Written by: Samrat Nakarmi - 2022011, Grade XI
Posted on: 27 April, 2021
Think back to your favorite moment of your favorite show. What do you remember about it? Surely, it could be the thrills you felt, the tears you wept, and the joy you experienced. All of the senses were elated, making it a most memorable experience. Now I ask you to think hard, do you remember the music that was played? 9/10 people don’t realize what music was playing during the scene. Doesn’t this suggest that the music was insignificant? Quite contrarily, that’s the beauty of it. Enhancing the caliber of a show while so little realize its existence is not a small feat. I guarantee that if the choice of the music, its composition, theme, whatever it might be was bad, it would’ve destroyed the experience. I daresay it could even be the worst scene. Basically what I want to talk about is the impact of music, be it an OST or a song in a show, how it affects it.
When you think about an action-packed show, say ‘The Avengers’, all you remember is the fights and the hype that it brought. But once you remove the music element of it, suddenly it just resembles a backstreet fight. There would be no tension, no thrill, no impact. More examples can be seen a lot in Japanese anime. One of which I’d like to talk about is titled ‘Megalo Box’, which is a boxing show heavily influenced by its music. The soundtrack of the show is gorgeous and enhances the show tenfold. The already action-packed show was further hyped up. Furthermore, the timing to play the music and the timing to play it was impeccable. It always gives that thrill, waiting for one more punch to land. And I believe all of this was due to the music.
For those people who don’t indulge in the action side of media, surely have heard about “Titanic”, the famous James Cameron movie which is, to this day, hailed as one of the best in the history of entertainment. I said before that music helps hype up a show and give it more spice. Conversely, it makes a scene more emotional. Taking “Titanic” as an example, many people who watched the movie cried, especially during the climax. But what made it so tear-jerking? One would say that it was because of the heart-breaking scene of Jack and Rose’s final goodbye. However, I would like to add that the final song, the final music that the band played until the Titanic sunk, made me feel more immersed. Yes, the Jack and Rose scene was the highlight of the scene, but what captivated me more was the music. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have been so immersed in the scene.
Long story short, every show is heavily influenced by its music. Sad shows can be made sadder, action shows can be given more thrill, even mysteries can get more exciting if the correct music is played. More often than not, people complain about a scene if there is bad music played because it ruins their viewing experience. But when it is done perfectly, it subtly blends with the show, seeming non-existent but surely enhancing the show. And that is its beauty. In the end, being able to create a big impact is not something that can be achieved easily, but it is something that music has done beautifully.
