27
July 2012
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Cue of the Week: “Jay’s Theme”

This small slice of acoustic/folk pop heralded a sympathetic character’s arrival in the film “Siren”. Unlike an actual pop song, it doesn’t so much as end as ease out – a common technique to let the score exit gracefully without the audience becoming too aware of the change. Guitars courtesy of the ever-talented Tom Strahle.


(Click on the play button to stream, or the cue title to download.)

Jay’s Theme
 

20
July 2012
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Cue of the Week: “At Rest”

When writing this dramatic cue, I was seized with the notion of using a choir of flutes instead of the more traditional string accompaniment. The effect is both colder and more intimate, which seems perfectly appropriate for a scene about acceptance of death, set in a morgue.

In addition to the standard C flute, you’ll hear alto and bass flutes in the mix as well. Piano remains in the foreground throughout, reinforced by cello and a glassy electronic pedal.


(Click on the play button to stream, or the cue title to download.)

At Rest
 

25
May 2012
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Cue of the Week: “Two of a Kind”

This lyrical orchestral passage accompanies a turning point in the film Against Time, where a warm moment of bonding becomes foreboding. The score follows suit, opening with a nostalgic theme for strings and woodwinds, then shifting to a darker texture.

A simple three-chord progression represents the good feeling; at the fulcrum where things turn ominous, I invert the progression so that it starts to descend. Normally I try to avoid “intellectual” maneuvers in music, but in this case I thought the gesture really worked. Shortly after, the French horns enter with a disquieting sound that lets us know that the mood is turning darker.


(Click on the play button to stream, or the cue title to download.)

Two of a Kind
 

Morituri Te Salutant // Michael Gordon Shapiro - Highlights
  1. Morituri Te Salutant // Michael Gordon Shapiro - Highlights
  2. Emerald, Texas // Highlights
  3. Mythic Battle // Highlights
  4. The Yard Sale // Michael Gordon Shapiro - Highlights
  5. Investigations // Highlights
  6. Home Room // Highlights
  7. Sands of Arabia // Highlights
  8. Spider Cult // Highlights
  9. Poker Night // Highlights