The Importance of Score

Have you ever watched a movie without music? My guess is that you haven’t, unless it was a silent movie. All of the major Hollywood movies nowadays are always accompanied by score, yet I still feel that score is underappreciated. For anyone who doesn’t know, score is the background music that accompanies the scenes in movies. Often times, the scenes are filmed first, so the actors set the stage for the emotions the scenes are trying to convey. The composers are the real stars of the show. With every movement of the scene, the composers have to experiment with what instruments and arrangements would work the best to intensify the emotion of the scene. I feel that actors and directors get all the credit, but composers are the ones who help to tie everything together.

When watching a horror movie, everyone knows that when it all gets silent, something is going to jump out. This anticipation is often intensified by the quiet hum of violins that gradually gets louder. This anticipation would not be as intense if the score was taken out. I think score works very well in dramas. There are often cliffhangers and attention grabbing moments in dramas that receive great additions from score. In action sequences, there is often an orchestra accompanying them. I really love how orchestra and action go hand in hand. These scenes are particularly enjoyable in a theater with surround sound. Movie theaters are like the stage for composers to show off their work and really shine through.

I love when movie soundtracks are released with tracks that are purely score. The score itself is able to tell the story all by itself without the dialogue. Score lets your imagination paint the scenes in your head. Personally, I will sometimes only listen to score just to get lost in how beautifully thought out it is. I think score is wonderful and should be praised just as much as any other part of a movie. 

Two of my favorite composers who have written some of the greatest movie score are John Williams and James Horner. Unfortunately, James passed away not too long ago, but his work still lives on. I also feel like John has composed the music of several generations simply because he is behind some of the greatest movies ever made.