Occasional Paper

A World Without Music

            As I recently watched the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, I was struck by the realization of how much music is a part of the movie.  In this occasional paper I will discuss how music can affect our emotions and influence the way our minds perceive our environment.

            Our society it seems often takes for granted just how much music we hear on a daily basis.  There are many movies that the only way viewers know what is going is through listening to the music.  In addition most people listen to the radio all the time while driving to and fro.  It could almost be argued that human beings are inherently musical if only based on their love of listening to music.

            Music can affect our emotions in ways that many scholars cannot even begin to explain.  Adding an intense piece in a minor key such as “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana can vastly influence the way we perceive what s happening.  The addition of that particular piece can provide the feeling of a great evil attacking.

            People who watched The King’s Speech would have experienced firsthand what the power of music can do.  The scene depicting the war speech that was delivered by King George VI declaring war on Germany is a prime example of this.  The words themselves are powerful enough, but the addition of music behind it really drives the point across.  Especially with a very recognizable piece such as Beethoven’s 7^th symphony movement II.  This piece, with its minor key signature and ever pushing forward tempo sets the stage for the ensuing war.

            Music can really change the whole mood of a scene in a movie.  Whether the music is intended to be ironic such as the waltz scene from Batman, or intended to set an ominous tone like the pieces mentioned before, it can really affect how we perceive what we watch, and the study of the tonalities of the music can help us to understand that.