By Connor Kozlecar
Think to yourself…
Have you ever watched a movie or binged a TV show without any music in it?
Odds are, you haven’t. And there’s a reason for that.
Whether you like to think of it this way or not, music is an integral part of your everyday life. In almost every facet of life, music plays a weighty role contributing to many cognitive functions of how we process our daily activities. And now that i’ve pointed it out, you’ll surely begin to notice how prevalent music is in your life. Even down to the simplest form, commercials.
I can almost guarantee that if you hear someone sing the first part of the jingle “like a good neighbor,” it’s likely that you will be able to finish it without skipping a beat. The beautiful thing (and easily my favorite part) about how our mind processes music and melodies, is the emotion that score composers and artists are able to evoke in a viewer as they watch a movie or a TV show.
Because that’s the whole point, right?
Where’s the joy in watching a movie or a show if you don’t feel anything towards what your eyes are processing. Visual media and music have a shared responsibility in the experience of the viewer.
If you think back on a favorite scene, movie, or show of yours and can remember how you felt watching, chances are if you go back and listen to the song or score associated you will be thrown into a wave of nostalgia that makes you wish you were watching it for the first time again.
The importance of music and sound design in visual media is paramount and having an understanding of the intention behind every scene makes watching all the more worth it. As you go about your day, I challenge you to listen to everything around you and pick out where music falls into your life. Additionally, next time you watch your favorite show or a new movie, notice how the music makes you feel behind what it is that you’re seeing. I bet you’ll find that its presence is far more impactful than you were previously aware of.
To send off, here are a few examples of how music has impacted my viewing experience and some of my all-time favorites:
The Office Theme Song
Jill Andrews Cover of “We Built This City” - Greys Anatomy
Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack
“BellBottoms” - John Spencer Blues Explosion - Opening Scene of Baby Driver
