No, we can’t all get along! This week’s selection musically accompanies aggressive battle between ancient Korea and Japan, and thus features percussion indigenous to both cultures: the Japanese taikos and Korean hourglass drum (played here by ethno-percussive guru M.B. Gordy).

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	Attack of the Yen

This week’s musical selection has something of a storybook flavor to it – conveying drama, but in a lighthearted world. This is actually a montage of two cues, which starts with a dramatic orchestral introduction and then switches to a more driving action theme.

Buried in the ensemble is an instrument called a Wagner tuba – akin to a french horn, but with a bit more bite. It isn’t very prominent in this particular cue, but sharp-eared listeners might enjoy trying to pick it out.

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	The Tension Mounts

Taiko drums have transcended their original ethnic connotations to become staples of contemporary action scoring. Though sometimes over-used, these instruments have a lot to offer: they pack a punch, but are more agile than the traditional orchestral bass drum. And as they come in different sizes, they offer a palette of different tones.

This percussion-based cue brings taikos back to the context of Japanese ceremonial and militaristic music, creating a musical portrait of growing conflict. I took some liberties with instrumentation, opting for some expressive sounds that probably weren’t regularly used in 13th century feudal Japan. (Please don’t tell the emperor!)

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	Thunder Of War

This moody piece of music from the film Home Room features one of my favorite orchestral instruments, the bass flute. It’s a difficult instrument to play (and sometimes hard to find), but has a wonderfully dark and sensuous tone color. The instrument also requires a lot of breath in order to produce a tone, so it’s good idea to let the musician occasionally come up for air!

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	TV Breakdown

Happy Thanksgiving to all my reader-listeners in the United States! My feeling is that the holiday calls for some music on the cheerful side. Here’s a warm and sentimental orchestral cue featuring wistful passages for winds, and a triumphant finale for the strings.

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	Happy Reunion

Not every cue can have an interesting name! This optimistic orchestral interlude from the score for the film “The F Zone” was recorded at the now-defunct but highly-respected O’ Henry Studios in Burbank. (Whether it was named after the author or candy bar, I don’t know.)

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	Work Montage