a Nation that was the first film to have a score composed specifically for it.
                Some film scoring history has allowed composers to make perfect scores for each movie based on the characters and plot.  One of the most influential composers was Bernard Herrmann who broke tradition and created music that greatly enhanced the films that he wrote for.  In the 1980’s film scoring underwent another major revolution and for the first time it became possible to score an entire film with only one performer.
                Most music heard in films is soft enough to just give a general effect and doesn’t over power the scene and there can be added effects of fading in and out.  The music is mostly done by string instruments and technology has added sounds that can’t be made by instruments. 
                While music may be good for a film, some music that is added can also be distracting and take away from the scene.  Most music is not played when people are talking during an active scene, but sometimes there is music that is played too loudly and can ruin a whole scene because people can’t tell what the scene is supposed to be about and what the people are possibly saying. 
                Most movies have theme songs and there are many that people remember.  There is the shark sound from Jaws and the Addams Family Theme song.  The purpose of a theme song is to establish a mood for the show and provide an audible cue for the beginning of a show.