Epic Music

Ah, music. William Shakespeare once said (or wrote) "If music be the food of love, play on." As Gideon Graves from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World said "Music to my earholes." How true they are. The point is that music is one of the best things. The New York Times reported that music can in fact improve your productivity because melodious release dopamine in the brain and music can prevent a wandering mind, which is an unhappy mind. Read the article, it's actually very interesting. Think about how productive or pleasant life could be if you had your very own soundtrack to your life. An original soundtrack, that is.

Yes, this is how I listen to all my music all the time. How do YOU listen to YOUR music? You square. 

[PROTIP GUYS: If, for some reason, you're not a soundtrack nerd like me and can't think of what these songs sound like, click the links for Youtube! Hooray!] Going for a run? For some people that haven't yet achieved runner's high (AKA me), running is boring unless I'm distracted by a game (volleyball, basketball, soccer (or football if you're in the UK) or TV. Add the Sherlock Holmes soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and suddenly you're Sherlock Holmes (I prefer the Robert Downey Jr. version, please don't kill me BBC Sherlock fans), running down the street to catch a large opponent or running from an explosion. You have fled on a flight of fury! Or, if you prefer something a little calmer, you can transform a simple walk through a field into a leisurely stroll through the British countryside with the simple addition of the 2005 Pride & Prejudice soundtrack. Or it's a windy day, and I mean really windy. The kind of windy that sends some girls into a panic about their hair, while the rest of us either do nothing or spend every moment trying to get the wind to blow their hair back. I know it can't be just me. Add Colors of the Wind from Pocahontas and you're suddenly a Native American girl caught up in a whirlwind romance (thanks, thanks, I really tried. I didn't.) with a foreign man.

Disney: creating attractive 2D animated men since... I would say 1959 with Prince Philip in Sleeping Beauty. 

And I'm not just talking about listening to music in my headphones, because that's honestly the most obvious solution. Maybe, perhaps, it would be played from the sky somehow? Speakers are still too tangible; it has to sound like it's all around me and is REALLY good quality, so that everyone could hear it and feel the same way. I wish someone could compose a movie soundtrack for me, but the question would be: who would do it? I love John Powell's music, which is very lighthearted and unique. But then John Williams could compose an epic and adventurous score, even if my life isn't epic and adventurous. Hans Zimmer composes similar music, but it seems a little less adventurous, more dangerous and exciting in that manner. Then again, there are so many brilliant composers to consider (as if I were seriously considering this): Alan Silvestri (The Avengers, Forrest Gump, Captain America, Back to the Future), Thomas Newman (Finding Nemo, Cinderella Man, Wall-E, Skyfall), Harry Gregson-Williams (Shrek, Chronicles of Narnia, X-Men Origins, Prince of Persia, Cowboys & Aliens), James Newton Howard (Liar, Liar, Atlantis, Dinosaur, Treasure Planet, Defiance, Bourne Legacy, Hunger Games, Green Lantern, Batman Begins/Dark Knight), Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings soundtracks, AMAZING), James Horner (Titanic, Avatar and the Amazing Spider-Man), and Randy Newman (Pretty much all the other Pixar movies). The funny thing is that I don't have any training in music or anything, I just judge the scores based on how they fit the movie and if I like the songs. Kind of a "does the music make me feel like I could be in the movie or does it give me goosebumps" rating system.

Don't get me wrong; I listen to a bunch of other music. The only place I really draw the line is hardcore rap, country, dubstep, techno, metal, crazy stoner music and super teeny-bopper music (like One Direction). Other than that, I'll listen to about anything. I will even admit I still find "Call Me Maybe" enjoyable. Hey, it's catchy, okay? Even still to me. But then again, I didn't listen to the radio as much as other people, so maybe it's still kind of novel and not overplayed to me. But the point is, scores are more moving for me than lyrical songs sometimes. I guess it just depends on the mood. But next time you're watching a movie, pay attention to the orchestral music; it won't do you any harm.