If you're a true movie fan, you listen to film scores. Nerdily, I'll admit, most of my Spotify is dedicated to great tracks from movies. We're talking everything from Michael Giacchino, to Alan Silvestri, to Hans Zimmer, to Alexandre Desplat - and, of course, John Williams. Today we celebrate none of those... but we commend a composer who has brought us unique tunes and catchy theme songs like no other. Danny Elfman brings magic to life through the combination of colour and symphony. He aids scenes, soothes sequences, swells us into adventure, and captures our hearts.
Many have written about his unique compositions, utilising organic and traditional instruments to send audiences into a fantastical frenzy. Whilst he is truly an artist when it comes to holistic sounds, he is credited for being the master of letting instruments stand out for themselves, knowing how to empower a melody by making one instrument the hero of the score. His music has always had a soft spot in my heart for always being whimsical - transporting us fully to the world of the story with harps, choirs, woodwinds and swells that gives you goosebumps. From themes universally known to stranger picks, these are my must-listen scores from Elfman's chronicles. They are deserving of so much more than taking a spot on playlists for studying; listen to them while you cook, when you drive or as you walk... play guessing games with your family by putting tunes to movies! Whatever you do, give this composer the credit he deserves for the melodies he dreams for us.
Scores in themselves, I find, are underappreciated in a movie. It's like sound - they've done a good job when you don't notice it. Because to you and to me - to all audiences - the music just accompanies the emotion. But the greatest things we experience in film are to do with those melodies, those beats, the swell, the instruments - they set the vibrancy, the tone, the moments we remember. Elfman deserves to be credited for all that he has made us feel throughout his time composing, and I'm excited for many more. All the thrilling worlds we enter, adventures we tag along on are created in emotion for us, by him. He has a talent for enticing the heart and soul of a film within us, and these are only a few scores I wanted to name, but there are so many more. The greatest part you'll discover and learn from all of this is that your favourite moments of a movie - of any movies - are captured in the few notes of a song. It's so intriguing to go and discover this through an auditory journey. Go and discover a film this week, but here's my challenge - don't do it with your eyes, do it with your ears.