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The Music of the Movies

Submitted by brbowman
on Mon, 08/16/2010 - 11:04

Music of the movies graphic image
So much has changed over the past 100 years as technology and people's need for escape have driven the entertainment industry.  Once upon a time, music was not nearly as accessible as it is today.  Large scale productions took the form of opera and symphony, and the introduction of the piano was considered a major advancement since it allowed for music to be heard in the home.  Of course, opera and symphony continue to be popular musical genres, however the movies are really the playground for the new musical geniuses of our generation.

While Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven may be household names to this day, the cinematic composer hasn't yet reached immortality.  But such names as John Williams, Ennio Marricone, Max Steiner and Elmer Bernstein are considered to be in the top 100 film composers of all times.   

A film score is the background music of a film (which is generally categorically separated from songs used within a film). The term soundtrack may be confused with film score. A soundtrack, however, contains everything audible in the film including sound effects and dialogue. Soundtrack albums may also include songs featured in the film as well as previously released music by other artists.

That Was Really Something!

Submitted by brbowman
on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 14:51

As the Artistic Director of ARCS, it is sometimes difficult to be objective and unbiased about the quality of our program.  I am motivated today, however to tell you how immensely proud I am of our recent production "Something Christmas".  On the occasion of our 10th Anniversary, I couldn't be happier with where we've been and where we find ourselves today!

Sunday, December 11th at River Park Church was remarkable on many fronts.  Up2Christmas grew from a mixed choir of a handful of men and women eight years ago to its present status of 50 singers in an all women's choir.  Over the years, we have strived to build a strong program and to establish a "tradition" with an annual Christmas production.  Adding a second performance this year to accommodate a growing audience and the desire to also accommodate our performing choirs, we were surprised to learn that the afternoon performance was preferred to the evening.  And online ticket sales afforded a degree of efficiency and convenience that was well-received.

Not only were both performances of "Something Christmas" well-attended, but the production quality was outstanding.  Thanks to our new sound system and the expert mixing of Chris Daniels, our sound tech, the clarity of sound and balance with accompaniment tracks was exceptional.

Get Happy!

Submitted by brbowman
on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 13:41

 

Singin in the Rain
Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday.  It can, and ought to be, a way of living.  So often we are consumed by thoughts of what we don’t have that we forget to take stock in the things we do have.  Our consumer-driven society is obsessed with acquiring things that will supposedly bring us happiness.  I’m sure you can think of examples of a purchase you’ve made that you thought would bring you happiness only to be disappointed.  My list of examples is long!

Some Princeton researchers seeking to quantify happiness determined that our happiness is best defined as the absence of unhappiness.  In their study, the extent to which unpleasantness can be eliminated is a measure of how happy we are.  Think of how happy we would all be if we could eliminate traffic, the neighbor’s barking dog, or the nagging relative.  But none of these are realistic, practical or worthy of pursuit in our quest for happiness.  We all know someone who constantly thinks “If only…”.

Turns out that singing can lead to happiness. A study published in Australia in 2008 revealed that on average, choral singers rated their satisfaction with life higher than the public -- even when the actual problems faced by those singers were more substantial than those faced by the general public [source: MacLean]. A 1998 study found that after nursing-home residents took part in a singing program for a month, there were

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