December 2015 saw the release of the long awaited first part of the new Star Wars trilogy.
Star Wars has been a worldwide pop culture phenomenon and holds the Guiness World Record for “most successful film merchandising franchise.” The quirky characters, space opera storyline and incredible special effects are all part of what has made the movies such a success but among all these factors it is impossible to ignore John William’s phenomenal soundtrack.
To celebrate the release of The Force Awakens we have collected a selection of the best Star Wars music articles, and videos.
If you’re not already permanently in the mood for Star Wars, this excellent a cappella Star Wars medley featuring Jimmy Fallon and the cast of the new movie is sure to get you in the right frame of mind.
A Rebellion Without Music
If you think the movie would have been just as good without the musical accompaniment check out this video of the last scene of Star Wars Episode IV re-worked without the musical soundtrack:
Spoiler alert: it’s awkward.
Score Analysis
If you are a budding composer, film maker or just want to know why the Star Wars soundtrack makes you feel the way it does, check out this series of articles on FilmMusicNotes.com. Each article looks at a different theme from the movies and analyses the melody, rhythm, orchestration and harmony to pick out how the music reflects the scenes it has been written for.
They look in depth at The Force Theme, The Main Title, The Imperial March and more.
Image credit: filmmusicnotes.com
Notorious S.T.A.R.
If you’ve always felt that what the Star Wars soundtracks really needed was a bit of rap, and specifically the all-time great The Notorious B.I.G. – you are not alone.
Nerdcore artist Richie Branson produced a full album remix combining the classic Star Wars scores with Biggie’s classic rap tracks.
Warning: Strong language ahead.
The Force Inspires
John Williams has composed some of the most famous film scores of the past 40 years including Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, and of course Star Wars. Have you ever wondered where he gets his inspiration from? Test your Star Wars music knowledge and find out which classical composers inspired John Williams in this Quiz: The Music of Star Wars.
Dynamics in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Getting the right dynamics in a musical performance is really important to emphasise the climaxes and convey the mood of the music. Imagine you are part of the famous London Symphony Orchestra who played the original Star Wars soundtrack, or your school’s marching band, or you’re performing solo on stage. When you see pp on your sheet music just how quietly should you be playing?
Luckily ToneDeafComics.com have created this infographic guide to Dynamics, In Relation to a Galaxy Far, Far Away:
We have just skimmed the surface of all the interesting musical Star Wars articles out there but hopefully you’ll now be able to appreciate and enjoy the phenomenal soundtrack of the new movie and all the others in the series even more. May the Music be with you!
