Today I took my daughter to Disneyland. It was the first for both of us and it was totally amazing!
There were film music cliches everywhere. On one of the rides, maybe the one through Pinocchio’s world, I could hear strings playing a chromatic melody, underlining a creepy atmosphere. In another place, exotic melodies from a harp meant that you were now in another world. And a march in a major key signified a happy ending.
In Simon Frith’s book, Performance Rites (or is it Performing Rites?) he mentions a theory that the meaning of music has actually been created through the medium of the film. One has gotten used to certain kind of music in certain movie scenes, so now one makes an automatic association when one hears a particular type of music.
Of course this is an oversimplification. But there is something to it nonetheless, I think.
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June 13th, 2007 at 10:44 am
i think one of the most fascinating things about disneyland is how the audio is soundscaped just as the grounds are landscaped. there are small unobtrusive speakers every few meters with loops of ambient sounds & music, most that people never even realize they hear.
i think its so interesting how the audio & landscape design is used to influence & guide moods & actions throughout the park.
of course, at the same time i think its evil & manipulative, but its still genius!
June 14th, 2007 at 3:32 am
You know what you need to look for while you are at Disney? Hidden Mickey Mouse ears all over the park! I just saw this on TV the other day…as I’ve never been there, but it was very interesting to watch. If you are still there you should see how many you can find.
June 17th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
disney is a terrible scary corporation. it’s no wonder they have people writing songs for them that are supposed to influence the people in underhanded ways, like Muzak.
…but you know even Satie had his furniture music. so whatever.
June 21st, 2007 at 2:11 pm
“All art constantly aspires towards the condition of music.” -Walter Pater
I think Simon Frith has it backwards. I was trained as a musician since age four, but cannot for the life of me compose. But I do make films and I find that I make a sort of “visual music” out of them- constantly striving for the perfect emotional expression that is music.
As a funny aside, I was in Disneyland Paris with my video camera. There was almost no one there. I filmed the emptiness and everywhere I went, I had a built-in soundtrack, but no “action” to back it up! Talk about creepy…
July 28th, 2007 at 7:26 am
do you know the graffiti artist Banksy? he also did this installation at Disneyland in LA. I think it’s perfect.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=jkZoC6dwRqE