What's wierd is that I met them in two completely random places (one on the internet). It turned out they both went to high school together!!! Wierd, huh?

But yeah (back on topic), wouldn't you consider film music more of an intellectual preference?
I find more and more proof of this *every* day.

I think a lot of it is that people in the teen age range haven't been PROPERLY exposed to film music. Do a lot of people in that group really pay attentiont to a film score, or do they just think that the pop/rock songs in it are cool?

Movie soundtracks seem like the more intellectual preference because the only teenagers who listen to it are the one's who can see past all that "what's hot" or "what's in" garbage, and realize that the movie-orchestra genre provides some great music. I only know one other (teenage) person who likes movie music, especially stuff from Danny Elfman. I'll listen to almost any form of music... as long as it's good music. Even though I'm listening to Rob Zombie's "Living Dead Girl", my favorite CD is Michael Nyman's soundtrack to "GATTACA"

There is no clear explaination why people like certain types of music. I have a friend who likes japanese-anime pop music... that stuff's revolting.

SFT

Dawk

[This message has been edited by Gae (edited 04-17-99).]

This is a great thread. I've enjoyed reading all of your posts regarding the kinds of people who like movie music. In my estimation, absolutely everyone likes film music. Most folks just haven't had the powerfully personal experience with movie music as all of us here have.

To be honest, movie music communicates the essence of human life: emotion. Movies have always had music associated with them, simply because music speaks to us on a purely emotional level. No actor can even begin to "pretend" to manipulate our emotions with as much ease as music does. No cinematographer can pierce our minds and hearts with as much perfection as a perfect piece of movie music.

Why do I suggest absolutely everyone likes movie music? We are born with emotion - most of us arrived into the world screaming at the tops of our lungs. In this regard, because our emotional self has been with us our entire life, movie music itself has no problem manipulating peoples' emotions without them knowing it. Most people take their emotions for granted. And hence, the reason why most people don't knowlingly appreciate this kind of music.

I can venture to guess that most people on the MovieMusic Message Boards have a sense of living life to its possible fullest. One way of doing that is to be in touch with our emotional being - never taking it for granted.

Because of this, we are closely tuned into the music of the movies. Is this not correct?

PeterK

I do listen to Rock\Pop\Alternative but not nearly as often as soundtracks. It takes a pretty good song to bring out the emotions that a good film score can.

In the past I have gotten my nephews into film music, my niece is a lost cause, she's gun ho over The Backstreet Boys and callse herself Nital Carter although her last name is Patel. I asked her where that Carter comes from and my little neph said from Nick Carter one of those Backstreet Boys. Anyway, so much for her intelligence /

In general , i think people just need more exposeure to this art form.

Scott

NP: Jurrassic Park:The Lost World (*****/****)

For me, when I was little (like 5 or 6) my dad always played "cool" music in the car so I grew up liking that.
Then at home (being a big cartoon and movie fan) I'd watch Duck Tales, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Roger Rabbit, or Back to the Future. Or I'd play video games like Mario World or Legend of Zelda with my brother. Then, as I grew up I continued to like music from those things. I remember people used to laugh at the fact that I still listened to soundtracks (like the Nightmare Before Christmas or the Lion King), and I thought I was weird. Then when I was 11 I didn't want the song soundtrack to Batman Forever, I wanted the score soundtrack. Oddly enough my first true score CD was Batman Forever, and from then on I bought the scores to the movies or cartoons I watched when I was little, like; The Great Mouse Detective, Honey I shrunk the kids, Roger Rabbit, Super Mario World.

And another odd thing is that my brother (who is 19) listens to some of my CDs. He doesn't like them enough to buy them, but he really enjoys ones like The Nightmare Before Christmas (he even likes the songs ^_^), Back to the Future or Beetlejuice. As a matter of fact he even owns some video game soundtracks...?

Which is pretty lucky I guess, but then again my friends are openminded enough to enjoy some of my CDs, and they listen to folk and rap...?

I think that everyone just listens to the kind of music that they have some sort of connection with.

Sorry for the long post,
Cenzo

I'm 20 and have been interested in Film Scores since I was probably around 12 or so. That's about when I joined Band in middle school. Ever since my interest has been growing. I think I had a unique experience in High school where just about everyone who was "cool" was either in the choirs, bands, or orchestras. Or at least thought what we did was cool. Now not many were interested in Film music, more like Jazz. But of course the pop rock was supreme. But still I had at lease 5 or 6 friends that when we saw a movie we would discuss the music (as well on all the other topics one can think of). I don't think I've ever meet anyone who has said (to my face at least) that they thought I was weird because of my musical taste. Although I do have some fellow music majors who probably think it to commercial. Oh well, screw them.

Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that I think people, for the most part, will respect your personal choice in music. But on the other hand I've never had a group like this message board to talk about it so much with. I truly think this has been one of my top finds on the net. So glad to be here.

So how old are most of you? It sounds like there a quite of few young people here. Which is awesome.

I listen to Collective Soul, Metallica, and lately, Korn/Limp Bizkit. I even listen to the Backstreet Boys from time to time. I hate when people label a certain type of music as inferior to the others.

People listening to the Backstreet Boys or Marilyn Manson are not all doped up crackheads. Stereotypes are dangerous. i know one person who loves Manson, and is going for his Masters degree. I'm 20, and love Metallica. I'm also in Teacher's College. A person's musical taste has no correlation as to who they are in life at all.

I just wish that people accept other people's choices. If boy bands annoy you, fine. But please respect other people's choices as well. My sister listens to Boy Bands, and though I generally can't stand pop music, its her choice. People say that Britney Spears has no talent, that she is a flash in the pan. Britney Spears has been singing since she was a child. Same with the Backstreet Boys. More power to them 11 Million copies sold. Awesome.

Keep up the great discussions, everybody!

-Country
-Rap
-Boy Bands
-Girl Bands
-Divas (excluding Aretha Franklin, the only woman who deserves that title)
-Teen Divas
-Most forms of Punk(particularly ones that cover inappropriate songs like Van Morrison)
(I've seen it done with Brown Eyed Girl. It wasn't a pretty sight.)
-Mozart(don't ask)

The three types of music I dislike with a passion are rap, country, and the teen boy/girl bands.

However, I do like rock bands and occaisonally grunge bands, as long as they offer intelligent lyrics. Some of those bands include Rage Against the Machine, Cake (they're just weird but cool ), The Offspring (early stuff more), and some Korn, but they can easily go over the line.

Even though I say this, however, don't let these personal likes, dislikes fool you: no matter what my "normal" music preferences may be, I will always love film music.

Another thing is that have had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine who is also a music major. He stated that when most people put on orchestral music, it is generally for background music and don't pay too much attention to it, but when they put on any other kind of music, they listen. But for him and me alike, and I'll probably guess most of the people here, that when we put on orchestral music, we like to listen to it and not just have it is background music.

I am 22 and have been collecting scores for about ten years now. My collection of score cds is up in the 300s. Most of my friends understand why I like to collect scores and some of them have some of their own, but like most people here, I really don't know any movie score fanatics like me. I believe if people had longer attention spans, there would be a whole lot more movie score fans.

Jasom np-End of Days (John Debney)****/*****

[This message has been edited by Jasom (edited 06 January 2000).]

PART 1 (Exchanging Avengers soungtrack(gift) with Avengers score at BestBuy) (Salesperson#1 is a giddy female, probably in her early twenties)

JAMES (hands CDs one at a time to Salesperson)

SALESPERSON #1 (examining CDs) What's the difference between these two?

JAMES One is a song album and the other is the orchestral score.

SALESPERSON #1 Oh... I have no idea what that means, (giggles) but okay.

JAMES It's the music that was actually in the movie.

SALESPERSON (as if she has just been struck with a divine epiphany) OH!!! And this one is just songs, right?

PART 2 (looking around Record Town; about 30 copies of Matrix songtrack in stock, only 1 copy of the score, but in the very front of the row; I overhear this conversation between two HS teenage guys)

GUY #1 (sees and points out Matrix score CD) Look! there's a second one!

GUY #2 That's not songs, that's the score.

GUY #1 What's that?

GUY #2 (in a slightly annoyed tone, obvious that he doesn't think highly of it) Ehh... it's like, the orchestra music.

GUY #1 Oh, cool. (Guy #1 then picks up the CD, purchases it and takes it home)

Usually, when people learn I listen to film scores, their reaction is usually one of sincere interest. They respond with something like, "Really? That's pretty cool." And then I'm able to start a conversation with them about film music which, time-permitting, could last half and hour.

There are, of course, those exceptions who tell me "Damn, man, you're a f@#!ing dork." (Teenagers generally tend not to understand each other unless there are one or two swearwords in each of their sentences.)

I'm sure there's some connection somewhere, but I'm not quite sure what it is. Most who respond negatively appear to be rap or pop fans. Those who respond positively always seem to be heavy metal fans. And there is one constant, ALWAYS: If I mention the name Pink Floyd, the people who showed general interest always admire PF, and those who respond with a lame insult always hate PF. The connection hear is that Pink Floyd's music was/is very different and very experimental. Their music is densely textured, and can take up to over 10 minutes to get to the first word of some of their songs. There's the patience factor. This also somewhat applies to Metallica. "Call of Ktulu" was mentioned earlier... that is a really long song which introduces each band member one at a time... it takes forever to get to the bulkiest part of the song, and there aren't any lyrics.

In conclusion, I can always find someone to talk to about what I like, and I have ONE fanatic friend like me who I could always carry on multiple-hour conversations with about film music. But since he is unreachable a lot, I am very, very, very thankful that this site and others like it exist. As Stephen King notes of his writing: "It's cheaper than therapy."

By the by, I'm 16 and am generally repulsed by the majority of my peers. I have a very small circle of friends, unless I count the teachers (which, come to think of it, I do).

Emotionally, we are attracted to orchestral scores, while other people may be attracted solely to jazz. Personality. Tastes. Emotions. Either way you look at, the human race is varied yet similar at the same time.

One thing I did notice was that when I introduced my friends to Jarre or John Barry or Bernard Hermann, they were impressed. They wouldn't go out and buy the records, but they would listen to them at my home.

Eight-track tapes didn't help me proseltyze, but when cassettes came along, I could get people in my car and play my specially composed compilations of adventure music (including themes I recorded off of some old time favorites like "They Died With Their Boots On" or "Charge of the Light Brigade), dramatic music (like "North by Northwest" and "Citizen Kane") or westerns (like "Magnficent 7").

Maybe it was just the circle of people I hung out with, but once they heard this music, they thought it was "cool," but, you know, they never went out and bought the stuff themselves. They, like your friends, preferred to get their music from the radio, which played (plays) the same popular stuff over and over again until everyone gets sick of it.

(Although "Ina-Gadda-DaVida" usually only got played once a week late on a Saturday night. Hence its staying power.)

I think PeterK is right, I think more people like movie music than you realize -- they may not go out and buy the stuff like we do, but they wouldn't enjoy a movie that didn't have a good score.