Music in Media

One of the often forgotten but essential parts of media is the music.  Music is in almost every media in the world.  It is in movies, TV shows, music videos (obviously), YouTube videos, and even commercials.  Just about all media relies on music to set the mood.

            Music is a powerful tool in media.  It can convey emotions without even using words.  The emotion of the media is essential.  People are drawn to emotional things, the reason you see movie reviews that say things like, “an emotional thrill ride”, is because of the fact that emotions are attractive, and when done right, powerful.  Music conveys emotions in an otherwise emotionless scene.  Imagine a slow pan over some childhood objects.  By itself it’s a boring shot of some boring objects.  But add some music, say the Forrest Gump theme, and the shot will convey a nostalgia to the audience making it a desirable shot to watch.  Music has that power.

            Music can also strengthen emotion, as demonstrated in Apollo 13.  In Apollo 13 the scenes are made more intense by the intense music that is being played.  It takes a scene that may be fun to watch and makes it into a scene you can’t tear yourself away from.

            When done correctly the music should be a character in and of itself, contributing to the mood of a scene and sharing the feelings of the actors.  Music is so important to media.  Consider the fact that there are hundreds of movies without dialogue, but only a few without music.  Music is essential.