BG MUSIC
Are you one of those people who “dislikes” background music?
There are some who insist they actually “hate” the recorded music foisted upon them when they make a telephone call and have to wait for “the next product consultant available”. They take their frustration out on all types of recorded music far too often, all music that is used to add interest to the dull moments of our daily routine. We are led about by music far more than we realize and owe musicians a debt of gratitude for helping to maintain a measure of sanity in our conduct most of the time.
The delayed telephone calls is only one example of such encounters which can cause us to regret that notes where ever set to stave or quavers to clefs. Some doctors add to the multiple miseries of such ailments as the common cold by piping channels of FM music into their waiting rooms. I don't think they plan it so intentionally, but the music chosen often matches the dates on the mangy magazines lying on tables and chairs about the room.
It is all intended to be there to provide acoustic activity to any blank space in the sound pattern of our modern day. Silence is not, in our day, as “golden”as it is once said to have been. Today silence is quietness; inactivity, an indication of everything being at rest instead of working.. Silence is the sound of nothing doing what it does so well – nothing. That means it is a mark of loss of of potential wealth had those moment been properly put to use. Background music keeps you from realizing all that sort of thing and feeling guilty about leaving a few moment blank. BG music does, then, improve one's opinion of one's self at critical moments.
We are led through our lives by the sounds of music.
Some people awaken to music as an alarm clock each morning using their local radio station as a electronic rooster. I, myself, am of an older school, and still, prefer waiting until I awaken naturally. I then, try to find some excuse or trying the stay abed, only to having them knocked down quickly by Mother Nature.
Listen to some of that “get up” music the radio people have used so successfully for years. So much of it has been so successful for so long because so many sleepers can take just so much of any one thing and they get up to cut the radio off or turn it to news of the latest version of age-old crimes redone. BG music beats an “alarm: sound any day, I would say so don't knock it till you've tired it. The best music to “get up by” should never be your favorite type of music – that will only put you back to sleep again. Chose the acid rock tune you detest the most if you really want to get roused up ....realizing, of course, when you do so, you will also be awakening the entire neighborhood in general.
This past week someone brought in a videotape copy of the movie: “Gone With The Wind.” The family watched it one evening. You will recall, it is a bit lengthy so that meant they were up well past usual bedtimes. Then, Sunday one of the TV channels ran the entire thing and they got hooked on it and stuck with it to “see if it ended the same way.”
It did. I listened to much of it and paid major attention to the sound track. ...to the background music which is skillfully used to lead the viewer all over the emotional map.
Often it is the music which echoes what has just been said, underlines it or put it in frilly italics Or, it anticipates what is now going to be said. It will stop breathlessly with tense, rasping, brassy tone before you even hear the spoken words – pained, caustic tones when needed or, in total contrast, soothing caresses done with strings, flutes and reeds.
Try it yourself. Listen to a good movie and try not to watch it in the usual way. Avoid the visual aspects. Using it only as points of reference to learn what the musical score has already done, is doing or will do. Learn to appreciate BG music.
A.L.M. August 22, 2004 [c737wds] .
