Podcasts TV Hyperspace Theories The Music Of The Force Awakens

The Music Of The Force Awakens

Published: March 30, 2016, 1:36 a.m.

This month on Hyperspace Theories, we discuss how the music of Star Wars enhances the storytelling in\xa0The Force Awakens. Joining Tricia, B.J., and Kay for the episode is Sarah Woloski, who co-hosts Fangirls Going Rogue with Tricia and Teresa and Skywalking Through Neverland with her husband Richard. All four of us have instrumental musical backgrounds, and we share how our experiences learning and performing music have shaped our appreciation of the music of Star Wars.

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In previous episodes, we\u2019ve used the meta segment \u2013 where we talk about how to speculate wisely \u2013 to analyze the impacts of some of the foundational figures in Star Wars storytelling, including George Lucas, Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and more. This month, we add maestro John Williams to the list. Of course, his amazing career spans dozens of famous movies and numerous famous musicals themes \u2013\xa0Jaws,Indiana Jones,\xa0Superman,\xa0E.T., and\xa0Jurassic Park, to name only a few \u2013 but just as Star Wars is in a class by itself in cinema history, so too is Williams\u2019 iconic Star Wars music. As much as anyone, Williams has added to the language of Star Wars storytelling with the themes, melodies, motifs, and other musical details weaved throughout the Star Wars films. From the powerful tones of the \u201cMain Theme,\u201d \u201cImperial March,\u201d and \u201cDuel of the Fates\u201d to lyrical refrains like \u201cHan Solo and the Princess,\u201d \u201cYoda\u2019s Theme,\u201d and the \u201cForce Theme,\u201d the music adds considerable depth and emotional weight to the story.

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In the worldbuilding segment, we consider how the soundtrack of\xa0The Force Awakens\xa0elaborates upon the characters and storytelling in the movie. Williams has described his use of deliberate musical connections to the previous films in some respects, while also shaping new music for other places in the film. Among the tracks we discuss are \u201cThe Scavenger\u201d and \u201cRey\u2019s Theme\u201d for the new heroine, Kylo Ren\u2019s motif for the new villain, \u201cTorn Apart\u201d for the fateful showdown, \u201cMarch of the Resistance\u201d and \u201cScherzo for X-wings\u201d for the new heroes fighting back against the First Order, and \u201cThe Journey Home\u201d and \u201cThe Jedi Steps\u201d that bring the movie to a close.

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With so much to say about Williams and his music, we\u2019ll resume with our other usual segments in the next episode. Stay tuned for more analysis of\xa0The Force Awakens\xa0and the future of Star Wars storytelling.

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