This week’s cue is the opening theme for a short film I scored many years ago, a charming romantic comedy about a lonely woman’s bond with a fish. It racked up several well-deserved awards.

On the accordion is celebrated film/TV composer Bear McCreary, whose many talents include a wicked fluency in Zydeco folk music.

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Onto the music. This week’s selection is a playful bit of electronic pop which includes that timeless musical element, vinyl record-scratching.

This week’s selection is a lyrical and nostalgic cue from the film Against Time. The scene’s heart was a particularly moving performance by Craig T. Nelson, which made it easy to find musical inspiration.

This week’s selection comes from a concert project I’ve been tinkering with for years, called Gideon and the Blundersnorp. This is a fantasy story for narrator and orchestra, in the tradition of Peter and the Wolf but targeted at an older audience. The orchestra accompanies the narrator like a score for a film, occasionally coming to the forefront.

Gideon had a premiere performance a number of years ago, and now sits patiently waiting for me to have enough time to return to it.

This week’s cue is a rhythmically-driven blend of Western folk music and orchestral minimalism. Some of the instruments here would feel at home in an actual country/Western context, whereas others (like marimba and bowed vibraphone) are more unusual, providing color and personality.