All my life, I have been an early-to-bed kind of guy. It was never a struggle for my parents to get me to go to bed at bedtime when I was a kid. I very seldom asked for an extension, and the negotiations of 'just a little while longer' was really not part of the parent-child interactions.
But there was always one thing that I did bargain for.
I begged to stay up for the theme song.
I didn't stay up to watch M*A*S*H. I was asleep before the end of the first scene of Dallas. I was bored with Masterpiece Theater. (OK.... Some things I didn't outgrow.) But I loved listening to the theme songs, and would negotiate my bedtime to include the first couple of minutes of the next show so that I could hear the music. The opening guitar chords to Suicide is Painless got me every time. And still does.
I was watching a movie this past week where the main character loved watching movies for the scoring of the themes. What was special to him was that magical interaction where the music moves you past the suspension of disbelief, and into something special - empathy.
And I realized that I have been doing that all my life. I will often decide to become a fan of a series because the theme music is good. And because I have music running through my head all the time (I am very succeptible to earworms... and I also hear sound clips accompanying the arrival of certain people) it just feels right when there is a good score.
There is a new trend in TV, though, that I understand, but of which I am not a fan. The first scene is played. Then we go to the theme, just before commercial.
I get it. By focusing on the action, channel flippers are stuck in place until after the first scene. It forces you to give a show a chance before moving it on.
But I would rather have that tune in my head.
Gimme that tune. If it's catchy, you will have me forever.
But there was always one thing that I did bargain for.
I begged to stay up for the theme song.
I didn't stay up to watch M*A*S*H. I was asleep before the end of the first scene of Dallas. I was bored with Masterpiece Theater. (OK.... Some things I didn't outgrow.) But I loved listening to the theme songs, and would negotiate my bedtime to include the first couple of minutes of the next show so that I could hear the music. The opening guitar chords to Suicide is Painless got me every time. And still does.
I was watching a movie this past week where the main character loved watching movies for the scoring of the themes. What was special to him was that magical interaction where the music moves you past the suspension of disbelief, and into something special - empathy.
And I realized that I have been doing that all my life. I will often decide to become a fan of a series because the theme music is good. And because I have music running through my head all the time (I am very succeptible to earworms... and I also hear sound clips accompanying the arrival of certain people) it just feels right when there is a good score.
There is a new trend in TV, though, that I understand, but of which I am not a fan. The first scene is played. Then we go to the theme, just before commercial.
I get it. By focusing on the action, channel flippers are stuck in place until after the first scene. It forces you to give a show a chance before moving it on.
But I would rather have that tune in my head.
 |
| Can you hear it? |
Gimme that tune. If it's catchy, you will have me forever.
1 comment:
I need the music, too.
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