By Natalie Farah Persaud

We’ve all seen that clip of the horror movie scene that was replaced with joyous music (if you haven’t you absolutely should) in which the terrifying scene becomes more of a romance. But why does this happen?

Different sounds evoke different emotions; higher, slow music has a sense of bliss or nostalgia, while lower, quick music feels thrilling or dangerous. Beyond just the sound itself, is the human association to music. Different genres have been linked to certain personalities, physicalities, and abilities. If one were to imagine someone who listens to classical music next to someone who listens to heavy metal, most would picture two completely opposite people. Classical music is generally associated with relaxation and sophistication, heavy metal is opposingly associated with rebellion. Oddly enough, Felicia Persaud, General Manager and Clarinetist, actually listens to both!

In the case of film, choosing the right music emotion for a scene can act as a kind of “mind reading”. Without the context of music, viewers could be blinded to what happens ahead of the obvious. Like in the example mentioned previously, a scene could be interpreted very differently, fully dependent on the music choice. This can be such a precise and difficult task, that is a job itself, a film composer.

Not only is this used in film, but also in games. Some games with an esteem for their soundtracks include the Grand Theft Auto series, the Zelda series, Minecraft, Undertale, and so many more. Similarly to in film, music in games provides greater context to the scene or situation. It also develops the atmosphere and improves the game’s memorability: the human brain is likely to remember something when multiple senses are involved, so a game with both visual and auditory aspects will be more likely to stick.

So next time you are watching a movie or playing a game, you may find yourself noticing the music far more than previously.

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