Film Score Day

Film Score Day is April 3rd

Have you ever watched a movie and heard the music swell during a dramatic scene? Have you ever noticed that a certain song from a scene is stuck in your head long after the movie has finished? April 3rd is a day to recognize these musical feats called film scores that are instrumental in movies. This is a day to also recognize the talented composers who create these film scores. 

Imagine your favorite movie without music to accompany it. What would Harry Potter be without the whimsical intro? What would any action scene be without the fast paced music behind it? Would horror movies be as scary without the music building anticipation behind it? Music makes our emotions greater than what they would be without it. In movies, music also helps to focus our attention on a particular scene or detail. Without a film score a movie cannot achieve the full effect in order to become unforgettable. 

Most of us are able to recognize our favorite movies by the soundtrack. Even years after we watch a movie, we can hear a few notes and be instantly transported back to a scene or feeling we felt while watching that movie. Each new film is another opportunity for a composer to create a musical masterpiece. With these masterpieces, memories are created through the power of music. 

Today is a great day to re-watch your favorite movies and take note of their scores. This is also a day to discover your new favorite movies and film scores. Here are some of the greatest film soundtracks of all time to get you started:

• The Wizard of Oz - Film scores often have to encompass a wide range of emotions. The Wizard of Oz film score is no exception due to the fact that it is a cross genre masterpiece for the ages. It also won Oscars for best original score and best original song. This film score contains one of the most beloved songs in history with “Over the Rainbow”. Rumor has it that this song was almost cut from the film because it was believed to have made the downbeat opening too long. 
• Psycho - Horror movies are nothing without their film scores. With its shrieking violin strings, Psycho is the first movie to ever use this horror motif that has withstood the test of time. The creator of Psycho himself, Alfred Hithcock, even admitted that his movie would not be half as horrifying without the score. As a result, he doubled his composer's salary. 
• American Beauty - This was the film score to inspire all film scores. The repetition of the riffs and glassy vibraphones create the perfect sense of detachment in the film. Use of instruments such as pianos, strings, percussion, and guitars help to create a movie score that millions of films have done their best to capture afterwards. While it has been copied many times since, nothing can beat the original.