Music production on a full season of Star Trek begins! Our first two composers get to work, as Alexander Courage and Fred Steiner start writing and recording music at a frantic pace. We'll hear the rest of Courage's work on season one, and list

Star Trek the Original Series - the Music (Part II)

Jul 5th, 2023 54m 50s

Before making it to air, Star Trek had not one, but two pilots scored by Alexander Courage. Once the first season finally went into production, it took five composers to pull it off. This episode explores the musical, financial and creative rea

Star Trek the Original Series - the Music (Part I)

Jun 19th, 2023 47m 5s

The history of television and the origins of Star Trek are explored through the life and career of composer/orchestrator Alexander Courage, television star Lucille Ball, and Desilu music director Wilbur Hatch. The main title melodies for Star T

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial - the Music (Part III)

May 12th, 2023 56m 48s

In our final episode on the music of E.T. we listen to the second half of the movie's incredible music, cue by cue. We also discuss the work of film editor Carol Littleton, and vocal sound designer Ben Burtt.Learn more about your ad choices. V

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial - the Music (Part II)

Apr 26th, 2023 54m 44s

In Part II we take it from the top, and listen to how the film score for E.T. is constructed in the first half of the movie. We examine multiple themes, and discuss the movie's emotional honesty.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial - the Music (Part I)

Apr 19th, 2023 43m 10s

The film score to E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is widely considered to be one of the most important film scores of all time. We discuss what makes the music so great as a whole, and we discuss the evolution of the score's most important themes.L

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - the Music (Part III)

Dec 18th, 2021 58m 43s

In Part III of our series on Ocarina of Time, we tackle our main quest to save Hyrule by learning more complex melodies, mastering new musical dungeons, and ultimately facing off against our bongo-playing, pipe organ-pounding foes.Learn more a

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - the Music (Part II)

Mar 24th, 2021 48m 13s

In Part II of our series on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, we look at the first act of the game and discuss all of its musical diversity: the dungeons, the distant lands, and the melodic fragments we learn to play on our digital ocarina.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - the Music (Part I)

Mar 3rd, 2021 56m 25s

The groundbreaking interactive music of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is both diegetic and non-diegetic music, as it plays a central role in both the story and gameplay.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Legend of Zelda: the Music

Feb 17th, 2021 51m 2s

The music to original NES title The Legend of Zelda is discussed. We break down the main overworld theme, talk about its impact, and share memories of the original Zelda experience.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Queen's Gambit: An Interview with Composer Carlos Rafael Rivera (Part II)

Feb 10th, 2021 45m 28s

In part II of our interview with Carlos Rafael Rivera, we discuss how he wrote around diagetic music and sound design. Themes for the main character are discussed, as well as parts of The Queen's Gambit that feel like a sports movie.Learn more

The Queen's Gambit: An Interview with Composer Carlos Rafael Rivera (Part I)

Feb 3rd, 2021 56m 35s

We meet and celebrate Carlos Rafael Rivera, the composer for the hit Netflix series The Queen's Gambit. His musical background and career rise are discussed, as well as his overall approach to working with directors. His love for Randy Newman a

Cobra Kai Composing: An Interview with Zach Robinson and Leo Birenberg (Part II)

Jan 27th, 2021 43m 34s

In part II of our interview with Zach Robinson and Leo Birenberg, we discuss the rock and metal influences in Cobra Kai's score. We also talk about their use of thematic material, musical humor, and the show's return to Okinawa.Learn more abou

Cobra Kai Composing: An Interview with Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson (Part I)

Jan 19th, 2021 40m 28s

We get a chance to sit down with Cobra Kai composers Zach Robinson and Leo Birenberg, as they discuss their music, their process, and their love of film scoring. The various musical styles of the Karate Kid franchise are discussed, as well as t

The Karate Kid (1984): the Music (Part II)

Jan 13th, 2021 55m 10s

In our second episode on the music of Karate Kid, we take a close look at the music of Mr. Miyagi, the pan flute music of Zamfir, and how it tells the story of Miyagi and Daniel's friendship. More songs are discussed, and we hear restored music

The Karate Kid (1984): the Music (Part I)

Dec 30th, 2020 42m 21s

The music in 1984's The Karate Kid is both song score and film score, and composer Bill Conti worked with both. We discover how the songs and underscore are musically related, and discuss how main character themes are woven throughout this musi

Home Alone: the Music (Part III)

Dec 23rd, 2020 52m 48s

We take a close listen to the end of Home Alone, breaking down how the music scores the comedy, and when it holds back. Diagetic songs and song scores are discussed, as is the recording of a large collection of Holiday hits. We hear how William

Home Alone: the Music (Part II)

Dec 16th, 2020 50m 40s

Let's hear it from the top! We take a close look at various parts of Home Alone to break down the compositions, and we examine a scene with omitted music restored. The use of popular Christmas music is discussed, as is the comedic effect of orc

Home Alone: the Music (Part I)

Dec 9th, 2020 51m 14s

In our first look at John Williams' score for Home Alone, we discuss the background of the project, and how it greatly influenced the score. We listen to a few leitmotifs, and discuss how they became songs for the film, and we examine their use

Superman: the Music (part IV)

Apr 29th, 2020 52m

Our final episode on Superman the Movie takes a close look at the heroic music in Metropolis, as well as the unfolding villainy of Lex Luthor. The heavy use of Superman's fanfare leitmotif is discussed, and we share thoughts from John Williams

Superman: the Music (part III)

Apr 22nd, 2020 46m 48s

In part three of our look at Superman the Movie, we examine great musical moments from the film score, starting at the beginning. Multiple versions of Krypton are compared, and we listen to more of the music from Smallville.Learn more about yo

Superman: the Music (part II)

Apr 15th, 2020 43m 1s

We continue our fly-through of Superman (1978) by listening to the love theme from the film score, and discuss a fascinating behind-the-scenes story. Other themes are analyzed and discussed, including a theme for Smallville, Lex Luthor and the

Superman: the Music (part I)

Apr 8th, 2020 51m 41s

John Williams' iconic Superman score is analyzed in context of a 3-part superhero movie: science fiction in the beginning, Americana growing up in Smallville, and a full-blown comic book in Metropolis. The main themes used in Williams' score ar

Frozen II - An Interview with Songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez - Part II

Feb 12th, 2020 40m 57s

We continue our interview with Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, discussing the iterative and very personal nature of songwriting, life stories shared in the writers room, Anna's character arc, and the heart-warming struggle that Kristof

Frozen II - An Interview with Songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez - Part I

Feb 5th, 2020 54m 34s

Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez join us in the studio for a 2-part interview about the songs of Frozen II. They discuss their process of discovering the songs that drive the story, their collaboration with Disney, and share fascinating